The first specialized online radio station for cancer patients, established by patients and their families, was officially launched yesterday.
The Taiwan Breast Cancer Alliance yesterday announced that, in cooperation with the Taiwan Association of Cancer Patients, it had launched a new online radio station named CanCheers (牽手) — which sounds like “holding hands” in Hoklo (commonly known as Taiwanese) — aimed at providing emotional support to cancer patients and their families.
Alliance director Huang Shu-Fang (黃淑芳) said a US medical study showed that about 67 percent of breast cancer patients experience cognitive disorders such as inattention or memory loss after receiving treatment, adding that the risk of such disorders is associated with the feeling of loneliness.
The more loneliness a patient feels, the greater the risk of cognitive disorders, she said, adding that loneliness can also affect a patient’s quality of sleep.
Alliance secretary-general Lin Wei-chieh (林葳婕) said the average relapse rate of breast cancer patients is about 15 percent to 20 percent in the first two to three years after treatment, and about 10 percent for stage one patients, 15 percent for stage two and 45 percent to 50 percent for stage three within 10 years of treatment.
She said some patients might feel lonely because they do not know where to find emotional support, assistance or other patients exchanging their experiences fighting cancer.
Music critic Cora Tao (陶曉清), who is also fighting breast cancer and is serving as the radio station’s director, said that she is fortunate to have friends and family to support her through chemotherapy, adding that she hopes the radio station can reach lonely patients to share health information — as well as thoughts on art, music, movies and books — so that they will not feel so lonely.
The station has already invited several popular musicians and anchors to host radio programs, Lin said, adding that it plans to train cancer patients to become hosts.
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