Nearly half of Korean lung cancer patients find their disease at stage 4

Almost half of lung cancer patients in Korea are diagnosed at stage 4. Since the lungs lack sensory nerves, it is difficult to detect symptoms in the early stages of cancer, making regular screenings essential to prevent late detection.

Abnormal symptoms, including coughing or chest pain, often only become noticeable after cancer cells have spread to the bronchi or pleura, leading to late diagnosis. This high proportion of late-stage patients contributes to poor treatment outcomes for lung cancer in Korea.

So, how can lung cancer be detected early? One method is to participate in national lung cancer screening programs. Currently, the target population for national lung cancer screening includes individuals aged 54 to 74 who have smoked 30 pack-years (equivalent to smoking one pack a day for 30 years or two packs a day for 15 years). Even if a smoker has quit, they remain eligible if the smoking cessation period is less than 15 years.

National lung cancer screening participants receive free low-dose chest CT scans every two years, and it is essential to undergo these screenings at regular intervals. However, only half of the eligible individuals are currently receiving the screening. For those classified as “national lung cancer screening participants,” it is recommended to undergo additional individual low-dose chest CT scans in addition to the national screening program for early detection of lung cancer.

“While the national lung cancer screening guidelines recommend annual screening for individuals aged 54–74 who have smoked for 30 years or more, or who have quit smoking within the past 15 years, the national lung cancer screening program is not conducted annually but every two years,” said Professor Park Young-sik of the Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Seoul National University Hospital on the Korean Association for Lung Cancer's YouTube channel, “Ask Anything About Lung Cancer, emphasizing the need for additional individual screening accordingly.

While some studies suggest that there is no significant difference between annual and biennial intervals for low-dose chest CT scans, the current guidelines in Korea recommend annual screening. Therefore, if an individual has undergone national lung cancer screening every two years, it is recommended to undergo additional screening in between, Professor Park advised.

“Despite being eligible for the national lung cancer screening program, approximately half of those eligible have not yet undergone screening,” Park noted. “If you are eligible for the national lung cancer screening program, I encourage you to actively participate in the screening provided by the government to reduce the risk of lung cancer-related mortality.”