The Formosa Cancer Foundation (台灣癌症基金會) yesterday said that breast cancer has been the most common cancer among women in Taiwan for 18 consecutive years, with over 15,000 new cases diagnosed in a year, accounting for about an average of 42 new diagnoses per day, with low screening rates contributing to increased breast cancer mortality.
Observing “Breast Cancer Awareness Month” this month, the foundation yesterday morning held its 13th annual “Pink Walk” event at the Taipei Expo Park, attracting more than 3,000 participants to promote public awareness about breast cancer and the importance of early detection.
The event also included 12 nurses who dressed up as Barbie dolls with bright-colored wigs and pink dresses, who shared stories about how they have encouraged people to get breast cancer screenings.
Photo courtesy of the Formosa Cancer Foundation
One of the nurses, Ning Yi (寧怡), said she remembered a girl who came in asking for help, as her mother had felt an abnormal lump in her breast and began praying to deities and trying folk remedies, such as tying up her breast with a red string and applying herbal medicine to it, but was unwilling to get a mammogram.
The nurses could not persuade the mother to get tested, so one of them dressed up as a nun from a temple and finally convinced her to undergo a mammogram, she said, adding that one cannot only rely on praying to deities for breast health — seeking medical attention and getting tests are important.
Formosa Cancer Foundation CEO Lai Gi-ming (賴基銘) said that breast cancer has been the most common cancer among women in Taiwan for the past 18 consecutive years, and there were 15,259 new breast cancer diagnoses in 2020, which accounts for an average of about 42 new diagnoses and eight breast cancer deaths per day.
According to the cancer registry report, not only has the incidence rate of breast cancer rates risen year by year, breast cancer mortality has also increased by 18 percent compared with 15 years ago, he said, adding that lifestyle changes and low screening rates have contributed to increased breast cancer mortality.
He said the incidence rate significantly increases in women after the age of 40, as about half of breast cancer cases are diagnosed in women aged 40 to 59, yet only 32.9 percent of eligible recipients in 2021 received the government-funded biannual mammogram for women aged 45 to 59.
Mammograms are currently the most effective screening tool for detecting breast cancer in most women globally, Lai said, adding that it can reduce incidences of late-stage breast cancer by 30 percent and mortality by 41 percent.
He said the five-year survival rate for women diagnosed with stage 0 to stage 2 breast cancer is above 95 percent, but if it is detected as late as stage 4, the five-year survival rate significantly drops to about 36 percent, so getting regular screening is crucial for early detection and effective treatment.
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