A nonprofit organization that urges employers to create healthy workplaces to reduce risks of cancer and other diseases has established a branch in China.

The CEO Roundtable on Cancer was created in 2001 at the request of a former US president, George H.W. Bush, who asked a group of corporate leaders to "do something bold and venturesome about cancer within your own corporate family".

On Oct 10, the organization formally opened its China headquarters in Shanghai.

The ultimate goal is to eliminate cancer as a personal disease and public health problem. Members of the group work together to develop and implement initiatives that reduce the risk of cancer, enable early diagnosis, facilitate better access to best-available treatments, and hasten the discovery of better diagnostic tools and anti-cancer therapies.

Marty J. Murphy, CEO of the organization, says: "We have done a lot of work in the US, and many companies have done well. Now we hope more work can be done in China."

The China chapter will encourage leading corporations and institutions to embrace its voluntary initiatives and to create healthier workplaces.

Chinese companies that participate will be urged to incorporate the CEO Cancer Gold Standard into their workplace wellness programs. The three major goals: risk reduction, early detection and quality care.

To achieve these goals, the program focuses on five key areas: tobacco use, nutrition, physical activity, prevention, screening and early detection, and access to quality treatment and clinical trials.

So far, the CEO Cancer Gold Standard has already been adopted by more than 150 of the world's leading companies, with more than 4 million lives saved or enhanced, according to Chris Viehbacher, chairman of the global organization.

Cancer is currently the leading cause of death in China. There are about 3.12 million new cancer cases each year, an average of six people being diagnosed with some form of cancer every minute.

The cancer mortality rate nationwide is 180.54 per 100,000 people, meaning that about 2.7 million Chinese die from cancer each year, according to National Health and Family Planning Commission. Tobacco use is the top cause of cancer and also No 1 cause of preventable death in China and throughout the world.

"About 60 percent of cancer can be prevented. The CEO Gold Standard defines what companies' executives can do to lower the risk of cancer, detect it earlier and ensure access to quality care," says Viehbacher.

The CEO Roundtable on Cancer-China plans to reach out to the Chinese government, State-owned companies and social sectors to both prevent cancer and boost workplace wellness in China, which will ultimately lower the risk of cancer and other diseases.