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.
Global bodies should stop excluding Taiwan for political reasons, President William Lai (賴清德) told Pope Francis in a letter, adding that he agrees war has no winners. The Vatican is one of only 12 countries to retain formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, and Taipei has watched with concern efforts by Beijing and the Holy See to improve ties. In October, the Vatican and China extended an accord on the appointment of Catholic bishops in China for four years, pointing to a new level of trust between the two parties. Lai, writing to the pope in response to the pontiff’s message on Jan. 1’s
A Vietnamese migrant worker on Thursday won the NT$12 million (US$383,590) jackpot on a scratch-off lottery ticket she bought from a lottery shop in Changhua County’s Puyan Township (埔鹽), Taiwan Lottery Co said yesterday. The lottery winner, who is in her 30s and married, said she would continue to work in Taiwan and send her winnings to her family in Vietnam to improve their life. More Taiwanese and migrant workers have flocked to the lottery shop on Sec 2 of Jhangshuei Road (彰水路) to share in the luck. The shop owner, surnamed Chen (陳), said that his shop has been open for just
HOLIDAY EXERCISE: National forest recreation areas from north to south offer travelers a wide choice of sights to connect with nature and enjoy its benefits Hiking is a good way to improve one’s health, the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency said, as it released a list of national forest recreation areas that travelers can visit during the Lunar New Year holiday. Taking a green shower of phytoncides in the woods could boost one’s immunity system and metabolism, agency Director-General Lin Hwa-ching (林華慶) cited a Japanese study as saying. For people visiting northern Taiwan, Lin recommended the Dongyanshan National Forest Recreation Area in Taoyuan’s Fusing District (復興). Once an important plantation in the north, Dongyanshan (東眼山) has a number of historic monuments, he said. The area is broadly covered by
TAKE BREAKS: A woman developed cystitis by refusing to get up to use the bathroom while playing mahjong for fear of disturbing her winning streak, a doctor said People should stand up and move around often while traveling or playing mahjong during the Lunar New Year holiday, as prolonged sitting can lead to cystitis or hemorrhoids, doctors said. Yuan’s General Hospital urologist Lee Tsung-hsi (李宗熹) said that he treated a 63-year-old woman surnamed Chao (趙) who had been sitting motionless and holding off going to the bathroom, increasing her risk of bladder infection. Chao would drink beverages and not urinate for several hours while playing mahjong with friends and family, especially when she was on a winning streak, afraid that using the bathroom would ruin her luck, he said. She had
RSS