The National Cancer Center and the National Academy of Medicine of Korea have released recommendations for prudent medical checkups. (Image courtesy of Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, Sept. 8 (Korea Bizwire) — The medical community has expressed concerns about excessive medical checkups, suggesting that individuals without symptoms or those at low risk do not need to undergo thyroid ultrasonography or LDCT (Low-Dose Computed Tomography) screening for lung cancer.
On Wednesday. the National Cancer Center and the National Academy of Medicine of Korea held a public health and medical forum at the National Cancer Center in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, under the theme ‘Is it appropriate to maintain South Korea’s medical checkup culture?”
Professor Lee Jae-ho, a family physician at the Catholic University of Korea, said, “Among individuals who undergo routine medical checkups, more than 20 percent are already receiving treatment for conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes.
Nevertheless, the uniform system that mandates medical checkups without shared decision-making with family doctors results in unnecessary medical tests and a waste of resources. The rationale for the frequency and components of medical checkups is unclear, and there is a high level of inequality depending on income level.”
It has also been pointed out that private medical screenings have issues such as radiation exposure and excessive testing, and the government does not intervene. Additionally, public medical checkup centers are profiteering by offering private medical checkups.
Based on the recognition of these issues, the National Cancer Center and the National Academy of Medicine of Korea have released recommendations for prudent medical checkups.
Professor Choi Yoon-jung from the Graduate School of Cancer Science and Policy at the National Cancer Center, said, “For adults who do not have symptoms and do not belong to a high-risk group, undergoing such screening tests is not effective or beneficial. Furthermore, for elderly individuals, considering the slower progression of cancer and the time between detection, treatment, and mortality, major cancer screenings lack a rational basis or benefits.
J. S. Shin (js_shin@koreabizwire.com)
