TAOYUAN (TVBS News) — Since the launch of a free low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) scan program in March, Taoyuan City has screened over 20,000 residents aged 40 and older, who are at high risk for lung cancer.
However, only 18,000 have completed the examination, with 1,036 cases requiring further tracking and 63 confirmed lung cancer diagnoses.
With over 2,000 people still waiting to be screened, Taoyuan City Councilor Hsieh Mei-ying pointed out the limited number of participating hospitals as a potential reason for increasing waitlists and suggested expanding the range of medical facilities involved, including cross-municipalities cooperation.
Councilor Wang Pei-yu also questioned the city government's budget allocation, noting that while NT＄17.26 million was earmarked for the program in 2023, only NT＄7.25 million is allocated for next year, raising concerns about sufficiently covering the expansion of hospital participation.
In response, the Taoyuan Public Health Department reported that 18 medical institutions currently provide the LDCT service, with more hospitals equipped for the scans planning to join next year, potentially adding four or five more to the program.
The department assured that the service will continue into the next year with the same eligibility criteria and quotas. Additionally, they aim to integrate smart technology to assist medical professionals in assessments, hoping to expedite the screening process.
Targets for the screening service were defined across four high-risk categories: tobacco exposure, relevant medical and family history, occupational exposure, and air pollution, including cooking fumes.
Occupational exposure specifically refers to individuals who have worked in environments with asbestos, arsenic, cadmium, nickel, or dust (including paint and construction-related work) for over ten years.
