Cancer screening project launched in Jiading

Jiading District has launched an innovative cancer screening project for locals.

Xu Shuqiang, head of Shanghai Jiao Tong University's China Hospital Development Institute, Wang Hongyang, academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering and The World Academy of Sciences, Yuan Zheng'an, Party Secretary of Shanghai Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Tang Dongying, vice director of Jiading District, Wu Liming, vice director of Shanghai Disease Control and Prevention Bureau, Wu Wenhui, director of Shanghai Health Commission’s emergency office, Fang Yunfen, director of Jiading District Health Commission as well as Richard Yiu , general manager of Roche Diagnostics China participated in the launch ceremony.

The Healthy China 2030 initiative aims to increase the five-year survival rate by 15 percent through cancer prevention and control. Early screening, diagnosis, and treatment are the best ways to enhance patient survival and reduce disease burden.

Liver cancer, one of the most common and deadly tumors, poses a severe health danger to the Chinese people. In 2022, there were 367,700 cases of liver cancer, resulting in 316,500 deaths. The incidence and fatality rates are the fifth and second highest among all malignancies, respectively.

Most patients are diagnosed in the middle or terminal stages, losing the optimum therapy opportunity because there are no early symptoms. Less than 15 percent live for five years. Early detection and effective treatment can increase liver cancer patients' five-year survival rate to above 90 percent. Thus, improving liver cancer screening and diagnosis is crucial.

This project focuses on liver cancer screening and risk management for critical populations. People in Jiading aged 40 to 74 with diseases such as cirrhosis, chronic hepatitis B, C, and metabolism-related fatty liver disease, as well as their direct relatives with a family history of liver cancer, will receive tailored care.

The authorities hope to achieve precise screening and follow-up management for those at high risk of liver cancer using sophisticated digital solutions, thereby improving early identification and diagnosis, as well as long-term prognosis.

Cancer is the second-biggest cause of death in Shanghai, according to Dr Yuan Zheng'an from the CDC. The major cancer killers are lung, colorectal, gastric, pancreatic, and liver cancers; therefore, screening key populations for early diagnosis and treatment is crucial to improving patients' survival, mortality, and quality of life.

"The Jiading District cancer screening project improves risk factor control, comprehensive cancer monitoring, long-term screening, cancer diagnosis and treatment, and Western-traditional Chinese medicine integration. It is crucial to providing residents with efficient, accurate, and acceptable health care, " Yuan said.

Xu Shuqiang, head of Shanghai Jiao Tong University's China Hospital Development Institute, said Jiading is Shanghai’s only district which successfully applied for a central government-sponsored public hospital reforming and high-end development project, which turns from a disease-centered format to a patient-centered format to better cater to patients’ overall health and demand.

"The cancer screening initiative helps create a scientific and effective screening strategy, multidisciplinary system, and long-term workflow," he said. "It is expected to bring a ‘Jiading Cancer Screening Model’ for Shanghai and even the whole country on public hospitals’ high-quality development."

People often refer to liver cancer as a silent killer due to its mild early symptoms. With Roche Diagnostics' support, the project introduced in-vitro diagnostic digital tool, Elecsys GAAD algorithm, and risk evaluation systems. The innovative liver disease precision management and digital solution uses a combination of age, gender, height, weight, alpha fetal protein (AFP), protein induced by vitamin K absence or Antagonist-II (PIVKA-II), induced liver function, and blood tests to screen for liver cancer and categorize risk.

General physicians will be around when all 13 Jiading community healthcare centers give free examinations and screenings to the locals.

Tang Dongying, vice director of Jiading District, said this project aims to develop a new disease prevention and control system with professional public health facilities, comprehensive and specialized hospitals, and neighborhood health centers.

"Focusing on key population and carrying out more targeted screening among these people, we want to establish a cancer detection and management policy through community-based and clinical opportunistic screening with health checkups to provide more precise health services, effectively enhancing early cancer detection, reducing cancer incidence and mortality, improving residents' health and life quality," she said.

Richard Yiu, general manager of Roche Diagnostics China, said the company has been rooted in China for more than 20 years. It is committed to offering innovative and effective health management solutions.

"We're proud that our Elecsys PIVKA-II assay, Elecsys GAAD algorithm, and Liver Disease Pathway can help this cancer screening initiative," Yiu said.

"We hope the 'Jiading Cancer Screening Model' can be widely promoted to benefit more people. Roche Diagnostics will continue the 'in China, for China' commitment to develop and introduce high-value diagnostic products, contributing to the Healthy China 2030 initiative and benefiting patients through collaboration with all demographics."