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MOHW to subsidise lung cancer tests
The Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) says people at high risk of contracting lung cancer will be eligible to receive a NT$4,000 subsidy every two years from 1 July onwards as part of efforts to curb the disease.
Health officials say high risk groups will be required to use the subsidy to pay for low-dose computed tomography scanning every two years, which is recognized worldwide as an effective tool for the early detection of lung cancer.To qualify, applicants must either have a family history of lung cancer, be a 50 to 74 year old male or 45 to 74 year old female; or a heavy smoker.
The health ministry says the lung cancer screening project targeting high risk groups is the first of its kind in the world and is expected to screen 18,000 people this year.Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in Taiwan, and killed 9,629 last year.
