This uptick in cancer cases is attributed to delayed medical screenings due to COVID-19 and expanded cancer registration guidelines. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Dec. 29 (Korea Bizwire) – In a comprehensive analysis of South Korea’s cancer trends during the COVID-19 pandemic, new findings reveal a significant increase in cancer diagnoses in 2021.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the National Cancer Center announced that approximately 278,000 new cancer cases were recorded in 2021, a 10.8% increase from 2020. This uptick in cancer cases is attributed to delayed medical screenings due to COVID-19 and expanded cancer registration guidelines.
Thyroid cancer emerged as the most commonly diagnosed cancer in 2021, with over 35,000 cases, representing a 19.1% increase from the previous year. This was followed by colorectal, lung, stomach, breast, prostate, and liver cancers.
Despite a general decrease in the incidence of stomach, colorectal, liver, and cervical cancers over the past decade, breast cancer rates have shown a continuous increase over the last 20 years.
The overall cancer survival rates in South Korea have improved significantly. The five-year survival rate for cancer patients reached 72.1% in 2021, up 6.6 percentage points from a decade ago. Notably, thyroid (100.1%), prostate (96.0%), and breast (93.8%) cancers had the highest relative survival rates.
In contrast, liver (39.3%), lung (38.5%), gallbladder and other biliary cancers (28.9%), and pancreatic cancer (15.9%) had relatively lower survival rates.
Seo Hong Gwan, director of the National Cancer Center, emphasized the importance of regular cancer screenings for the six major cancers covered by the national cancer screening program, rather than focusing solely on thyroid cancer, which has a survival rate exceeding 100%.
This rate, according to Seo, suggests an overdiagnosis of thyroid cancer, and the Ministry of Health and Welfare has advised against screening asymptomatic individuals for this type of cancer.
As of January 1, 2022, there were approximately 2.43 million people living with cancer in South Korea, meaning one in every 21 citizens is a cancer survivor or currently battling the disease.
This number includes a significant proportion of elderly individuals, with one in seven people over the age of 65 being a cancer patient.
In light of these findings, the South Korean government is committed to ensuring comprehensive cancer care, including early screenings, even amid future pandemics.
This commitment is a response to the observed increase in cancer cases and improved survival rates, which underscore the importance of early detection and ongoing medical advancements in cancer treatment.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
