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Cancer: China’s soaring curse

Bhuwan Thapaliya - 11/21/2011

For most Chinese, economic strength has been their greatest source of national pride. Frenzied building in the Chinese cities has long been one of the most visible symbols of the region’s spectacular economic boom. But the expansion of cancer and cancer related other fatal diseases across China have put their economic growth in dilemma.

It has been reported that the cancer rates across Asia could rise to 60 percent by 2020 and the county most likely to suffer much from cancer is China. China, no doubt is enjoying its economic growth. In this part of the world, investors like to put spare cash into bricks and mortar. And during a decade of growth they have had plenty of cash to spar and have found banks keen to lend the balance.
Now, however, Industrialization has totally changed the facade of the Chinese villages. There are roads, schools, hospitals, electricity, telephone and transport services in most villages, and villagers today are more affluent then they used to be because of the modern factors of production. But on the other hand, Industrialization has turned the pure rivers of Chinese villages into floating garbage of chemical waste, and by doing so has turned villages as a safe haven of cancer, with many rural Chinese developing rare forms of cancer.


This is scary development. It threatens China's growth and stability.


"China is now home to about one-fifth of the world's new cases and in the past few years alone, China has seen a severe spike in cancer rates, associated with chemically-altered popular fast food dietary practices and increasing smoking habits," according to the Associated Press.


Chinese have been puffing cigarette as if it is their only business. China has the highest number of smokers in the world. It has been reported that approximately more than 350 million people smoke in China. These are not good sign for China and unless Chinese authorities come out with a concrete health plan, in the long run, all its economic efforts would scatter in the wind.


The effect of Smoke related diseases are alarmingly rising in China.

But China is not the only Asian nation suffering from cancer. Cancer rates are growing in other Asian giants such as India, and South Korea too. In India, lung cancer, stomach cancer, and lower pharynx caner has increased since the last decade. Whereas in South Korea there has been a record rise in prostate cancer.

Why the cancer rates are rising in Asia? In Asia many factors are responsible for the soaring cancer rates. Health care facilities are sound in Nations such as Japan, South Korea, UAE, Singapore, Hong Kong etc but same cannot be said of nations such as Nepal, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Cambodia, China etc.


Experts say one of the major reasons of soaring cancer rates is the lack of proper diagnosis and treatment.


Though rising incidence of cancer in South Asian Nations such as Nepal, India, Bangladesh and Pakistan has come to light with progress in cancer detection rates but unfortunately still there are rural regions, where cancer goes undetected. These rural places don't have any access to health infrastructure.


And there are the problems of non-accessibility. Reports state that Vaccines are not easily accessible for a great majority of Asians though they are common and easily accessible in the Western countries. For example, Hepatitis B virus is the cause of various forms of liver cancer, and it can be treated if timely action is taken but unfortunately most Asians don’t enjoy this privilege.

Furthermore, poor eating (high calorie and protein diets) and exercise habits (lack of physical exercises) have caused the cancer rates to soar, according to experts. But expert cites other factors too.


As with the cancer in Asia, the cause of cancer is natural: Pollution. A number of manmade factors is making the disaster worse than it would otherwise have been. Cancer, they say, is a sign of fundamental change of climate caused by global warming. Most scientists have an open mind about this.

Such statements may nudge governments towards taking drastic and costly action. The pressure for governments to do something is greater because private firms, though they are doing everything they can, cannot alone launch attacks on this horrible disease. A large funding and awareness campaign is needed to tackle this disease.

And moreover, cancer in Asia is not due to simply pollution, cigarettes, poor diet and exercise habits. Little noticed by the rest of the world, then, there are the remnants of war still in Asia.


The war is long over but the side effects still lingers on in the Vietnamese soil. Economically Vietnam is soaring and there is nothing to worry but Vietnam probably has most reason to worry.


It has been reported that Vietnamese are still struggling with the effects of Agent Orange, a chemical used by U.S. troops during the Vietnam War in the 1970s.

War and cancer rates are correlated. The Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin estimates that of the 3 million people that were exposed to the chemical, 1 million still suffer from cancer or birth defects.


Scary as it may sound, the long-term health of Asia may therefore hinge on Asia's chaotic health care facilities. The facilities need to be modified before cancer undermines its economy.

Furthermore, Asia cannot afford war because war means diffusion of carcinogenic chemicals in the air, which has the potential of accelerating the cancer rate.

If the chemicals used by U.S troops during the Vietnam War in the 1970s are still threatening Vietnam, then there are extremely high chances of cancer creating havoc in Iraq, a modern day Vietnam and other fragile battle zones of Asia such as Afghanistan and Pakistan.