The doctor of a 52-year-old oral cavity cancer patient was furious when he discovered that his patient had been secretly pouring gaoliang, a fiery sorghum liquor, down his nasal feed tube just days after undergoing surgery to remove the cancer.
The man, surnamed Yeh (
The Chinese-language United Daily News reported that Yeh said that he had been a smoker, drinker and betel nut chewer ever since he completed his military service.
In recent years, he said he had been addicted to alcohol to the degree where he felt withdrawal symptoms if he didn't drink alcohol every day.
His doctor, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Hospital's Chien Chih-yen (
Department of Health figures indicated that oral cavity cancer was the fourth most common cancer in men and was strongly linked to drinking, smoking and betal nut chewing.
In recent years, the number of oral cavity cancer cases has increased along with betel nut use.
In 1979 alone, 282 cases of oral cavity cancer were reported in Taiwan.
By 1994 the number of cases of cavity cancer had grown to 1,545.
In 2002, the number of cases reached 3,709.
"The use of alcohol on its own is not necessarily carcinogenic, but when it is combined with cigarette or betel nut use, it strongly increases the likelihood of oral cavity cancer," said Chang Shyue-Yih (張學逸), the director of the ear, nose and throat department at Taipei Veterans' General Hospital.
"The stronger the alcohol content, the stronger the carcinogenic effect," he said.
However, according to Chang, it is possible that Yeh has found a way to indulge his addiction without exacerbating his cancer despite the anger of Yeh's doctor.
"If he took the liquor through his nasal tube, it means that there is no contact with the tissue of his oral cavity," Chang said. "Of course, he would still suffer from the deleterious effect of alcohol in his liver."
Old habits die hard, even when patients are warned that it could mean the difference between life and death.
"A serious alcohol addiction is as hard to break as an addiction to drugs," Chang said. "But for most patients, smoking is by far the most difficult habit to break."
"Even for those of who are told it could make the difference between life and death, only about half of my patients manage to quit smoking," Chang said.
Taipei and New Taipei City government officials are aiming to have the first phase of the Wanhua-Jungho-Shulin Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line completed and opened by 2027, following the arrival of the first train set yesterday. The 22km-long Light Green Line would connect four densely populated districts in Taipei and New Taipei City: Wanhua (萬華), Jhonghe (中和), Tucheng (土城) and Shulin (樹林). The first phase of the project would connect Wanhua and Jhonghe districts, with Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and Chukuang (莒光) being the terminal stations. The two municipalities jointly hosted a ceremony for the first train to be used
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday said it is fully aware of the situation following reports that the son of ousted Chinese politician Bo Xilai (薄熙來) has arrived in Taiwan and is to marry a Taiwanese. Local media reported that Bo Guagua (薄瓜瓜), son of the former member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, is to marry the granddaughter of Luodong Poh-Ai Hospital founder Hsu Wen-cheng (許文政). The pair met when studying abroad and arranged to get married this year, with the wedding breakfast to be held at The One holiday resort in Hsinchu
Tropical Storm Usagi strengthened to a typhoon this morning and remains on track to brush past southeastern Taiwan between Friday and Sunday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The storm, which as of 8am was still 1,100km southeast of southern Taiwan, is currently expected to enter the Bashi Channel and then turn north, moving into waters southeast of Taiwan, the CWA said. Because of its rapid speed — 28kph as of 8am — a sea warning for the storm could be issued tonight, rather than tomorrow, as previously forecast, the CWA said. In terms of its impact, Usagi is to bring scattered or
An orange gas cloud that leaked from a waste management plant yesterday morning in Taoyuan’s Guanyin District (觀音) was likely caused by acidic waste, authorities said, adding that it posed no immediate harm. The leak occurred at a plant in the district’s Environmental Science and Technology Park at about 7am, the Taoyuan Fire Department said. Firefighters discovered a cloud of unidentified orange gas leaking from a waste tank when they arrived on the site, it said, adding that they put on Level A chemical protection before entering the building. After finding there was no continuous leak, the department worked with the city’s Department
RSS