《TAIPEI TIMES》 Lung, pancreatic, ovarian cancer death toll rises

Source: Ministry of Health and Welfare Graphic: Taipei Times

HEALTH STATUS: Cancer, heart disease and pneumonia remained the top three causes of death in Taiwan last year, followed by cerebrovascular disease, diabetes and others

/ Staff writer, with CNA Cancer remained the leading cause of death in Taiwan last year for the 44th consecutive year, with the latest data showing rising mortality rates for lung, pancreatic and ovarian cancers, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said yesterday.

The ministry’s Department of Statistics official Lu Shu-chun （呂淑君） told a news conference that a total of 199,576 people died in Taiwan last year, down 1,807 from the previous year, resulting in a mortality rate of 854.7 per 100,000 people, a decline of 0.6 percent.

Cancer, heart disease and pneumonia remained the top three causes of death in Taiwan last year, followed by cerebrovascular disease, diabetes, hypertensive disease, accidents, nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis, chronic lower respiratory disease, and suicide, ministry data showed.

Data were mostly unchanged from a year earlier, except that kidney diseases, eighth, and chronic lower respiratory disease, ninth, swapped places, Lu said.

Suicide remained the 10th leading cause of death, while COVID-19 fell to 19th from 14th, he said.

Cancer claimed 54,838 lives last year — 32,537 men and 22,301 women — accounting for 27.5 percent of all deaths, the data showed.

The cancer mortality rate was 234.9 deaths per 100,000 people, while the age-standardized cancer mortality rate declined from 113.3 to 111.5 per 100,000 people, the data indicated.

The average annual increase of cancer deaths over the past decade has been 1.5 percent, the ministry said.

Last year, lung, liver and colorectal malignancies remained the main causes of cancer deaths for the 22nd consecutive year, Lu said.

The rankings of Taiwan’s 10 deadliest cancers were unchanged from the previous year. They were cancers of the trachea, bronchus and lung; liver and intrahepatic bile ducts; colon, rectum and anus; breast; prostate; oral cavity; pancreas; stomach; esophagus; and ovary, in that order, according to the ministry.

Age-standardized mortality rates declined from a year earlier for all 10 types, except lung, pancreatic and ovarian cancers, which rose by 3.5 percent, 8.2 percent and 12.7 percent, respectively, the data showed.

Age-standardized mortality rates calculate death rates in a way that removes unfair influence of age distribution.

Health Promotion Administration Deputy Director-General Lin Li-ju （林莉茹） attributed the increases partly to long-term exposure to cancer risk factors and Taiwan’s aging population — about one in five people aged 65 or older.

There are no effective, universally recommended screening tools for pancreatic and ovarian cancers, and routine screening of asymptomatic people is not recommended, she said, adding that long-term monitoring would be needed to determine whether the upward trend persists.

Meanwhile, age-standardized mortality rates declined for breast, oral and stomach cancers; increased for lung and cervical cancers; and remained unchanged for colorectal cancer, all of which are covered by government screening programs, Lu said.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES