Hong Kong to launch second phase of free breast cancer screenings on June 10
Hong Kong health authorities will roll out the second phase of a free breast cancer screening programme next month under a pilot scheme that is expected to benefit thousands of women at high risk.
Advertisement
The Department of Health said on Thursday that the three-year scheme, which will be launched on June 10, will cover women aged 35 to 74, who either carry certain genetic mutations or have a strong family history of breast or ovarian cancer.
Dr Anne Chee, the department's head of non-communicable disease, said only 'thousands' were expected to benefit from this phase because just those at high risk, such as carriers of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations, or relatives of patients with both breast and ovarian cancer, were eligible for free screenings.
The lifetime chance for a woman to develop breast cancer is about 12 per cent, but that could increase to 60 per cent for carriers of certain gene mutations.
'Many women in Hong Kong are health-conscious and would seek genetic testing on their own, especially family members of breast cancer patients … doctors also typically recommend screening for female relatives of their patients,' she said.
Advertisement
'In the past, they all had to pay out of their pockets. We hope the second phase of the pilot scheme could cover this group of women, offering them free screening and one-stop services.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Standard
16 minutes ago
- The Standard
Trial begins for mother-in-law in Abby Choi murder case
Abby Choi Tin-fung's former mother-in-law Jenny Li Sui-heung. Download The Standard app to stay informed with news, updates, and significant events - The upgraded app is now available on both iOS and Android platforms.
South China Morning Post
25 minutes ago
- South China Morning Post
As loneliness epidemic spreads through South Korea, Seoul is spending millions to fight it
A growing epidemic of social isolation in South Korea has prompted its capital city to invest more than 450 billion won (US$330 million) in a sweeping five-year initiative aimed at reducing loneliness in the city. Advertisement The Seoul Metropolitan Government's efforts include the launch of a convenience store where locals can enjoy free instant noodles while talking about their feelings, as well as a 24-hour counselling hotline. Seoul is at the epicentre of the nation's social isolation epidemic, with people living alone now making up more than 35 per cent of all households in the capital, according to The Korea Herald. A recent Seoul Institute survey revealed that 62 per cent of single-person households reported experiencing loneliness, while 13.6 per cent were socially isolated. A separate 2023 study by the city estimated that about 130,000 people aged between 19 and 39 were living in near-total social withdrawal. According to a recent Seoul Institute survey, 62 per cent of single-person households have reported experiencing loneliness. Photo: Shutterstock Lonely deaths in South Korea – where someone dies by suicide or illness after living in social isolation – increased from 3,378 in 2021 to 3,661 in 2023, according to the South Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare.
South China Morning Post
26 minutes ago
- South China Morning Post
Source of black particles in Hong Kong estate's water supply remains mystery
Authorities are still investigating the source of black particles detected in the freshwater supply at a Hong Kong public housing estate, while reassuring residents that the water is safe to drink. Tenants of Queens Hill Estate in Fanling had earlier complained about the black particles found in their drinking water and what they called a delayed official response to their reports, first filed on Friday last week. Director of Water Supplies Roger Wong Yan-lok said on Monday that samples taken before and after tanks were cleaned over the weekend confirmed the water quality was safe for drinking. 'The samples confirmed that the water quality is normal and safe to drink,' Wong said, adding tests with a fine 0.0005mm filter paper showed no visible black particles after the estate's management cleaned the tanks. Residents of Queens Hill Estate have complained about the black particles and what they called a delayed official response to their reports. Photo: Sam Tsang Wong said that the black particles were likely to be 'inert materials' originating from the flaking of pipe or equipment linings.
