Ministry expands counseling program for cancerEASING STRESS: The program would broaden the eligibility requirements to include people cancers other than of the lung, head-and-neck or breast, a health official saidBy Hou Chia-yu and Jonathna Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe Ministry of Health and Welfare yesterday unveiled an NT$80 million (US$2.52 million) pilot program to provide free psychological counseling to people with cancer. The current version of the program mainly serves people with lung, head-and-neck or breast cancer, largely due to the availability of psychological specialist care, Chen said. Increased survival means that the mental health of people with cancer can no longer be ignored, Lin said. The ministry has established 105 cancer resource centers and 66 certified cancer treatment hospitals, including the 12 that would be tasked with conducting the pilot mental health program, she said. Cancer treatment must be transformed into holistic care centered on quality of life in addition to boosting survival rates, Tsai said.

Source: Taipei Times April 08, 2026 17:12 UTC