People with early-stage stomach cancer usually experience no symptoms, the Gastroenterological Society of Taiwan said on Sunday, adding that avoiding bacterial infections and undergoing regular checkups are important tools for cancer prevention.
National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) physician Wu Ming-shiang (吳明賢), who is also society chairman, said that tomorrow marks the first World Stomach Day, an international initiative aimed at raising awareness and support for stomach health.
The stomach is prone to a range of illnesses, including peptic ulcer disease, chronic gastritis, Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) bacteria infection and gastroesophageal reflux disease, which are all commonly diagnosed in Taiwan, he said.
The hospital’s health checkups have found that about 20 to 30 percent of the patients had gastroesophageal reflux disease and about 10 to 15 percent had peptic ulcer disease, Wu said.
About 4,000 people are diagnosed with stomach cancer every year in Taiwan, but about 80 percent of them do not experience symptoms in the early stages, he said.
Poor digestive health can affect the metabolism as well as the immune and nervous systems, but many Taiwanese have the bad habit of eating too fast or having meetings while eating, Wu said.
Taiwan Microbiota Consortium president and Taipei Veterans General Hospital physician Wu Chun-ying (吳俊穎) said that H pylori infection disrupts the stomach’s physiology and that studies have suggested it as one of the most significant factors leading to the development of stomach cancer.
NTUH physician Lee Yi-chia (李宜家) said studies have found that H pylori infection rates in the nation’s remote areas and outlying islands are about 60 to 70 percent, while the rate is only about 20 percent in Taipei.
H pylori is transmitted from person to person through saliva or fecal contamination of food or water, Lee said, adding that it is often transmitted between family members through sharing food or utensils.
Studies have shown that H pylori eradication therapy can reduce the risk of developing stomach cancer, he said.
Lee urged people to avoid eating cured food or food high in sodium, as well as smoking and drinking alcohol, and advised them to undergo regular checkups to prevent stomach diseases.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
Taiwan-Japan Travel Passes are available for use on public transit networks in the two countries, Taoyuan Metro Corp said yesterday, adding that discounts of up to 7 percent are available. Taoyuan Metro, the Taipei MRT and Japan’s Keisei Electric Railway teamed up to develop the pass. Taoyuan Metro operates the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, while Keisei Electric Railway offers express services between Tokyo’s Narita Airport, and the Keisei Ueno and Nippori stations in the Japanese capital, as well as between Narita and Haneda airports. The basic package comprises one one-way ticket on the Taoyuan MRT Line and one Skyliner ticket on
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A new tropical storm formed late yesterday near Guam and is to approach closest to Taiwan on Thursday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Tropical Storm Pulasan became the 14th named storm of the year at 9:25pm yesterday, the agency said. As of 8am today, it was near Guam traveling northwest at 21kph, it said. The storm’s structure is relatively loose and conditions for strengthening are limited, WeatherRisk analyst Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇) said on Facebook. Its path is likely to be similar to Typhoon Bebinca, which passed north of Taiwan over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and made landfall in Shanghai this morning, he said. However, it