China's National Health Commission Issues the "Guidelines for Healthy Lifestyles to Prevent Cancer in China (2026 Edition)"

Recently, China's National Health Commission issued the Guidelines for Healthy Lifestyles to Prevent Cancer in China (2026 Edition). The guidelines contain 15 points, as follows:

1. Do not smoke; quit early; stay away from secondhand smoke.
2. Maintain a healthy weight; avoid overweight and obesity.
3. Engage in regular exercise; reduce prolonged sitting.
4. Drink little alcohol; do not drink to excess.
5. Do not eat moldy food; avoid long-term, high-frequency chewing of betel nut and its products.
6. Do not eat scalding-hot food; do not drink scalding-hot beverages.
7. Avoid excessive pickled, smoked/grilled, and high-temperature-fried foods; eat less processed meat.
8. Eat fewer sweets; do not drink or drink fewer sugar-sweetened beverages.
9. Consume adequate vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.
10. Do not share personal hygiene items such as toothbrushes and razors; use serving spoons and chopsticks at group meals.
11. Take proper occupational protection; avoid exposure to carcinogens.
12. Avoid prolonged exposure to strong sunlight.
13. Keep indoor spaces ventilated; reduce going out when air pollution is high; wear a mask outdoors.
14. It is recommended to receive hepatitis B vaccine and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine as early as possible.
15. Promote breastfeeding.

These 15 points basically cover the common causes of cancer. According to data released in 2024 by China's National Cancer Center, the lifetime risk of cancer in the Chinese population is about 28.9%—meaning that about one in every three or four people will be diagnosed with cancer at some stage of life. This places a heavy economic burden on Chinese society and residents.

China's situation in preventing and controlling cancer is serious. Cancer is closely tied to lifestyle. Based on the experience of developed countries, launching a national cancer-prevention strategy and broadly conducting cancer-prevention education among the population can effectively reduce cancer incidence and lighten the economic burden on society and families.

Among China's high-incidence cancers, lung cancer still ranks first in incidence, with millions of patients diagnosed each year. Next are colorectal cancer, thyroid cancer, liver cancer, and gastric cancer. These five account for 57.42% of new cases in China. Among the causes of cancer, smoking (including indirect secondhand-smoke exposure) tops the list: over 80% of lung cancers are caused by smoking, which also leads to other cancers and common respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. China has more than 300 million smokers, and those harmed are not only smokers themselves but also everyone regularly exposed to secondhand smoke.

China's traditional dietary habits are also an important cause of cancer. Chinese people favor pickled foods, smoked/grilled foods, and processed meats (ham, sausage, bacon, and so on); Chinese people are fonder of hot food and hot drinks than other peoples. All these are classified by WHO as Group 1 carcinogens. The authoritative medical journal The Lancet once published a study on dietary-habit mortality in over 100 countries worldwide; it found that the traditional Chinese diet topped the mortality list. Pickled foods are a major cause of gastric cancer, and hot food and hot drinks lead to esophageal cancer.

China is also a country with a large hepatitis-B burden. Hepatitis B virus is the main carcinogenic factor for liver cancer. HBV infection, over the long term, leads not only to liver cancer but also to serious diseases such as cirrhosis. Combined with other high-risk factors—smoking, alcohol, obesity (especially abdominal obesity), and irregular routines—it is even more likely to progress to liver cancer. Therefore, HBV vaccination, quitting smoking, and limiting alcohol are very important.

HPV is the chief culprit behind cervical, vaginal, anal, oral, and penile cancers. HPV can be transmitted through sexual contact and through sharing personal items that touch skin and mucosa. The traditional Chinese communal-meal system is an important route for transmitting Helicobacter pylori, a high-risk factor for gastric cancer. Therefore we promote separate dining, personal sexual discipline, and not sharing personal hygiene items.

In recent years, colorectal-cancer incidence has risen sharply; this is related to Chinese people's sedentary habits and to obesity caused by high-sugar, high-fat, high-protein diets. As economic development has increased Chinese residents' travel, malignant melanoma associated with prolonged sun exposure has also been exploding.

Vegetables, fruits, and whole grains are rich in vitamins the body needs. Vitamins are not only essential micronutrients but also important antioxidants and anti-mutagenic substances. As animal-source foods have taken up a growing share of the Chinese diet in recent years, the incidence of various vitamin-deficiency-related diseases (including cancer and allergic diseases) has risen in the Chinese population.

If we can follow this National Health Commission lifestyle handbook for cancer prevention, we can lower our risk of the common cancers. This will not only lighten the burden on society but also significantly reduce family burdens and increase family happiness.