Taipei Municipal Wanfang Hospital wins Healthcare Asia Awards 2025 for innovative therapy

It is the first hospital and medical centre in the country to practice chemo-hyperthermia with the most treatment cases.

Taipei Municipal Wanfang Hospital clinched the Patient Care Initiative of the Year - Taiwan category win at the prestigious Healthcare Asia Awards 2025 for its innovative hyperthermia technology that has combined with its chemotherapy capability to treat bladder cancer.

This groundbreaking method significantly reduces the recurrence rate of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) whilst advancing clinical research into muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Additionally, basic studies have been conducted to explore treatment mechanisms and establish predictive biomarkers.

With hyperthermia therapy, tumour cells are killed in an environment with elevated temperatures of more than 40 degrees.

A multidisciplinary care team, including urologist, oncologist, radiation-oncologist, nurse, and radio technician, has been formed as one team in this endeavour to ensure precision and comprehensive support.

Before these innovations, significant handicaps have hindered bladder cancer treatment, including the high recurrence and progression rate under present treatment, the global shortage of bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), and the incompletion of BCG treatment.

Compared to conventional intravesical chemotherapy, the two-year recurrence-free survival rate has increased from 52% to 88.9%, reducing the 78% recurrent risk for NMIBC. It has also seen minimal side effects, achieving a complete treatment rate of 93.5% due to only Grade II toxicity.

Based on the successful results applicable to Taiwanese patients, more than four other medical systems have introduced this modality since 2019.

“Through standardised treatment protocols, these initiatives address the lower recurrence rate of bladder cancer and offer patients better quality of life. As a leader in healthcare innovation, we continue to set new standards in bladder cancer management for Taiwan and the Asia-Pacific region,” the hospital said.

Healthcare Asia Awards honours exceptional hospitals across the region that have redefined the standards of excellence in the industry through their innovative solutions and substantial contributions to communities.

The Healthcare Asia Awards is presented by Healthcare Asia Magazine. To view the full list of winners, click here. If you want to join the 2026 awards programme and be acclaimed for your organisation's remarkable initiatives and contributions to the healthcare industry, please contact Julie Anne Nuñez at [email protected].