Lung, colorectal and thyroid are the most prevalent forms of cancer for Shanghai residents. Cancer has become one of the most common chronic diseases in the city, and is the second-highest cause of death for local people, the Shanghai Health Commission said today during National Cancer Prevention and Control Promotion Week.

About 79,000 city residents are diagnosed with cancer every year, with an incidence rate of 546 in every 100,000 people.

The most deadly are lung, colorectal and gastric cancer.

Five-year survival rates have increased over the past decade. Currently, 55 percent of cancer patients survive for more than five years, which is considered a clinical recovery.

The early-stage detection rate of common cancers has risen to 39 percent due to public education and promotions for early screening.

490,000 people are living with cancer in the city — 3 percent of the population.

The rising number of elderly people with cancer is the primary reason for the increase of cancer incidences and mortality, experts said.

Shanghai is promoting early detection through cancer screenings, diagnoses and treatments in order to prolong people's survival rates and improve their quality of life.

Since 2013, 4.75 million community-based colorectal cancer screenings have been conducted, detecting 18,500 people with pre-cancerous conditions and 3,895 people with colorectal cancer. Among them, 46 percent were in the early stages. The overall detection rate of early-stage colorectal cancer among newly reported cases has risen from 11 percent to 16 percent over that time.

The city plans to offer free colorectal cancer screenings to 300,000 residents this year, as well as beefing up screenings for breast and cervical cancer. The incidence and mortality rate of cervical cancer is the highest of all female cancers for Chinese women.