Low-Income Groups Can Receive 'National Cancer Screening' Without Worrying About Costs

Daedong Hospital Participates for Second Consecutive Year in Busan City's 'Medical Aid Beneficiaries Cancer Screening Non-Covered Cost Support Project'

Endoscopic examination scene.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] Daedong Hospital (Director Park Kyung-hwan) has been designated as a medical institution for the “Non-covered Cost Support Project for Cancer Screening of Medical Aid Recipients,” which is conducted annually by Busan City.

Daedong Hospital has participated in this project for two consecutive years, including last year.

Through this support project, medical aid recipients undergoing cancer screening at Daedong Hospital can receive support for non-covered out-of-pocket expenses incurred in addition to the existing free cancer screening costs, such as ▲sedation fees for gastroscopy ▲sedation fees for colonoscopy in cases with suspicious findings after the primary colorectal cancer screening ▲breast ultrasound for suspicious findings after mammography.

Cancer, the leading cause of death in South Korea, caused 79,153 deaths in 2018. Due to environmental changes and rapid population aging, approximately 232,000 new cancer patients occur annually, with about 79,000 deaths from cancer each year.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about one-third of cancer cases can be completely cured if detected and treated early. Therefore, the national cancer screening program is implemented to reduce cancer mortality and increase treatment rates through early detection.

The national cancer screening program targets stomach cancer, colorectal cancer, liver cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, and cervical cancer. Criteria such as eligible subjects, screening intervals, and age are set based on statistics including cancer incidence, mortality, and survival rates.

Stomach cancer screening is conducted every two years for adults aged 40 and over, based on birth year, through gastroscopy or upper gastrointestinal series.

For liver cancer, high-risk groups such as those with liver cirrhosis or positive hepatitis B or C antigen/antibody status undergo ultrasound examinations every six months.

Lung cancer screening applies to adults aged 54 to 74 with a history of smoking. High-risk groups for lung cancer undergo chest CT scans every two years, and colorectal cancer screening is conducted annually for adults aged 50 and over using fecal occult blood tests.

Additionally, breast cancer screening for women aged 40 and over is conducted via mammography, and cervical cancer screening for women aged 20 and over is conducted every two years using cervical cytology tests.

Yoonmi Kim, Head of Family Medicine, Daedong Hospital.

Kim Yoon-mi, Head of the Comprehensive Health Screening Center at Daedong Hospital and a specialist in family medicine, stated, “Early detection of the six major cancers common in Korea is possible through relatively simple tests, but according to the 2018 Ministry of Health and Welfare report, only 55% of the total eligible population undergoes cancer screening, which is regrettable.”

Dr. Kim advised, “Since more than 90% of cancers detected early can be completely cured with active treatment, it is highly recommended that those eligible for national cancer screening undergo the tests.”

This year, due to COVID-19, the National Health Insurance Service extended the screening period until June 2021 for those who missed cancer screening last year.

Those who were eligible for cancer screening in 2020 but did not receive it can use nearby screening institutions until the end of June.

Daedong Hospital is focusing on creating a safe screening environment by conducting COVID-19 tests before gastrointestinal endoscopy to prevent infections.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.