New stats from the Health Promotion Administration shed light on the rise of cancer in Taiwan. Based on 2020 figures, someone in Taiwan was diagnosed with cancer every 4 minutes and 19 seconds. In 2020, some 121,000 people had cancer. However, the mortality rate is falling, thanks to cases being detected more quickly. Officials say regular screenings are vital to catch cancer before it’s too late.

Five years ago, beloved variety performer Chu Ke-liang passed away after developing bowel cancer. The same disease took the life of his friend, TV host He Yi-hang, and, in 2022, the daughter of singer Yu Tien. Bowel cancer has been heading the list of Top 10 cancers in Taiwan for 15 years now.

Lin Li-ju
Health Promotion Administration
In 2020, a total of 16,829 new cases of bowel cancer were diagnosed.

Newly published figures from the Health Promotion Administration show that 121,979 people were diagnosed with cancer in 2020, 725 more than the year before. That also pushed the “Cancer Clock” forward one second, meaning that every 4 minutes 19 seconds a new case of cancer is detected.

The top five most common cancers in Taiwan are bowel cancer, lung cancer, oral cancer, liver cancer, and prostate cancer.

Lin Li-ju
Health Promotion Administration
Of the new cancer cases that were found in 2020, more were among men – about 63,000. There were about 58,000 among women.

The top types of cancer among men are bowel cancer, lung cancer and oral cancer. The most common types for women are breast cancer, lung cancer and bowel cancer.

Although the number of cases has risen, the mortality rate is falling, linked with the speed at which cases are diagnosed. Doctors urge the public to get tested regularly.

Wu Chao-chun
Health Promotion Administration head
The Health Promotion Administration offers breast cancer screenings. I think the bowel cancer screening is an extremely cost-effective test. I would encourage everyone who is eligible for it to get the screening when they’re due, taking advantage of this time when the pandemic is receding.

As COVID fades away, there are lots of other health issues we may need to pay more attention to. Experts say that as well as cultivating good habits to stay healthy, getting regular checks and screenings is one of the best ways to catch silent killers early, and prevent them from developing.