Comprehensive analysis of cancer coverage in important Chinese newspapers between 2000 and 2007

Abstract

Goals of work: Nowadays China has the largest population in the world. A recent epidemiology investigation has shown that cancer is the main cause of mortality, ahead of heart and cerebrovascular diseases. However, the information from Chinese newspaper reports on cancer is not completely clear. The present study is, therefore, designed to investigate the number and content of published news stories focused on cancers from 2000 to 2007 in China main newspapers.

Methods: A content analysis was performed on cancer articles in a database of important Chinese newspapers, with "cancer" or "leukemia" in title taken as keywords.

Main results: The total 7,643 of 7,903,117 articles were about cancer from 2000 to 2007. The number of published articles related to cancer every year increased on the whole. Women's cancers, such as breast cancer and cervical cancer, garner more attention than other carcinomas. Prevention and treatment were always the main points in cancer-related articles.

Conclusions: In the past eight years, Chinese main newspapers have significantly increased the number of cancer-related reports and paid more attention to women's cancers.