Welcome back, you're listening to a whole new episode of News Bites!
I'm Paz Bueno.
And I'm Nancy Sun.
Coming up next…
Cancer treatment funded by the government, and keeping cats in Singapore!
And in today's Tasty Tidbit…
Some distinctive patterns found in nature…and on us!
Keep listening to learn more.
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台灣首次全民健保涵蓋的CAR T細胞治療
The First NHI-Funded CAR T-cell Therapy
Cancer (癌症) is a disease where cells in the body grow out of control.
It can happen almost anywhere in the body and affects many people around the world.
Treating cancer is a big challenge.
Doctors often use treatments like chemotherapy (化療), radiation (放射線治療), or surgery (手術).
These methods aim to kill or remove cancer cells (癌細胞).
But sometimes, they can be hard on the patient's body.
對患者的身體影響較大。
Now, scientists are looking for new ways to fight cancer more effectively (有效) and with fewer side effects (副作用更小).
One of these new methods is called CAR T-cell therapy (CAR T細胞治療).
It's a type of treatment that uses the patient's own immune system (免疫系統) to fight the cancer.
And this year, a woman in her 70s has become the first patient to receive CAR T-cell therapy covered by the National Health Insurance (全民健保).
She's being treated for a type of cancer known as DLBCL (擴散性大B細胞淋巴瘤的癌症).
Nine years ago, she was first diagnosed with DLBCL and had gone into remission (進入緩解期).
Sadly, her cancer returned two years ago.
That's where CAR T-cell therapy comes in.
It's a special treatment that changes a patient's white blood cells (白血球) to help them fight cancer better.
This treatment is really expensive, costing about $8 million NT.
But now, thanks to the NHI system, it's available to more people in Taiwan (變得更加普及).
This therapy has shown promising results.
About 40% of DLBCL patients can completely beat their cancer, and another 13% show significant improvement.
However, because it's so costly (成本高昂), the NHI is currently only funding this treatment for certain types of cancer patients.
Every year, the NHI plans to spend around $800 million NT to provide this life-saving treatment to 110 cancer patients.
This month, six more patients will receive CAR T-cell therapy.
This step is a big deal in Taiwan's healthcare.
It shows a strong commitment (堅定承諾) to use advanced treatments and make them accessible to more people.
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新加坡放寬 寵物貓法令
Pet Cat Laws in Singapore Change
Cats are such great companions (伴侶).
They're playful, independent, and can be really affectionate (跟人很親).
They're perfect for apartment living too!
They don't need much space and are pretty low maintenance.
不需要太多空間，而且照顧起來相對簡單。
In Singapore, a big change is coming for cat lovers!
For 34 years, cats were not allowed in most apartments.
But soon, this rule is going away.
People like Sunny, who secretly kept her cat Mooncake, will not have to worry about fines anymore.
像Sunny這樣偷偷養貓的人不必再擔心罰款了。
Why the change?
Well, many people in Singapore love cats.
A survey in 2022 found that 9 out of 10 people think cats are great pets for apartments.
So, the government decided it was time to update the rules (更新規則).
But it's not just about letting cats live in apartments.
There are new plans to keep cats safe and happy.
Each home can have up to two cats.
Cats will need a microchip and a license.
寵物貓需要有晶片和執照。
This change is exciting for cat owners.
Plus, it might help more rescued cats find homes.
也許可以讓更多被拯救的流浪貓找到家。
Singapore is known for having lots of rules.
For example, you can't buy or import chewing gum there.
And until now, you couldn't have cats in most apartments.
But times are changing!
Some people think the new cat rules could be better.
They want all cats to be sterilized (絕育) and owners to take full responsibility for their pets.
This is important because sometimes cats need help, like when they get sick or hurt.
Overall, this new law is a big step forward for cat lovers in Singapore.
It shows that the city cares about its furry citizens (毛茸茸的市民) and the people who love them.
Now, cats like Mooncake can live happily and safely in their homes.
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So, in today's News Bites:
A woman in her 70s has become the first patient to receive CAR T-cell therapy covered by the National Health Insurance.
She's being treated for a type of cancer.
This treatment is really expensive, costing about $8 million NT.
But now, thanks to the NHI system, it's available to more people in Taiwan.
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And,
A big change is coming for cat lovers in Singapore!
For 34 years, cats were not allowed in most apartments.
But soon, this rule is going away.
People like Sunny, who secretly kept her cat Mooncake, will not have to worry about fines anymore.
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趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit
There are many distinctive patterns in nature.
Just like our fingerprints are all different, each zebra has its own special pattern of stripes.
No two zebras have the same stripes, making them as unique as our fingerprints!
And speaking of fingerprints, did you know that koala bears have fingerprints too?
What's really surprising is that koala fingerprints are so similar to human fingerprints that even experts can have a hard time telling them apart!
Nature sure has some interesting ways of making each creature special.
What's something about you that makes you unique?
If you have a fun fact, a joke, or interesting news you'd like to share with us, record your message and send us your Tasty Tidbit to newsbites@icrt.com.tw, and you might hear it at the end of an episode!
We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites!