Photographer Wang Gangfeng
looks at his shots featuring the optimism and courage of lung
cancer patients, which went on show yesterday at Shanghai Art
Museum to commemorate the World Lung Cancer Awareness Month in
November. The exhibition will tour six other cities.
About 87 percent of people who die of lung cancer
either smoke or suffer passive smoking, medical experts told a
meeting yesterday to launch World Lung Cancer Awareness Month in
November.
There are 350 million smokers in China, experts from the Chinese
Anti-Cancer Association said. Some 600,000 people die each year of
lung cancer.
Public awareness of the dangers of smoking, government support
to ban smoking in public venues and new medicines are all effective
in preventing and controlling lung cancer, the association
said.
Next month, the association will cooperate with Shanghai Roche
Pharmaceuticals to launch free consultations in seven cities,
including Shanghai, to promote knowledge of lung cancer, ways to
quit smoking and information on new medicines to treat lung
cancer.
A picture exhibition portraying the lives of seven lung cancer
patients will also tour the cities to encourage patients to fight
the disease.
Experts said quitting smoking is the most important step to
control lung cancer.
"Smoking is a long-term nicotine addiction. About 90 to 95
percent of smokers fail in quitting cigarettes if they don't
receive professional help," said Dr Xiao Dan, director of Beijing
Respiratory Disease Research Institute's epidemic office. "Proper
guidance from doctors and effective medication like nicotine
replacement therapy can help people stop smoking gradually and
successfully. Such therapies are recommended by the World Health
Organization."
Smoking can lead to many syndromes like heart disease, lung
disease and gastric problems, and is a leading cause of cancer.
(Shanghai Daily October 31, 2007)
