Lung cancer remains top killer

Lung cancer remains the most lethal strain of the deadly disease among Shanghai men, a health forum heard yesterday.

It is also the third-most deadly cancer among women, said Wu Fan, director of the Shanghai Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

According to Chen Haiquan, deputy director of the Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, smoking is to blame for two-thirds of all lung cancer cases in Shanghai. He advised members of the public to undergo annual screenings for lung cancer, as early detection can help in fighting the disease.

Wu, meanwhile, was keen to quash a rumor that eating bean products can increase the risk of developing breast cancer. She said that in a survey conducted by the center and US experts the survival rate of breast cancer patients improved among those who consumed a certain amount of bean products.

In 2013, the incidence rate of cancer in Shanghai residents was 1.79 percent, Wu said, adding that every day, about 100 people die from the disease and 149 new cases are diagnosed.