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. event wristbandswristband keychaincustom made rubber bracelets24 hour wristbands coupon codecheap custom wristbands
Beijing residents, used to seeing smoggy winter days, have enjoyed what have been called amazing days free of pollution, for 80 percent of the time in November. The blue sky has continued, data from the top environment authority showed on Thursday.Data released by the Ministry of Environmental Protection on Thursday shows that Beijing's air quality improved sharply in November, with the average PM2.5 concentration count cut by 54 percent to 46 micrograms per cubic meter, almost the summertime level in the capital.The air quality index stood at less than 100 on 80 percent of days in November. A year earlier, just 43 percent of days had an air quality index below 100.In addition, air quality improved in the larger Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region in November, with more days of good air quality, Liu Zhiquan, head of the ministry's Environment Monitoring Department, said on Thursday.It's highly possible that Beijing will meet the ambitious reduction target set by the State Council in 2013, Environmental Protection Minister Li Ganjie said in early December, adding that the improvement showed comprehensive joint efforts are working.The northern region has a greater chance of days with severe air pollution due to excessive emissions from heating plants during the winter, especially on windless days, the ministry has said in the past.During past winters, the region has experienced soaring emissions of airborne pollutants, with a seasonal average increase of 30 percent, according to the ministry.But at least two straight weeks in December through Thursday of blue skies in the capital indicate good air quality, ministry data show."The air quality improvement in November in Beijing and its neighboring regions is closely tied to frequent cold fronts with strong wind that blew away the pollutants in the region," Ai Wanxiu, chief expert at the National Climate Center, said recently.Seven separate cold fronts swept the northern region in November, she said, hitting a record for the month dating to 1961.In addition, the significant improvement showed the ongoing mix of strict pollution controls have worked, a more important reason for the clean air, Xie Hongxing, director of the Innovation Centre for Clean-Air Solutions, an environmental think tank in Beijing, said on Thursday.China has launched comprehensive measures to reduce polluting emissions in the northern region, including restricting industrial production by shutting down thousands of polluting plants and suspending the work of iron and steel plants in 28 major cities, limiting the use of vehicles and reducing coal consumption as a heating source since September."The mix of efficient controls and the better implementation of them are major reasons for the improvement," Xie said, adding that the advanced technologies adopted also fueled the improvement.For example, the ultra-low-emission technologies used in coal-fired power plants managed to reduce the emissions, and the emission standards on vehicle exhausts are stricter than many Western countries, said Xie, adding that many foreign experts from the US and UK agreed it at the recent forum.
