Cure tumors with clean air and safe food

The rise in cases of tumors in China highlights the urgency and necessity for Chinese authorities to solve the serious environmental pollution and food safety issues, says an article in the 21st Century Business Herald. Excerpts:

The annual tumor registration report of China in 2012, recently issued by the National Tumor Registration Center, is the first report of its kind. The data suggests China is in an all-out war with tumors.

According to the report, 31.2 percent of new tumor cases in the world each year now occur in China, 54 percent of deaths from tumors happen in China.

The experience of the West indicates the older the population, the more tumors there will be. But experience in China suggests the Chinese develop tumors 15 to 20 years earlier than their counterparts in developed countries.

Considerable tumor and cancer cases in lungs, stomachs and intestines in China can be attributed to the serious air pollution and food safety issues. Some tumor cancer patients are young or middle-aged and well educated. The medical costs and productivity losses of premature deaths add dual-burdens to the Chinese economy and society.

The Chinese government should do its best to address the environmental challenges and food safety issues. Some people take these problems as compulsory lessons for a nation on the road to development. But this is not an excuse for the Chinese authorities to slacken their efforts to deal with the challenges.