Taiwan’s health minister Hsueh Jui-yuan (薛瑞元) calls on those with a family history of lung cancer and heavy smoking to be screened as soon as possible. Hsueh said that there are about 500,000 people who meet the two screening criteria.
In a press conference on July 3, Health Commissioner Wu Chao-Chun (吳昭軍 ) pointed out that only 49,508 people across the country have been checked in the year since low-dose computed tomography lung cancer screening has been offered for free. 531 confirmed lung cancer cases were found, of which more than 85% were stage 0 or 1.
The National Health Administration said that the survival rate of lung cancer patients is low, mainly because early lung cancer has no obvious symptoms, which can lead to a late-stage diagnosis. According to cancer data in 2020, half of all lung cancer patients diagnosed were in the fourth stage, and advanced cases accounted for more than 60%.
Although the death rate from lung cancer in Taiwan decreased last year, it still ranks first in all cancers, accounting for one-fifth of all cancer deaths in 2022. The public is urged to seek early screening and early treatment.