The Taipei Department of Health yesterday said it would offer free biennial low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening for lung cancer to 1,000 police officers and firefighters aged 40 or older.
Lung cancer has been the leading cause of death in Taiwan for several years, and it was the most common type of cancer last year, Health Promotion Administration (HPA) data showed.
Among the 10 most common cancers in Taiwan, lung cancer has the lowest five-year survival rates, National Taiwan University Hospital Cancer Center deputy superintendent Hsu Hsao-hsun (徐紹勛) said.
Photo: Chang Tsung-chiu, Taipei Times
The five-year survival rates of lung cancer from stages 1 to 4 are 88.7 percent, 52.8 percent, 26.7 percent and 9.1 percent respectively, he said, adding that early-stage lung cancer often has no symptoms, so it is often diagnosed at a later stage.
The earlier lung cancer is detected, the higher the chance it can be cured with proper treatment, Hsu said, adding that LDCT scans are capable of detecting pulmonary nodules of 1cm or smaller, allowing people to get treatment earlier.
Department Health Promotion Division Director-General Lin Hsueh-lan (林雪蘭) said that the HPA provides a free biennial LDCT scan to men aged 45 or older and women aged 40 or older who have a family history of lung cancer and are heavy smokers.
The city government also allocated NT$40 million (US$1.21 million) this year to provide free LDCT scans to police officers and firefighters working in the city, she said.
Risk factors are not limited to smoking, cooking fumes or family history, as air pollution and workplace exposure also increase risk, Lin said, adding that police officers and firefighters often work in high-risk environments that expose them to harmful gases.
The department said that 1,000 slots would be provided each year, and eligible recipients can book an appointment with five main branches of the Taipei City Hospital for the free LDCT scan with their National Health Insurance card and service badge.
Three batches of banana sauce imported from the Philippines were intercepted at the border after they were found to contain the banned industrial dye Orange G, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. From today through Sept. 2 next year, all seasoning sauces from the Philippines are to be subject to the FDA’s strictest border inspection, meaning 100 percent testing for illegal dyes before entry is allowed, it said in a statement. Orange G is an industrial coloring agent that is not permitted for food use in Taiwan or internationally, said Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智), head of the FDA’s Northern Center for
LOOKING NORTH: The base would enhance the military’s awareness of activities in the Bashi Channel, which China Coast Guard ships have been frequenting, an expert said The Philippine Navy on Thursday last week inaugurated a forward operating base in the country’s northern most province of Batanes, which at 185km from Taiwan would be strategically important in a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Northern Luzon Command Commander Lieutenant General Fernyl Buca as saying that the base in Mahatao would bolster the country’s northern defenses and response capabilities. The base is also a response to the “irregular presence this month of armed” of China Coast Guard vessels frequenting the Bashi Channel in the Luzon Strait just south of Taiwan, the paper reported, citing a
A total lunar eclipse, an astronomical event often referred to as a “blood moon,” would be visible to sky watchers in Taiwan starting just before midnight on Sunday night, the Taipei Astronomical Museum said. The phenomenon is also called “blood moon” due to the reddish-orange hue it takes on as the Earth passes directly between the sun and the moon, completely blocking direct sunlight from reaching the lunar surface. The only light is refracted by the Earth’s atmosphere, and its red wavelengths are bent toward the moon, illuminating it in a dramatic crimson light. Describing the event as the most important astronomical phenomenon
UNDER PRESSURE: The report cited numerous events that have happened this year to show increased coercion from China, such as military drills and legal threats The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) aims to reinforce its “one China” principle and the idea that Taiwan belongs to the People’s Republic of China by hosting celebratory events this year for the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, the “retrocession” of Taiwan and the establishment of the UN, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said in its latest report to the Legislative Yuan. Taking advantage of the significant anniversaries, Chinese officials are attempting to assert China’s sovereignty over Taiwan through interviews with international news media and cross-strait exchange events, the report said. Beijing intends to reinforce its “one China” principle
RSS