To control the rising occurrence of breast cancer, medical professionals yesterday urged women over 35 to get regular medical check-ups in addition to conducting self-examinations.
Taipei City's health bureau yesterday held a press conference to try to heighten women's awareness and understanding of the disease.
According to the Taiwan Breast Association (
The death rate of breast cancer sufferers tripled during the same period.
Breast cancer was the fourth largest killer of female cancer sufferers last year, claiming 1,149 lives.
Taiwanese women between the ages of 40 and 49 are at the highest risk of getting breast cancer. The average age of sufferers is ten years less than Westerners, medical research says.
"Eighty-five percent of Stage One breast cancer can be cured," said Chiu Shu-shih (
Chen Huo-mu (陳火木), from the surgical department of the Taipei Municipal Women and Children Hospital (婦幼醫院), cited research conducted by National Taiwan University's Institute of Health Policy and Management (台大衛政所). It showed that only 8.4 percent of Taiwanese females perform a breast self-examination every month, and only 30 percent perform them correctly.
Liu Tse-jia (劉自嘉), chairman of the surgical department and president of the Taiwan Breast Association, said health education on how to perform a proper self-exam can only be achieved with teaching materials that include artificial breasts and models.
While self-exams are essential in the early diagnosis of breast cancer, professionals and officials yesterday warned that high-risk groups -- mostly women over the age of 35 -- should regularly visit their doctor for mammograms.
According to the same research, 90 percent of breast cancer cases are diagnosed during regular health check-ups in medical institutions rather than as a result of monthly self-exams. Most breast cancer cases in Taiwan are detected during Stage Two or later, meaning the tumor is larger than 2cm.
Kong Hsien-lan (孔憲蘭), the department's section chief of cancer control, said health authorities do not currently provide free breast cancer check-up services because of budget concerns and a lack of qualified professionals.
She added that improving people's outlook toward receiving treatment to try to cure the disease is as important as early detection.
"Some women, fearing an operation, seek alternative therapies, which delays proper treatment and puts their lives at risk," she said.
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