Acting Secretary for Health Dr Libby Lee chaired the 20th meeting of the Cancer Coordinating Committee today to discuss the response strategies and measures against cancer with relevant government departments and organisations.

During the meeting, the committee examined the implementation of the Hong Kong Cancer Strategy, and looked at in detail the citywide population-based cancer surveillance data for 2022, including figures on incidence, mortality, survival rates and cancer prevalence in the population for major cancers.

A total of 35,373 newly diagnosed cancer cases were recorded in 2022, involving 17,239 men and 18,134 women. In other words, 97 new cancer cases were diagnosed every day on average.

Lung cancer, logging 5,707 cases, remains the most common cancer in Hong Kong.

Breast cancer (5,208 cases) has for the first time outnumbered colorectal cancer (5,190 cases), accounting for the second and third most common cancers.

Dr Lee said: “Cancer mortality rates of both males and females have shown a declining trend over the past three decades, indicating Hong Kong’s healthcare system has yielded positive results in combating cancer.”

She noted that the stage-specific survival rates of various cancers show that the survival rate will be higher if a patient has the cancer detected at an early stage followed by early treatment.

“In Hong Kong, most patients with early-stage cancers have a five-year relative survival rate reaching 90% or higher. The ratio of surviving for more than five years for those with certain early-stage cancers, such as female breast, prostate and thyroid cancers, is comparable to that of the general population.”

The committee also reviewed and discussed various work on cancer prevention and control.

In this respect, the Department of Health has been promoting to the public a healthy lifestyle as the primary strategy for cancer prevention.

Primary prevention, ie reducing exposure to cancer risk factors, is the most important strategy for reducing the risk of developing cancer. The Government has long been adopting a multipronged approach, including publicity, education, promotion, legislation and regulation, to encourage citizens to lead a healthy lifestyle to reduce the risks of contracting non-communicable diseases including cancer.

For screening, the department has implemented the Cervical Screening Programme, the Colorectal Cancer Screening Programme and the Breast Cancer Screening Pilot Programme.

It highlighted that most of the cancer cases identified through various screening programmes are at earlier stages, leading to a more favourable prognosis, therefore, the Government will explore the use of artificial intelligence to assist lung cancer screening and implement hepatitis B screening to prevent liver cancer. Details will be announced in due course.