In the first of a six-part Health Matters wellness series on cancer in Hong Kong, Emily Hung looks into how the city takes on its leading cause of death while maintaining one of the lowest mortality rates in the developed world and what more it must do to excel as a hub for cancer research.

When Hong Kong began modern cancer tracking in 1983, it recorded 15,000 new cases and a far higher death rate than today.

Four decades on, the number of cases has more than doubled to 38,000, yet the risk of dying from the disease has nearly halved. In 1983, the city’s age-standardised cancer death rate stood at 136.7 per 100,000 people. By 2023, it had fallen to 71.1.

Cancer remained the city’s top killer in 2023, claiming nearly 15,000 lives – more than a quarter of all deaths – according to the latest official data. Its mortality rate, however, is among the lowest in developed economies.

The average across Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) member countries was 191 deaths per 100,000 people. Meanwhile, Japan and South Korea recorded rates of 174 and 150, respectively, according to the latest data available.

Experts attributed the success to Hong Kong’s access to world-class drugs and treatments, but warned that the city must invest more in early prevention and screening to truly lead in cancer management.