Low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) scans using technology developed by National Taiwan University Hospital can increase the accuracy rate of identifying abnormalities by 25 percent when screening for lung cancer, the Health Promotion Administration (HPA) said yesterday.
The scans using artificial intelligence support systems developed by the hospital are available in seven hospitals nationwide, and people in high-risk groups are eligible for the screenings, such as those with a family history of lung cancer or those with an extended history of heavy smoking, the agency said.
In 2021, 16,880 people were diagnosed with lung cancer, with most of their diagnoses confirmed only at the terminal stage, when the five-year-survival rate is about 10 percent, it said.
Photo: Lin Chih-yi, Taipei Times
LDCT scans have been shown to increase a doctor’s ability to diagnose lung cancers at an early stage and reduce the fatality rate for heavy smokers by 50 percent, it said.
Early detection and treatment of lung cancer could increase survival rates by 90 percent or more within five years of a diagnosis, the HPA said.
Pulmonary cancer in its early stages usually takes the form of nodules, the size of which is often a factor in determining whether they are benign or malignant, National Taiwan University Hospital Department of Medical Imaging Division of Cardiopulmonary Diagnoses director Chang Chung (張允中) said.
LDCT scans help doctors make such determinations, as some nodules are so small they are nearly indiscernible from a blood vessel, Chang said.
Attempting to make those distinctions with the naked eye often results in misjudgements, he added.
In an HPA-commissioned project, the hospital, National Taiwan University and a team of engineers developed an artificial intelligence support system for LDCT scans, which received a category two equipment designation from the Food and Drug Administration in February.
The system’s sensitivity enables it to detect nodules smaller than 4mm with a 90 percent accuracy rate and gauge whether the nodules were hollow, solid or partially solid, or ground-glass nodules, Chang said.
Doctors can save a lot of time by fine-tuning the scans based on their experience, he said.
People who undergo the scans should not be alarmed if many nodules are detected, as the number of pulmonary nodules is not a factor in diagnosing lung cancer, he said.
They should discuss the scan results with their doctor and make follow-up visits to monitor changes to the nodules, which would help their doctor identify risks early and start treatment, he added.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
RSS