Taiwan recorded 138,051 new cancer cases in 2023: Health agency

Taipei, Dec. 30 (CNA) Taiwan recorded 138,051 new cancer cases in 2023, according to a report released by Taiwan's Health Promotion Administration (HPA) on Tuesday.

The figure rose by 7,758 from 2022, with the standardized incidence rate (SIR) reaching 331.3 cases per 100,000 people, the report said.

This represents an increase of about eight per 100,000 compared with the previous year, the HPA said.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Hsieh Pei-chun (謝佩君), head of the HPA's Cancer Prevention and Control Division, said that on average one person in Taiwan is diagnosed with cancer every three minutes and 48 seconds.

This was 14 seconds faster than in 2022, she said, with the pace accelerating since 2021.

Lung cancer remained the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Taiwan for the third consecutive year, while colorectal cancer, previously the most prevalent cancer for 15 years, ranked second, the report said.

The next most common cancers in 2023 were breast cancer, liver cancer, prostate cancer, oral cavity cancer, thyroid cancer, skin cancer, gastric cancer and corpus uteri cancer.

The rankings were unchanged from 2021, except that skin cancer and gastric cancer swapped positions, the report said.

In terms of long-term trends, the SIRs of lung cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, thyroid cancer and corpus uteri cancer have been rising, while those of oral cavity cancer, gastric cancer and skin cancer have remained stable.

Colorectal cancer has shown fluctuations, and liver cancer is the only type to exhibit a downward trend, Hsieh said.

Hepatitis B and C prevention, hepatitis B vaccination, increased public awareness, and treatment for individuals who test positive have contributed to the decline in new cases of liver cancer for 14 consecutive years, she said.

On the other hand, lung cancer has reached a five-year high, from 16,233 cases in 2019 to 19,986 in 2023.

Hsieh attributed this to increased detection in early stages of the disease, thanks to heightened public awareness as well as free low-dose computed tomography screening programs for high-risk groups starting in 2022.

Among those who were screened, 85.9 percent of patients diagnosed with lung cancer had their disease detected in its early stages, she added.

HPA Director General Shen Ching-fen (沈靜芬) said that genetics, exposure to environmental factors, and stress may all lead to cells becoming cancer cells.

Tobacco, alcohol, obesity and insufficient consumption of fruits and vegetables are all risk factors for cancer, while eating five portions of fruits and vegetables every day and exercising regularly are good habits for preventing cancer, she said.

She also urged people to use publicly funded services provided by the HPA, including cancer screening and HPV vaccinations.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare provides publicly funded cancer screenings for high-risk groups for oral cavity, colorectal, cervical, breast and lung cancers, according to the HPA report.