Taipei Veterans General Hospital establishes prostate cancer center for comprehensive care

Prostate cancer has become a significant health threat to Taiwanese men, with its incidence steadily rising to become one of the most common cancers. To enhance treatment quality and integrated care, Taipei Veterans General Hospital has officially launched its Prostate Cancer Treatment and Research Center. This new center unites a multidisciplinary medical team and cutting-edge technologies to create a comprehensive care platform covering early detection, precise diagnosis, personalized treatment, and long-term follow-up.

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Prostate cancer is currently the third most common cancer among Taiwanese men and the fifth leading cause of cancer death. Approximately 10,000 new patients are diagnosed each year, with about 30% diagnosed at stage four. Annually, about 2,000 people die from prostate cancer, making it imperative to improve treatment quality and establish a comprehensive integrated care model.

Taipei Veterans General Hospital President Chen Wei-ming highlighted that prostate cancer is now the third most common cancer and fifth leading cause of cancer death for Taiwanese men. Approximately 10,000 new cases are diagnosed annually, with about 30% of patients diagnosed at stage four. The hospital has performed nearly 8,000 robotic surgeries, including close to 3,000 for prostate cancer, and has extensive experience with proton therapy, nanoknife, and Lutetium-177 radioligand therapy. The center aims to become a leading integrated care hub for prostate cancer in Taiwan.

The center integrates specialists from urology, oncology, radiation oncology, pathology, radiology, nuclear medicine, nutrition, pharmacy, nursing, and case management. It offers a one-stop service from diagnosis to follow-up. Diagnostic tools include multi-parametric MRI, precision biopsies, and PSMA PET scans to improve detection and staging accuracy. Treatment options are personalized, ranging from robotic surgery and radiation therapy to hormone therapy, novel drugs, and PSMA radionuclide therapy, balancing treatment effectiveness with patient quality of life.

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The newly established center integrates multidisciplinary teams including urology, oncology, radiation oncology, pathology, laboratory medicine, and imaging diagnostics, as well as nutrition, pharmacy, nursing, and case management. It provides one-stop medical services from diagnosis to follow-up.

According to the first director, Chung Hsiao-jen, the 5-year survival rate for patients with stages 1-3 prostate cancer at Taipei Veterans General Hospital exceeds 90%, reaching 98.66% for stage 2. Even stage 4 patients have a 5-year survival rate over 60%. The center will focus on advancing precision medicine, genomic medicine, artificial intelligence, and clinical research, while deepening international cooperation to further elevate Taiwan's prostate cancer treatment standards. The establishment marks a significant milestone towards integrated, precise, and personalized care for prostate cancer in Taiwan.

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Currently, the 5-year survival rate for patients with stages 1 to 3 prostate cancer at Taipei Veterans General Hospital all exceed 90%, with stage 2 reaching as high as 98.66%. Even stage 4 patients have a 5-year survival rate exceeding 60%.