Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer to affect women globally. In celebration of International Women's Day, a public meeting about breast cancer prevention titled "Care and Prevention of Breast Cancer" was held at the Panjiayuan Residential Community Center in Beijing on March 8th.

Co-organized by the Cancer Institute and Hospital (CIH) under Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and the Administrative Office of Panjiayuan Residential Community, the meeting attracted more than 300 women residents from 6 neighborhood communities.

On arriving at the Community Center, every attendant received a welcome package that included booklets on maintenance of a healthy lifestyle, prevention of breast cancer, and an application form for a free breast check-up.

The first part of the program was a cancer prevention lecture delivered by Dr. Yuan Fenglan from the CIH. Yuan said that the growth rate of breast cancer in China has reached 3 percent annually which is 0.6 percent higher than in Western developed countries.

In Beijing, the incidence of breast cancer has the highest growth rate of all cancer since 1978. In 1997, breast cancer was 30 percent higher than a decade ago. By 2005, the number of those diagnosed with breast cancer reached 43.8/100,000 compared to 33.7/100,000 in 1997.

"The abovementioned numbers are alarming, but what I want to tell you is that breast cancer is not an incurable disease; it's preventable as long as you can meet the requirement of the 'three earlies' - early detection, early diagnosis, and early treatment," she said.

Early detection is crucial for serious health problems, especially in the fight against breast cancer. In fact, more than 85 percent of women with early breast cancer are cured of their disease.

The vast majority of high-profile women live long and healthy lives after their diagnosis of breast cancer, such as Nancy Reagan, the former First Lady of the United States; Australian pop princess Kylie Minogue; famous Taiwan singer Tsai Chin; and Hong Kong senior artist Lisa Wong.

"The increased awareness of breast cancer prevention, I believe, contributes substantial benefit to what is, otherwise, a really tragic event," she said.

After Dr. Yuan's hour-long lecture, a free breast check-up was given to the attendants by ten doctors from CIH.