The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 84 million people will die from cancer between 2005 and 2015 if no intervention is made. Tumors are characterized by an increase in the number of their cells that exceeds the host’s need for growth, repair and proliferation. Together with cardiovascular diseases and accidents, malignant tumors constitute the three leading causes of death in the world today. According to WHO statistics, the annual number of new cancer cases worldwide is up to more than 9 million and deaths are about 5 million, and the trend is increasing year by year. Therefore, overcoming the causes of cancer and finding the solutions have become the top priority for human beings. Beijing, as an international big city, the environmental changes caused by the urbanization process, the pressure of people’s work and life, and the change of lifestyle and diet structure brought by the rising economic level have caused the health status and disease spectrum of urban residents to change accordingly. Its cancer incidence rate shows an increasing trend, which is typical in the development of large cities in China. Beijing University Cancer Hospital conducted a continuous surveillance study on the occurrence of tumors in Beijing between 1999 and 2009, a decade ago. The conclusion of the study showed that malignant tumors ranked the first cause of death of Beijing residents for four consecutive years since 2007. In 2009, for example, a total of 36,765 new cases of malignant tumors were reported in the Beijing household population, with an incidence rate of 297.04 per 100,000. Among them, there were 18,902 new cases in men, with an incidence rate of 303.08/100,000, and 17,863 new cases in women, with an incidence rate of 290.91/100,000. The male to female ratio of new malignant tumor cases is 106:100. In the past decade, lung cancer, breast cancer and colorectal cancer have been in the top three malignant tumor incidences among Beijing residents. From the perspective of different genders, the top three malignant tumors in Beijing in recent years are lung cancer, colorectal cancer and liver cancer for men, and breast cancer, lung cancer and colorectal cancer for women. The incidence of lung cancer in men has always been on top of the list, and in 2008 the incidence rate exceeded the 70/100,000 mark for the first time, far ahead of malignant tumors of other organs. The incidence of liver cancer in men has increased more slowly, but the rate of colorectal cancer is still noteworthy, and its incidence rate surpassed that of liver cancer in 2007, becoming the second most prevalent malignant tumor in men in Beijing. For many years, breast cancer has been the first most prevalent malignant tumor among women in Beijing, and the rapid increase in incidence rate has also aroused widespread concern from all walks of life. In addition, lung cancer and colorectal cancer in women have also been on the rise in the last decade. What are the most relevant factors for the occurrence of cancer? There are many reasons for the occurrence of tumors, such as emotional stress in life, poor dietary habits and so on. Research data shows that about 1/3 of malignant tumors in men and 60% of tumors in women are closely related to nutritional factors, and it is confirmed that the cancer incidence rate of people who consume a lot of vegetables and fruits is about 50% lower than that of people with low intake, and a large amount of vegetables and fruits can prevent many kinds of cancers and significantly reduce the risk of cancer occurrence. The evidence is the strongest for breast, esophageal, liver, bladder and prostate cancers. In 1991, British oncology epidemiologist R. DOLL suggested that a reasonable diet could reduce the mortality rate of stomach and colon cancer by 90%, and the mortality rate of oral cancer, esophageal cancer, pharyngeal cancer, pancreatic cancer, gallbladder cancer, cervical cancer and endometrial cancer by 20%, and the total mortality rate of cancer could be reduced by 10%. The incidence of cancer is about 50% lower in people who consume a lot of vegetables and fruits. How to achieve early detection and prevention As a disease, tumor has its own process of occurrence and development. Early detection is not impossible, but the key lies in how much people know about it. WHO experts put forward the “ten” early signs of malignant tumors: (1) palpable hard nodes or lumps that do not disappear in any part of the body, such as breast, skin, lips and tongue or other parts; (2) warts or moles with changes such as deepening color, rapid increase in size, itching and hair loss, ulceration or bleeding; (3) persistent indigestion; (4) choking when swallowing coarse and hard objects. Choking sensation when swallowing coarse and hard objects, discomfort behind the sternum, burning pain or foreign body sensation in the esophagus; (5) Tinnitus, hard of hearing, nasal congestion, headache, blood in the throat discharge, neck mass; (6) Persistent hoarseness, dry cough or blood in the sputum; (7) Unexplained blood in the stool, painless