About 80 percent of liver cancer patients in China would like to see a wider range of treatments included in the reimbursement lists of basic medical insurance programs, according to a survey of 300 family members of liver cancer patients nationwide.More than half of those surveyed said the patients are most in need of drugs that can effectively relieve pain and prolong life, according to the online survey, which was conducted by Life Times, a health newspaper in Beijing, in February and March.The results were published last month.Most of the patients covered by the survey were age 50 or older, and 55 percent said they were already in the late or terminal stages of liver cancer when they were diagnosed.More than half of the patients said they only sought medical advice after experiencing a period of physical discomfort, and only 10 percent were diagnosed during regular physical checkups.About 3 percent had been misdiagnosed once.Nearly 70 percent said they did not pay enough attention to warning signs and symptoms during the early stages of the disease.Nearly 60 percent of those surveyed said their lives had been disrupted by having a family member with liver cancer, and they were unable to obtain adequate rest.More than 40 percent of the relatives spent all of their time after work caring for the patient.More than 51 percent said they had experienced heavy financial pressure as a result of high treatment costs, while just 4.7 percent said they had experienced very little pressure.Wu Jianxiong, director of the hepatobiliary department at the Cancer Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, said China has one of the highest incidences of liver cancer in the world, accounting for more than half of all new cases globally every year.A major reason for the increased incidence of the disease in China is the high number of patients with hepatitis B and C, which are both prone to develop into cancer.Liver cancer is difficult to detect in the early stages, which results in many patients missing the opportunity for effective treatment, he said.Wu suggested that people at higher risk, such as those with hepatitis B and other liver conditions, should have regular checkups.He added that good dietary habits and a healthy lifestyle can help to prevent the disease from developing. charity wristbandswristbands comflash drive wristband
THAAD, nukes thought to be key topics of talks between leaders President Xi Jinping and the Republic of Korea's new president, Moon Jae-in, talked about Beijing's "major concerns" and agreed in their first phone conversation on Thursday to meet at an early date, sending positive signals for the bilateral ties. Xi said it is hoped that the new ROK government will attach great importance to the relevant major concerns of China and take tangible actions to push for the healthy, stable development of bilateral ties. Moon said he fully understands China's major concerns, according to a news release from China's Foreign Ministry. Although the release did not elaborate on China's major concerns, observers noted that the call was made since Washington and Seoul have deployed the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense antimissile system in the ROK, a move that has angered Beijing and chilled China-ROK ties. Moon said the new ROK government will communicate with China over this and work hard to seek a proper solution. Xinhua quoted an ROK senior presidential press secretary as saying Moon will send special envoys to Beijing to discuss issues concerning THAAD and Pyongyang's nuclear program. He will dispatch separate delegations to discuss the two issues with their Chinese counterparts, the report said. The leaders will keep in contact and meet at an early date. The conversation was held a day after Xi sent a message congratulating Moon on his landslide election victory. Zhang Liangui, an expert in Korean studies at the Party School of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, said the inauguration of a new ROK president "offers a good chance for the China-ROK ties to improve, and the talk on Thursday enhanced the chances of such a trend". "There is a shared wish on both sides for some new changes over the ties, as the chilly relations have affected many fronts of bilateral exchanges, such as trade," Zhang said. Zhang said Moon's latest comments indicated possible damage control for THAAD, and the proposed talk with Beijing on THAAD itself "is already very valuable, as there has been scant official bilateral discussion on THAAD". Ruan Zongze, vice-president of the China Institute of International Studies, said the THAAD deployment is undermining policy coordination between China and the ROK on global and regional issues. "The impact on the economic front may eventually offset the great benefits that the two sides had once harvested," Ruan said. On the Korean Peninsula situation, Xi reiterated Beijing's position regarding nuclear weapons, saying China will work with all parties, including the ROK, to continue working for peace. Moon said Seoul is ready to work with Beijing to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula by resuming the Six-Party Talks.
