Eating more than 100g of red meat daily might increase the risk of developing colorectal cancer by 17 percent, the Health Promotion Administration (HPA) said, adding that it recommends eating more whole grains, fruit and vegetables.
While many people are likely to eat more meat during the holiday season, the HPA advised people to maintain a balanced diet and exercise moderately.
Every 50g of processed meat consumed daily can increase the risk of colorectal cancer by 18 percent, and each 100g of red meat (including beef, pork and lamb) consumed daily can increase the risk by 17 percent, the HPA said, citing International Agency for Research on Cancer statistics.
Photo: Wang Yi-hung, Taipei Times
Colorectal cancer is the second most common cancer in Taiwan, mostly affecting people aged 50 and older.
The HPA provides a government-funded free fecal occult blood test (FOBT) once every two years for people aged between 50 and 74 to screen for colorectal cancer and reduce mortality.
Studies showed that colorectal cancer mortality can be reduced by about 35 percent by getting an FOBT regularly, as the screening can help detect early stage lesions before symptoms develop, the HPA said.
People with an abnormal FOBT result should arrange to get a colonoscopy as soon as possible, and if polyps are found, they should be removed before they have the chance to become cancerous, HPA Director-General Wu Chao-chun (吳昭軍) said.
People with an abnormal FOBT result, but who fail to get a colonoscopy within six months face a 30 percent increase in the risk of developing colorectal cancer, the HPA said, adding that the risk of late-stage colorectal cancer increases 2.8 times if they do not get a colonoscopy for more than a year.
The HPA said people can easily check if they are eligible for the government-funded FOBT and their last three test results by logging into the National Health Insurance Administration’s mobile app (全民健保行動快易通). The mobile app also allows people to find hospitals or cancer screening events near their home.
FOBT is a non-invasive screening tool and there are no diet restrictions ahead of time, so people can take the test kit from the hospital and collect a fecal sample at home for testing, it said.
Although people enjoy feasting or barbecuing during the holidays, they should reduce their red meat and processed meat consumption, and eat more whole grains, fruit and vegetables instead while exercising regularly, the HPA added.
TRAGEDY: An expert said that the incident was uncommon as the chance of a ground crew member being sucked into an IDF engine was ‘minuscule’ A master sergeant yesterday morning died after she was sucked into an engine during a routine inspection of a fighter jet at an air base in Taichung, the Air Force Command Headquarters said. The officer, surnamed Hu (胡), was conducting final landing checks at Ching Chuan Kang (清泉崗) Air Base when she was pulled into the jet’s engine for unknown reasons, the air force said in a news release. She was transported to a hospital for emergency treatment, but could not be revived, it said. The air force expressed its deepest sympathies over the incident, and vowed to work with authorities as they
BITTERLY COLD: The inauguration ceremony for US president-elect Donald Trump has been moved indoors due to cold weather, with the new venue lacking capacity A delegation of cross-party lawmakers from Taiwan, led by Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), for the inauguration of US president-elect Donald Trump, would not be able to attend the ceremony, as it is being moved indoors due to forecasts of intense cold weather in Washington tomorrow. The inauguration ceremony for Trump and US vice president-elect JD Vance is to be held inside the Capitol Rotunda, which has a capacity of about 2,000 people. A person familiar with the issue yesterday said although the outdoor inauguration ceremony has been relocated, Taiwan’s legislative delegation has decided to head off to Washington as scheduled. The delegation
A tourist who was struck and injured by a train in a scenic area of New Taipei City’s Pingsi District (平溪) on Monday might be fined for trespassing on the tracks, the Railway Police Bureau said yesterday. The New Taipei City Fire Department said it received a call at 4:37pm on Monday about an incident in Shifen (十分), a tourist destination on the Pingsi Railway Line. After arriving on the scene, paramedics treated a woman in her 30s for a 3cm to 5cm laceration on her head, the department said. She was taken to a hospital in Keelung, it said. Surveillance footage from a
Another wave of cold air would affect Taiwan starting from Friday and could evolve into a continental cold mass, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Temperatures could drop below 10°C across Taiwan on Monday and Tuesday next week, CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張竣堯) said. Seasonal northeasterly winds could bring rain, he said. Meanwhile, due to the continental cold mass and radiative cooling, it would be cold in northern and northeastern Taiwan today and tomorrow, according to the CWA. From last night to this morning, temperatures could drop below 10°C in northern Taiwan, it said. A thin coat of snow
RSS