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As of 1995 in Korea, more than 50,000 persons died due to cancers a year. And around 230.000 cancer patients were under medical treatment. The total amount for medical care expenditure for cancer inpatient was estimated as 400 billion Korean Won (about US$ 460 million), which accounts for 15-18% of all expenditure for inpatients. The age standardized annual incidence rate (ASR) of all cancers in the years of 1992-1995 was 290.8/100,000 in males and 173.4 in females. The cumulative rates for the age span 0-74 were 35.8% in male and 20% in females. Four cancer sites, stomach, liver, lung, and colo-rectum, comprise two-third of all new cancers in males. For females, the major sites include uterine cervix and breast as well as the former 4 sites. Cancer is the first leading cause of death for Korean. In 1995, the ASR was 179.0 in males and 73.5 in females, which accounted for 24.1% and 17.7% of all deaths in males and females, respectively. Recently some changing patterns of major cancers were observed especially in older age group. Cancer patients account for 8.3% of all inpatients in 1995, but medical expenditure for them accounts for 18% of all expenditure for inpatients. Early detection programs for specific cancer sites such as stomach, liver, colorectum, breast, and uterine cervix have been adopted and conducted since 1992 by several medical insurance companies. However, less than 10% of target population on the whole participate in the program. It was not until 1995 that the Korean government paid attention to national cancer control program. In 1995, the "Ten Year Plan for Cancer Control, Korea" was formulated by a task force, which was initiated by government. The Government adopted the plan as a national policy in 1996. The economic crisis of Korea in 1997, however, hindered the plan in carrying out.
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