Taiwan’s breast cancer blueprintBy Y. Tony YangThe National Health Insurance Administration’s (NHIA) new breast cancer care improvement program represents a thoughtful, structurally sound step forward in a fight that Taiwan cannot afford to wage incrementally. The program’s commitment to “all-stage enrollment” — covering newly diagnosed patients, recurrence cases and even male breast cancer — signals an inclusive vision. The WHO’s global breast cancer initiative calls on countries to ensure that at least 60 percent of breast cancer cases are diagnosed at an early stage, that diagnosis occurs within 60 days and that 80 percent of patients complete recommended treatment. Moreover, the plan to build a national breast cancer database collecting clinical records across partner hospitals could prove to be the program’s most consequential legacy. Taiwan Breast Cancer Society president Chen Fang-ming (陳芳銘) said Taiwan’s breast cancer screening rate hovers between 40 and 50 percent, held down in part by fear.

Source: Taipei Times March 08, 2026 16:19 UTC