Although cervical cancer could easily be eradicated in Taiwan, it remains the No. 1 cause of cancer in women because too many do not follow the Department of Health’s recommendation and get an annual Pap test, the Formosa Cancer Foundation said yesterday.
Foundation executive-director Lai Chi-ming (賴基銘) said the rate of incidence had dropped 7.6 percent since 2005 thanks to efforts by the department to raise awareness about cervical cancer, but the majority of Taiwanese women continue to ignore doctors’ recommendations to get an annual check-up and receive vaccination for the human papillomavirus, the leading cause of cervical cancer.
Only 35 percent of women receive a Pap test on an annual basis and 56 percent undergo the screening process every three years, he said.
A study by the department shows that about 5,000 new cases of cervical cancer are reported each year in Taiwan.
Lai said a new case of cervical cancer occurs every 90 minutes.
“Cervical cancer is a treatable disease if it is caught early enough and can be prevented through vaccination. In other words, if more women listened to their doctor, it would be possible to eradicate cervical cancer altogether,” Lai said.
In addition to vaccination and annual Pap tests, to lower the risk of contracting the disease, women are also advised to delay sexual activity, quit smoking, avoid having multiple sexual partners and use condoms during sexual intercourse.
Lai said even women who have had their ovaries removed should get a regular Pap test because the virus can attack cell tissue despite the absence of ovaries.
The most common symptoms of cervical cancer include vaginal bleeding, unusual vaginal discharge, pelvic pain and pain during sexual intercourse, he said.
However, too many patients do not realize the condition until the second or third stage of the disease because it is relatively pain-free at the onset, Lai said.
The national insurance health plan offers free annual Pap tests for all women above the age of 30.
In related news, the Bureau of National Health (BNH) yesterday said that more than 40 percent of Taiwanese are unaware that hypertension is a major cause of renal failure, urging the public to seek professional help when dealing with high blood pressure.
BNH Director-general Chiu Shu-ting (邱淑媞) said a survey conducted last year showed that while 90 percent of respondents understood the correlation between adult diabetes and renal failure, only 57.3 percent knew that high blood pressure can also damage the kidneys.
In 2007, studies showed that the rate of occurrence of renal failure in Taiwan was 415 per 1 million people — the world’s highest. About 58,000 people are on dialysis in Taiwan, said Lin Yu-feng (林裕峰), head of the Taiwan Society of Nephrology.
Lin said high blood pressure adds stress to blood vessels. Once blood vessels in the kidneys are damaged, they may stop functioning as waste removers, which can exacerbate the condition.
However, rather than seek professional medical help, many people choose to self-medicate with over-the-counter drugs.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) is to launch a new program to encourage international students to stay in Taiwan and explore job opportunities here after graduation, Deputy Minister of Education Yeh Ping-cheng (葉丙成) said on Friday. The government would provide full scholarships for international students to further their studies for two years in Taiwan, so those who want to pursue a master’s degree can consider applying for the program, he said. The fields included are science, technology, engineering, mathematics, semiconductors and finance, Yeh added. The program, called “Intense 2+2,” would also assist international students who completed the two years of further studies in
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) departed for Europe on Friday night, with planned stops in Lithuania and Denmark. Tsai arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Friday night, but did not speak to reporters before departing. Tsai wrote on social media later that the purpose of the trip was to reaffirm the commitment of Taiwanese to working with democratic allies to promote regional security and stability, upholding freedom and democracy, and defending their homeland. She also expressed hope that through joint efforts, Taiwan and Europe would continue to be partners building up economic resilience on the global stage. The former president was to first
Taiwan will now have four additional national holidays after the Legislative Yuan passed an amendment today, which also made Labor Day a national holiday for all sectors. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) used their majority in the Legislative Yuan to pass the amendment to the Act on Implementing Memorial Days and State Holidays (紀念日及節日實施辦法), which the parties jointly proposed, in its third and final reading today. The legislature passed the bill to amend the act, which is currently enforced administratively, raising it to the legal level. The new legislation recognizes Confucius’ birthday on Sept. 28, the
MORE NEEDED: Recall drives against legislators in Miaoli’s two districts and Hsinchu’s second district were still a few thousand signatures short of the second-stage threshold Campaigners aiming to recall Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators yesterday said they expect success in 30 out of 35 districts where drives have passed the second-stage threshold, which would mark a record number of recall votes held at once. Hsinchu County recall campaigners yesterday announced that they reached the second-stage threshold in the recall effort against Legislator Lin Szu-ming (林思銘). A total of 26,414 signatures have been gathered over the past two months, surpassing the 10 percent threshold of 23,287 in Hsinchu County’s second electoral district, chief campaigner Hsieh Ting-ting (謝婷婷) said. “Our target is to gather an additional 1,500 signatures to reach
RSS