Control Yuan Members Point Out Over 90% of Female Lung Cancer Patients Are Non-Smokers, Ministry of Health and Welfare Must Strengthen Response
In Taiwan, over 90% of female lung cancer patients are non-smokers. Control Yuan members urged the Ministry of Health and Welfare to research the causes and strengthen prevention strategies for non-smoking women. The Ministry responded that its research plan for this year includes non-smoking individuals without a family history.
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- 📰 Published: May 9, 2026 at 11:25
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Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Lai Yu-chen, Taipei, 9th) Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in Taiwan. Control Yuan members Tien Chiu-chin and Tsai Chung-yi pointed out today that according to past data, over 90% of female lung cancer patients in Taiwan have no smoking history. They urged the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) to study the causes of lung cancer in non-smoking women and develop corresponding prevention strategies. The MOHW responded that its research plan for this year has included non-smoking individuals without a family history.
Lung cancer deaths have surpassed liver cancer as the leading cause of cancer deaths in Taiwan since 1993. Tien Chiu-chin and Tsai Chung-yi stated in a press release today that international studies indicate 70% of lung cancer deaths can be attributed to "smoking," and long-term smoking increases the risk of lung cancer by 10 to 30 times compared to non-smokers. Therefore, for many years, Taiwan's core strategy for lung cancer prevention has focused on tobacco hazard control. However, despite nearly 30 years of the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act, and a gradual decrease in the smoking population, the number of new lung cancer cases continues to increase year by year.
The Control Yuan members said that according to past data, the standardized incidence rate of female lung cancer has increased significantly more than that of males, and over 90% of female lung cancer cases have no smoking history, meaning that the cause of lung cancer in most women is not due to smoking.
The United Nations "Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)" stipulates that when governments formulate health policies, they should address women's health rights, categorize reliable data by gender, and formulate preventive and therapeutic measures. The Control Yuan members believe that since over 90% of female lung cancer patients in Taiwan are non-smokers, the MOHW's current practice of only including heavy smokers and those with a family history of lung cancer in its lung cancer screening program has insufficient coverage and protection.
The Control Yuan members reminded that the MOHW must clarify the differences in risk factors leading to lung cancer across genders, and plan effective prevention measures other than tobacco hazard control, as well as strengthen relevant health education and promotion, to reduce the risk of lung cancer in women.
In response to the Control Yuan members' investigation recommendations, the MOHW recently replied that its research plan for this year has conducted in-depth research and analysis on individuals not yet included in lung cancer screening, i.e., non-smokers without a family history, to build a risk prediction model. This aims to identify high-risk individuals and expand the coverage and protection of lung cancer screening. The National Science and Technology Council also emphasized that it will strengthen the inventory of research projects related to the causes and prevention of lung cancer in non-smoking women in Taiwan, and submit the results to the MOHW for policy reference. (Editor: Zhai Si-jia) 1150509
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(Central News Agency reporter Lai Yu-chen, Taipei, 9th) Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in Taiwan. Control Yuan members Tien Chiu-chin and Tsai Chung-yi pointed out today that according to past data, over 90% of female lung cancer patients in Taiwan have no smoking history. They urged the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) to study the causes of lung cancer in non-smoking women and develop corresponding prevention strategies. The MOHW responded that its research plan for this year has included non-smoking individuals without a family history.
Lung cancer deaths have surpassed liver cancer as the leading cause of cancer deaths in Taiwan since 1993. Tien Chiu-chin and Tsai Chung-yi stated in a press release today that international studies indicate 70% of lung cancer deaths can be attributed to "smoking," and long-term smoking increases the risk of lung cancer by 10 to 30 times compared to non-smokers. Therefore, for many years, Taiwan's core strategy for lung cancer prevention has focused on tobacco hazard control. However, despite nearly 30 years of the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act, and a gradual decrease in the smoking population, the number of new lung cancer cases continues to increase year by year.
The Control Yuan members said that according to past data, the standardized incidence rate of female lung cancer has increased significantly more than that of males, and over 90% of female lung cancer cases have no smoking history, meaning that the cause of lung cancer in most women is not due to smoking.
The United Nations "Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)" stipulates that when governments formulate health policies, they should address women's health rights, categorize reliable data by gender, and formulate preventive and therapeutic measures. The Control Yuan members believe that since over 90% of female lung cancer patients in Taiwan are non-smokers, the MOHW's current practice of only including heavy smokers and those with a family history of lung cancer in its lung cancer screening program has insufficient coverage and protection.
The Control Yuan members reminded that the MOHW must clarify the differences in risk factors leading to lung cancer across genders, and plan effective prevention measures other than tobacco hazard control, as well as strengthen relevant health education and promotion, to reduce the risk of lung cancer in women.
In response to the Control Yuan members' investigation recommendations, the MOHW recently replied that its research plan for this year has conducted in-depth research and analysis on individuals not yet included in lung cancer screening, i.e., non-smokers without a family history, to build a risk prediction model. This aims to identify high-risk individuals and expand the coverage and protection of lung cancer screening. The National Science and Technology Council also emphasized that it will strengthen the inventory of research projects related to the causes and prevention of lung cancer in non-smoking women in Taiwan, and submit the results to the MOHW for policy reference. (Editor: Zhai Si-jia) 1150509
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship you make is a force to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency "First-hand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news.
The text, images, and audio-visual content of this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or utilized without authorization.