[Intl-tobacco] China: Shanghai is 'lung-cancer capital'

[Robert Weissman]

City is 'lung-cancer capital' - EastDay.com

 Tuesday, March 18, 2003


 Shanghai has earned a title it wants no part of as a recent medical
seminar named the city China's "lung-cancer capital."

 The city has the highest incidence of lung cancer in the country at
about 75 cases in every 100,000 people, with the number of
 people contracting the disease growing by at least 5,000 ever year.
Guangzhou, which has a larger population of smokers than
 Shanghai, and Beijing have the next highest rate of lung cancer at 50
cases per 100,000 people, according to the international
 "2003 Lung Cancer Forum" organized by the Chinese anti-cancer society.

 Lung cancer has become most deadly form of cancer to Shanghai with more
than 6,000 people dying from the ailment annually,
 said Dr. Bai Chunxue from Shanghai Zhongshan Hospital.

 About 400,000 people die from the disease in China every year,
according to medical specialists, many of whom blame smoking
 for the problem.

 Only one third of those who contract lung cancer can be helped by
surgery, who say the only effective method to control the
 disease is to stop smoking.

 "I know smoking is bad for health, but it's a good way to start a
conversation and turn strangers into friends during business and
 daily life," said Li Fei, a 30-year-old computer salesman.

 "Without passing the smokes round, I don't know how to start chatting,"
added Li, echoing the concerns of many health officials
 that smoking plays an overly important role in local culture.

 While cigarette packages in China must contain a small warning that
smoking is bad for your health, and many public venues host
 no smoking signs, the warnings go all but unnoticed in the city.

 More than 60 percent of the city's male adult population smokes,
according to Dr. Tan Binyou, the local executive vice president
 of the Chinese Medical Association. He adds that 12 percent of the
city's youngsters are addicted to tobacco.

 About 85 percent of lung cancer are related to smoking, according to a
survey conducted in 92 countries by the World Health
 Organization, he stressed.

 Smokers have 10 or 20 times higher of the chance than non-smokers to
get lung cancer. They also are more likely to get throat
 cancer and coronary disease, said Liao Meilin, chief of the chest
department at Shanghai Chest Hospital.

 Liao said a growing number of younger people, in there 20s or 30s, in
the city are contracting the disease, with many already in
 the terminal stage.

 "After quitting smoking for five years, the possibility of lung cancer
will distinctly drop. Of course, avoiding smoking is better
 than quitting smoking," said Liao. "Smokers above 45 years old should
undergo a physical check on the lungs every six months."

 Experts estimate 750,000 smokers die in China every year, and smoking
contributes to 12 percent of male deaths in China at
 present. If the problem isn't curbed soon, about 800,000 to 1 million
people will suffer from lung cancer every year by 2020,
 experts warned.

 In addition to smoking, lung cancer also relates to family history, air
pollution and a lack of vitamin A.