TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW, 衛福部) revealed a concerning trend on Thursday (Dec. 19), announcing that Taiwan experienced a sharp increase in new cancer cases in 2022, totaling 130,293 — up by 8,531 from the previous year. Health Promotion Administration (HPA, 國健署) Director General Wu Chao-Chun (吳昭軍) pointed to the decline in medical visits and screenings during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 as a major factor behind this alarming rise.
Lung cancer topped the list of new cancer cases for the second consecutive year, followed by colorectal cancer and female breast cancer. Wu noted that cancer has remained the leading cause of death in Taiwan for 42 years, with over 50,000 deaths annually. The 2022 data revealed that a cancer diagnosis occurred every 4 minutes and 2 seconds, 17 seconds faster than in 2021.
The report indicated a standardized cancer incidence rate of 323.3 per 100,000 people, up by 16.8 from 2021. Lin Li-ju (林莉茹), an HPA official, highlighted that the median age for cancer onset remained at 64. Prostate cancer climbed to the third most common cancer among men, while cervical cancer rose two spots among women. On July 1, 2022, the government initiated free low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screenings for high-risk lung cancer groups. Wu urged eligible citizens to participate in the five free cancer screening services.
