One person dies from stomach cancer every two to three minutes in China as the country witnesses the prevalence of the disease rising sharply, experts warned.

About 400,000 Chinese people are diagnosed with stomach cancer each year in the country, accounting for 42 percent of the world's total.

More than 80 percent of those diagnosed were at the middle to late stage of the disease, official statistics showed.

"Late detection is mainly to be blamed for high death rate of stomach cancer in China, roughly twice of the world average," said Zhang Guangchao, secretary general of the China Anti-Cancer Association.

In recent years a new trend has emerged in China with stomach cancer beginning to hit younger people aged between 19 and 35 years, he noted.

The prevalence of stomach cancer among people younger than 40 has grown twice over the past five years, official statistics reveal. Previously, the disease mainly hit people aged 50 and above.

Busy lifestyles, huge pressure from work, unhealthy diet, and environment pollution could be to blame for the rise in cases, he said.

He also suggested adults older than 35 years go for stomach medical examination once a year to ensure early detection of the condition and timely treatment.

(Chinadailly.com.cn December 25, 2009)