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- Current Status of the National Cancer Screening Program in Korea: History, Achievements, and Future Directions
- Kyeongmin Lee, Mina Suh, Kui Son Choi
- J Prev Med Public Health. 2025;58(4):337-347. Published online June 21, 2025
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.3961/jpmph.25.268
- 21,568 View
- 464 Download
- 14 Web of Science
- 13 Crossref
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Abstract
Summary
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Supplementary Material - Cancer is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. To reduce this burden, the Korean government established the National Cancer Screening Program (NCSP) in 1999, initially offering stomach, breast, and cervical cancer screening to Medical Aid Program (MAP) beneficiaries. By 2019, the NCSP had broadened both its eligible population and the range of cancers screened—stomach, liver, cervical, breast, colorectal, and lung—for both MAP recipients and health insurance beneficiaries. Since its inception, participation and adherence to recommended screening have risen steadily, driven by nationwide policy initiatives and expanded access. Over the past 2 decades, the NCSP has played a key role in reducing the incidence of stomach, liver, colorectal, and cervical cancers while increasing detection at precancerous stages, especially for cervical and colorectal cancers. Five-year relative survival rates for major cancers—most notably stomach, colorectal, and breast—have also improved substantially. Accumulated evidence, including cancer detection rates, stage distribution at diagnosis, and mortality reduction, underscores the program’s effectiveness in facilitating early detection and reducing cancer-specific deaths. Notably, Korea’s mortality-to-incidence ratio for major cancers remains well below the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development average, illustrating the impact of the nation’s comprehensive cancer control strategies. Continued research, surveillance, and refinement of evidence-based screening guidelines will be critical to further enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of the NCSP.
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SummaryKorean summary
한국의 국가암검진 사업은 도입 이후 지난 20여 년간 암 발생률과 사망률 감소에 크게 기여해왔다. 본 연구에서는 한국의 국가암검진 프로그램의 도입 이후 발전과정을 살펴보고, 암 질병부담 감소에 기여한 주요성과들을 고찰하였다. 또한, 국가암검진의 효과성을 높이기 위해 근거에 기반한 암검진 권고안 개정의 필요성을 논의하고, 향후 국가암검진 사업의 지속적인 성과 향상을 위한 발전방안을 제시하였다.Key Message
Since its inception, Korea’s National Cancer Screening Program (NCSP) has played a critical role in reducing cancer incidence and mortality over the past two decades. This study presents a comprehensive review of the NCSP’s development and its key contributions to alleviating the national cancer burden. In addition, it emphasizes the necessity of updating cancer screening guidelines in accordance with the latest scientific evidence and outlines strategic directions to further strengthen the program’s effectiveness and long-term outcomes. -
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
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