"Do you like my breasts? They're coming off next Tuesday, breast cancer!" This is a line from the hit drama "We Are Not Kind Enough" by 40-year-old single office worker Rebecca. After being suddenly diagnosed with breast cancer amidst her busy work life, she faces major changes in her life, career, and love, resonating with many viewers. Dr. Chen Shou-Tung, President of the Taiwan Breast Medicine Society, states that in Taiwan, one person is diagnosed with breast cancer every 34 minutes, highlighting the severity of the issue. Breast cancer's standardized mortality rate is rising, according to the latest statistics from the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
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Dr. Chen Shou-Tung(陳守棟), President of the Taiwan Breast Medicine Society. Photo credit: Heho Health
The mortality rate for breast cancer has not decreased significantly, potentially due to medication issues. Unlike Europe and the US, where breast cancer mortality rates have been decreasing for over 30 years, Taiwan's rates remain high, possibly due to lagging health insurance coverage for pre- and post-surgery adjuvant therapy. Triple-negative breast cancer, often described as the "worst breast cancer," has a poor survival rate and early recurrence, with high risk of metastasis to organs like the lungs and brain. Currently, immunotherapy for early-stage triple-negative breast cancer is not covered by health insurance, putting financially disadvantaged young patients at higher risk.
In Taiwan, one person is diagnosed with breast cancer every 34 minutes on average. Photo credit: Pexels
Dr. Chen urges that health insurance should quickly align with European and American treatment guidelines, providing appropriate pre- and post-surgery immunotherapy options for early-stage patients to prevent recurrence and extend survival. Ms. Chen, 33, was diagnosed with high-risk early-stage triple-negative breast cancer after initially discovering a 0.5 cm fibrocystic lump. Within six months, the tumor grew to 4.2 cm. After using self-paid immunotherapy, the tumor shrank significantly, requiring only local excision and no impact on appearance.
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Su Lian-Ying, CEO of the Cancer Hope Foundation, notes that Taiwan sees over 15,000 new breast cancer patients annually, with 80% diagnosed at an early stage. While health insurance covers many hormone receptor-positive and HER2-positive breast cancer medications, only chemotherapy is currently covered for early-stage triple-negative breast cancer patients. Su advocates for the inclusion of immunotherapy in health insurance to help these patients and ensure no breast cancer patient is left behind.
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