LUNG CANCER SCREENING IN THE ASIA PACIFIC REGION: A SCOPING REVIEW OF CURRENT SCREENING POLICY GUIDELINES AND BEST PRACTICES
Author(s)
Anand Jha, MBA1, Monica Verma, MPH2, Vinita Devjani, MBA3.
1Ansea Consultants Pte Ltd, Singapore, Singapore, 2Associate Director, Ansea Consultants Pte Ltd, Singapore, Singapore, 3Ansea Consultants Pte Ltd, Ahmedabad, India.
1Ansea Consultants Pte Ltd, Singapore, Singapore, 2Associate Director, Ansea Consultants Pte Ltd, Singapore, Singapore, 3Ansea Consultants Pte Ltd, Ahmedabad, India.
OBJECTIVES: Despite accounting for 61% of global lung cancer mortality, the uptake of low‑dose CT (LDCT) screening in Asia remains markedly lower than in Western countries. Notably, nearly half of the cases in the region arise among never‑smokers, underscoring disparities in lung cancer patterns. Therefore, in this study we mapped lung cancer policies, unpacked barriers to equitable screening, best practices and factors influencing lung cancer screening program for 16 countries in the Asia Pacific.
METHODS: We conducted a targeted literature review of peer-reviewed journal articles and policy documents from 16 countries in APAC, including Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
RESULTS: Lung cancer policies and readiness for LDCT markedly differs across the 16 countries. The key factors influencing the uptake of lung cancer screening program were organized using Proctor et al.’s (2011) Implementation Outcomes Framework, including acceptability, adoption, appropriateness, costs, feasibility, penetration, and sustainability from both patient and provider perspectives. The key unmet needs for lung cancer management were identified as low awareness, overburdened health systems, late diagnosis, lack of screening programs, and weak coordination across care teams. While Australia recently launched its first National Lung Cancer Screening Program (NLCSP) in 2025, offering free LDCT to high-risk population, other countries have piloted LDCT screening programs in China, Japan, and South Korea, and smaller initiatives were observed in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore. Furthermore, recognizing the high-risk among never-smokers China, Taiwan and South Korea have also developed appropriate risk-prediction models to determine lung cancer screening eligibility.
CONCLUSIONS: Across Asia-Pacific, policies and readiness for LDCT screening vary considerably. Nonetheless, many countries have introduced or piloted low‑dose CT programs, offering valuable models for others in the region. These initiatives differ in scale, eligibility criteria, and whether they operate at national or regional levels.
METHODS: We conducted a targeted literature review of peer-reviewed journal articles and policy documents from 16 countries in APAC, including Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
RESULTS: Lung cancer policies and readiness for LDCT markedly differs across the 16 countries. The key factors influencing the uptake of lung cancer screening program were organized using Proctor et al.’s (2011) Implementation Outcomes Framework, including acceptability, adoption, appropriateness, costs, feasibility, penetration, and sustainability from both patient and provider perspectives. The key unmet needs for lung cancer management were identified as low awareness, overburdened health systems, late diagnosis, lack of screening programs, and weak coordination across care teams. While Australia recently launched its first National Lung Cancer Screening Program (NLCSP) in 2025, offering free LDCT to high-risk population, other countries have piloted LDCT screening programs in China, Japan, and South Korea, and smaller initiatives were observed in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore. Furthermore, recognizing the high-risk among never-smokers China, Taiwan and South Korea have also developed appropriate risk-prediction models to determine lung cancer screening eligibility.
CONCLUSIONS: Across Asia-Pacific, policies and readiness for LDCT screening vary considerably. Nonetheless, many countries have introduced or piloted low‑dose CT programs, offering valuable models for others in the region. These initiatives differ in scale, eligibility criteria, and whether they operate at national or regional levels.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2026-09, ISPOR Asia Pacific 2026, Bangkok, Thailand
Value in Health, Volume 55, Issue S1
Code
HPR22
Topic
Health Policy & Regulatory
Topic Subcategory
Health Disparities & Equity
Disease
No Additional Disease & Conditions/Specialized Treatment Areas, SDC: Oncology