Getting a cancer checkup is a good way to prevent and treat early-stage cancer, suggests a cancer specialist in Beijing.

Xu Zhijian, head of the Cancer Prevention Department, Cancer Institute and Hospital under the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, made the remarks at a press conference on Monday.

"A cancer checkup is different from a normal body checkup. It is designed for people who have a genetically high risk of cancer," said Xu. "We help them evaluate their risk level through checkups and set up a lifetime health management plan."

According to Xu, the checkup is a newly introduced program as part of the 10th national Cancer Awareness Week for the Prevention and Treatment of Cancer, which will be held from April 13 to 18. This year's theme is "fighting against cancer stems from action." During Cancer Awareness Week, leading cancer institutes and hospitals will provide free checkups and screening for early detection of cancer as well as health seminars to educate the public on how to prevent cancer.

According to statistics from the World Health Organization, cancer claimed some 6.2 million lives in 2000; that figure is estimated to rise to 9 million by 2015. Since 1987, cancer has become the number one cause of death for urban dwellers in China; the cancer death rate among urban and rural Chinese increased 83.1 percent in the past three decades.