Taipei City Hospital yesterday said that it would continue to expand its endometrial cancer screening capacity after a city councilor called for action, citing the death this year of former DPP Taipei city councilor Hsu Chia-pei (許家蓓), who had endometrial cancer.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Taipei City Councilor Yen Juo-fang (顏若芳) said in a document calling on the Taipei Health Department to make plans to improve screening for endometrial cancer that Hsu was diagnosed with the disease in May and died last month.
Public awareness about cervical cancer prevention has improved in the past few years, as the central government since 1995 has provided free pap smears for women aged 30 or older, while the Health Promotion Administration pushes to increase HPV vaccination rates, leading to fewer cases and lower mortality rates, Yen said.
Photo coutesy of Taipei City Hospital Women And Children Campus
However, uterine cancer cases have been increasing, with Taiwan’s cancer registry report showing that new cases rose from 1,757 in 2012 to 3,205 in 2021, she said.
Among them, endometrial cancer cases — which account for about 90 percent of new uterine cancer cases each year — increased from 1,663 in 2012 to 3,000 in 2021, or up about 80 percent in a decade, she said.
In Taipei alone, cases rose from 257 in 2012 to 384 in 2021, an uptick of 49 percent, she said, adding that it is likely the yearly cases of uterine cancer would soon exceed those of cervical cancer.
Many factors affect the risk of developing endometrial cancer, including having had endometrial hyperplasia, taking substances that affect hormone levels, and obesity, Yen said.
In 2021 endometrial cancer was for the first time among the 10 most common causes of female cancer deaths, she said.
Citing the rise in case numbers, she asked the health department and Taipei City Hospital to expand endometrial cancer screening capacity, as well as conduct studies to verify whether the new 3D ultrasonography methods are reliable and accurate for screening endometrial cancer.
Taipei City Hospital said that its Renai Branch and Heping Fuyou Branch have specialized endometrial cancer outpatient clinics, and with the support and supervision of the health department, the hospital is conducting research on endometrial cancer screening methods, with the results to be shared with the medical field.
The hospital accepts the city councilor’s suggestion to increase 3D ultrasonography capacity and personnel trained to operate the equipment to expand screening capacity, it said.
Additional reporting by CNA
GENSLER SURVEY: ‘Economic infrastructure is not enough. A city needs to inspire pride, offer moments of joy and foster a sense of belonging,’ the company said Taipei was named the city with the “highest staying power” in the world by US-based design and architecture firm Gensler. The Taiwanese capital earned the top spot among 65 cities across six continents with 64 percent of Taipei respondents in a survey of 33,000 people saying they wanted to stay in the city. Rounding out the top five were Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City (61 percent), Singapore (59 percent), Sydney (58 percent) and Berlin (51 percent). Sixth to 10th place went to Monterrey, Mexico; Munich, Germany; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Vancouver; and Seoul. Cities in the US were ranked separately, with Minneapolis first at
The Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association has cautioned Japanese travelers to be vigilant against pickpockets at several popular tourist spots in Taiwan, including Taipei’s night markets, the Yongkang Street area, Zhongshan MRT Station, and Jiufen (九份) in New Taipei City. The advisory, titled “Recent Development of Concerns,” was posted on the association’s Web site under its safety and emergency report section. It urges travelers to keep backpacks fully zipped and carried in front, with valuables placed at the bottom of the bag. Visitors are advised to be especially mindful of their belongings when taking photos or speaking on the phone, avoid storing wallets and
Scoot announced yesterday that starting in October, it would increase flights between Taipei and Japan’s Narita airport and Hokkaido, and between Singapore and Taipei. The low-cost airline, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, also said it would launch flights to Chiang Rai in Thailand, Okinawa and Tokyo’s Haneda airport between December and March next year. Flights between Singapore and Chiang Rai would begin on Jan. 1, with five flights per week operated by an Embraer E190-E2 aircraft, Scoot said. Flights between Singapore and Okinawa would begin on Dec. 15, with three flights per week operated by Airbus A320 aircraft, the airline said. Services between Singapore
ENDORSING TAIWAN: Honduran presidential candidate Nasry Afura said that Honduras was ‘100 times better off’ when it was allied with Taipei The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said it would explore the possibility of restoring diplomatic relations with Honduras based on the principle of maintaining national interests and dignity. The ministry made the remarks in response to reporters’ questions regarding an article titled: “Will Taiwan Regain a Diplomatic Ally?” published in The Diplomat on Saturday. The article said Honduras’ presidential election in November could offer Taiwan the chance to regain an ally, as multiple candidates have promoted re-establishing diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Honduras severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in March 2023 in favor of Beijing, but since switching its diplomatic recognition,
RSS