Lung cancer survival rates up in Seoul

Published : Jan 6, 2020 - 15:13 Updated : Jan 6, 2020 - 18:12

Seven in 10 lung cancer patients who have undergone surgery at Asan Medical Center in Seoul have survived, the hospital said in a report.

The cardiothoracic surgery department at Asan Medical Center in southern Seoul said Monday the postsurgery survival rate of patients with lung cancer, the sixth most common cancer among Koreans, has improved markedly over the past decade.

Cardiothoracic surgeons at Asan Medical Center (Asan Medical Center)

In the hospital’s study of around 7,500 lung cancer patients from 2002 to 2016, the five-year survival rate in 2012-2016 rose to 72 percent, improving significantly from 2002-2006’s 61 percent.

The surgery rate also surged from 9.7 percent in 2006 to 74.5 percent in 2016. A higher proportion of patients over 70 underwent surgery in 2016, at 25.3 percent, than in 2002 (13.3 percent).

“The average age of lung cancer patients is increasing due to the aging population, but thanks to advancements in surgical techniques and higher availability of screenings leading to early detection, patients are surviving longer over the five-year period,” said cardiothoracic surgeon Choi Se-hun at the hospital.

By Kim Arin (arin@heraldcorp.com)