Cancer was the top killer in Taiwan last year, with liver cancer taking over from lung cancer as the most deadly form of the disease, the Department of Health said yesterday.
The department's figures showed that of the 126,936 Taiwanese who died last year, 34,342, or 27.1 percent, died from cancer. Last year was the 21st consecutive year that cancer has been the leading cause of death. As with previous years, liver cancer (6,943 deaths) and lung cancer (6,846 deaths) were the most fatal forms.
Officials said that the incidence of esophagus, oral and pancreatic cancer was also increasing.
DOH Director-General Chen Chien-jen (
"If people who chew betel nut often also smoke and drink a lot, their risk of getting oral cavity cancer will be 30 times more than for those who don't have such lifestyles," Chen said.
Pancreatic cancer was one of the top 10 most deadly cancers last year for the first time, largely because of more accurate diagnoses, officials said.
The department's figures also showed that an increasing number of Taiwanese were killing themselves.
The number of suicides last year grew 9.78 percent, or 272, from the year before to 3,053. Men made up the majority, or 69.24 percent, of suicides.
Health officials said suicide was the third leading cause of death for 25 to 44 year olds, accounting for 12.6 percent of deaths in this age group. Chen said that while the health department had not analyzed the reasons for the large number of suicides in this age group, economic and political, as well as health, factors played a role.
Nevertheless, the department said that the death rate, of 565.08 people per 100,000, was 3.8 percent lower than the previous year and that people were living longer. The average lifespan of men rose 0.16 years from 2001 to 73.03. For women, the average age at death was 78.82 last year, up 0.07 years from 2001.
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