hematuria, bleeding from the external ear; (8) Irregular menstruation, heavy bleeding, irregular vaginal bleeding outside the menstrual period or after menopause; (9) long-standing ulcers; (10) unexplained weight loss or hypothermia. In general, after unexplained discomfort persists for a longer period of time, it is important to go to the hospital for prompt examination. It must be noted that the appearance of the above symptoms does not necessarily mean malignancy, but early medical attention should be sought. Who are the key cancer prevention groups? Data from Shenzhen shows that the average age of incidence of liver cancer is 52.4, stomach cancer is 58.2, colon cancer is 58.2, esophageal cancer is 59.3 …… cancer is mostly high after 50 years old. After the age of 50, people enter an eventful period. After the age of 50, both men and women will experience menopause, when the hormone level in the body starts to decline, the endocrine system changes, and the immune function of the body gradually decreases. In other words, cancer genes or mutated cells that can be controlled by the immune system will be less cleared by immune cells as the body ages, thus inducing cancerous changes. For example, the HPV virus, which causes cervical cancer, may take more than 10 years to develop from cervical erosion to cancer, and usually develops after the age of 40-50. Therefore, cancer prevention should be done at least 20 years earlier, which means that people over 35 years old should go to a specialized hospital for cancer prevention checkup once a year, especially for people with family history of tumor, experts suggest that 1-2 preventive checkups should be done every year. According to WHO, 40% of cancers can be prevented, 40% of cancers can be cured, and 20% of cancers can survive with tumors for a long time. At the government level, efforts are being made to promote science and technology and to guide people to pay attention to the occurrence of diseases through policies. In recent years, the Beijing Municipal Government has been actively organizing screening programs for high-risk groups of women for two cancers, lung cancer and colorectal cancer. The goal of the “Healthy Beijingers – Ten-Year Plan of Action for Health Promotion for All” is to prevent malignant tumors. For individuals, experts call for protecting the environment, staying away from tobacco, eating healthy, exercising in moderation, and maintaining a healthy and happy state of mind. Biological vaccine against cancer will become a trend Cervical cancer is the second most common malignant tumor in women worldwide, and 200,000 people die every year because of it, accounting for 80% of the deaths worldwide as a result. Data from China’s health authorities show that more than 130,000 new cases of cervical cancer and about 30,000 deaths occur each year in China. It has been confirmed that almost all cervical cancers are caused by HPV (human papillomavirus), of which more than 70% are caused by HPV16 and HPV18 viruses. The Institute of Oncology of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences has done a multicenter study of 1244 patients with cervical cancer and high cervical lesions in 19 hospitals in 7 regions of China, and the results showed that 84% of squamous cervical cancers in Chinese women are also caused by HPV types 16 and 18. Research related to the fight against cancer through the vaccine approach has been conducted globally for 10-20 years. Currently, the only vaccine with cancer suppressive effects developed and approved by the FDA is the cervical cancer vaccine against HPV 16 and 18, which can reduce the incidence of cervical cancer by 70%. Since the HPV vaccine only prevents HPV infection and does not cure it, the best protection can only be obtained if the vaccination is administered before the risk of infection arrives. The vaccine requires three injections over a six-month period to prevent the onset of disease and tracking data show that the immune protection provided by the vaccine has shown no signs of weakening since 2006. Today, the vaccine is approved for marketing in several countries and regions, including the European Union, Asia, Australia, Hong Kong, China and Taiwan, and news suggests that the Chinese government is also working to get the HPV vaccine on the ground. Worldwide, the development of technologies to prevent the occurrence of cancer with vaccines has been gradually extended to the treatment of more tumors, such as prostate cancer, melanoma, kidney cancer and other tumors. According to authoritative statistics, for example, prostate cancer patients treated with vaccines can extend their overall survival by up to one year compared to ordinary patients. In the future, as the research and development of biological therapy, especially the anti-cancer vaccine, will be further developed worldwide, the dream of treating cancer by tapping the “potential ability” of individuals themselves, or even by changing genes, will become the best means to treat and stop the occurrence of tumors. I believe this day is no longer far away!