讀後心得

According to the latest statistics, the lung cancer mortality rate in Kaohsiung City is higher than the national average, with about 2 people dying from lung cancer every half day. The long and narrow geography of Kaohsiung poses challenges for patients facing inconvenient treatments and long journeys, causing many to abandon their treatment. Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital has recently taken over Kaohsiung City Datong Hospital, providing more convenient medical services and promoting precision treatment. Through genomic testing, doctors can offer targeted therapies, and immunotherapy has become an important option for patients without tumor gene mutations, helping patients prolong their survival and improve their quality of life.

Lung cancer has become a new national disease in Taiwan. According to statistical data, approximately 2 people in Kaohsiung City die from lung cancer every half day, with the related mortality rate higher than the national average. Experts point out that the elongated geography of Kaohsiung, despite having adequate treatment facilities, still poses a major barrier for patients seeking medical care.

According to the statistical report on the top ten causes of death among citizens, an average of 28 people in Taiwan die from lung cancer each day. Further analyzing the lung cancer mortality rate in Kaohsiung City, 1,298 people died from lung cancer in a single year, indicating that the lung cancer mortality rate in Kaohsiung exceeds the national standardized level.

The Deputy Director of the Department of Internal Medicine at Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital pointed out that due to geographic factors, patients often face inconveniences when receiving treatment. Coupled with the caregivers' burden, some patients even choose to forgo treatment. In the clinic, many patients need to spend up to one hour traveling for their follow-up visits, which makes them feel extremely fatigued.

Historically, the professional cancer centers in Kaohsiung were not located in the city center, making it particularly strenuous for urban residents to attend follow-up appointments. To address the issues of lung cancer treatment in Kaohsiung City, Chang Gung Hospital officially took over the Kaohsiung City Datong Hospital on January 1 of this year, providing more convenient medical services, thus offering patients and their families more options.

We have now entered a new era of precision treatment, where cancer treatment is no longer about passive relief or prolonging survival, but requires active intervention at the early stages of the disease. For example, in the case of lung cancer, testing to understand the genetic characteristics of the patient's tumor is needed to determine if there are any genetic mutations, and then choose the most appropriate treatment method to achieve the best therapeutic effect.

For lung cancer patients without tumor gene mutations, immunotherapy has been designated as the first-line option, applicable for both early and late-stage patients.

The core of immunotherapy lies in activating the patient's immune system through immune checkpoint inhibitors to help recognize and attack cancer cells, achieving the goal of destroying cancer cells.

From clinical experience, some patients have exhibited a "long tail effect" after receiving treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors, stabilizing their disease, extending their survival, and potentially improving their quality of life.