China sets up world's largest cancer registry

BEIJING: China has set up the world's largest cancer registry system that will cover over 300 million people in a bid to fight the deadly disease with evidence-based and more-targeted intervention programmes.

At least three million people develop cancer each year in China, and the registry is expected to expand to include 40 per cent of the nation's population of 1.36 billion by 2020.

Cancer claims 2.2 million lives in China and costs at least 100 billion yuan (USD 16 billion) each year, estimates by experts have shown.

A cancer registry is a systematic collection of data about cancer and tumor diseases. Cancer registry records complete summary of patient history, diagnosis, treatment and status of every cancer patient. To date, medical costs have not been included in the registry, state-run China Daily reported.

"The more people the registry covers, the more precisely we will understand the rising epidemic," said Chen Wanqing, Registry Director.

"That will help experts and health authorities come up with evidence-based and more-targeted intervention programs," Chen said.

Well-designed intervention and health communication, "could work well to curb a rising trend of cancer", Chen said.