BEIJING -- China will compile a second edition of its cancer atlas to optimize use of medical resources.

The new edition of the atlas, first published in the 1970s, will redefine the regions with high cancer rates which need more prevention and treatment, the Ministry of Science and Technology (MST) said on Monday.

According to the MST, a data base of cancer deaths will be established at county level.

Research by the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, will be based on tumor registrations, cause of death surveys and demographic material.

According to a 2012 report, 8,550 people are diagnosed with cancer every day, roughly one every six minutes.