Cancer screening programme

What it is

A comprehensive cancer screening checks several organs at once in people who have no symptoms yet. Gastroscopy and colonoscopy, abdominal ultrasound, low-dose chest CT, breast and thyroid ultrasound and tumour-marker blood tests are grouped into a single day, with PET-CT or MRI added when appropriate.

Korea has run a national screening programme for six cancers — stomach, colorectal, liver, breast, cervical and lung — for years. International patients receive the same tests at the health promotion centres of tertiary hospitals, on a schedule reserved for overseas visitors.

Built on Korea's national screening system

Korea has run a National Cancer Screening Program since 1999 that defines who is screened, when and with which test. Stomach cancer: gastroscopy every two years from age 40. Colorectal cancer: a yearly stool blood test from age 50, with colonoscopy if positive. Liver cancer: liver ultrasound and an AFP blood test every six months from age 40 for hepatitis B or C carriers and people with cirrhosis. Breast cancer: mammography every two years for women from 40. Cervical cancer: a cell test every two years for women from 20. Lung cancer: low-dose chest CT every two years for heavy smokers (30 pack-years or more) aged 54–74 (source: National Cancer Center, National Cancer Screening Program).

Our programme uses these rules as its backbone. From your questionnaire — age, sex, family history, smoking and hepatitis status — we first include the tests the national criteria call for, then add optional items that are not in the national programme but are often requested, such as thyroid and prostate. Every test on your list has a clear reason.

Who it suits

Adults without symptoms. It is particularly recommended from age 40, for anyone with a family history of cancer, carriers of hepatitis B or C (liver cancer), long-term smokers (lung cancer), and those with a family history of stomach cancer or past Helicobacter infection.

If you have already been diagnosed or have a suspicious finding, you need a consultation rather than screening. In that case we arrange a pre-review opinion first to set the treatment direction.

How it works

After booking, you complete a health questionnaire and the test list is tailored to your age, sex and family history. Fast for at least eight hours the evening before, and take a bowel-preparation solution if a colonoscopy is scheduled. On the day you arrive in the morning and finish within two to four hours.

Some endoscopy and ultrasound findings are explained on the same day; the full results, including biopsies and blood tests, follow in one to two weeks as a multilingual report. After you return home we explain the results by video call and provide a summary for your local doctor.

Timeline and recovery

Plan for a two- to three-day stay: arrive the day before and fast, rest on the afternoon of the screening, and fly home the next day. An interpreter and coordinator accompany you from check-in to the results briefing.

If you choose sedation for endoscopy, avoid driving and important decisions that day. Biopsy results take one to two weeks.

Cost and packages

Screening is not covered by Korean health insurance. Hospitals typically list a basic package at KRW 600,000–1,500,000, an advanced package at KRW 2–4 million, and a premium package with PET-CT or MRI from about KRW 4 million. The exact amount is confirmed by an itemised hospital quote.

Our quote separates the test items from interpretation, accommodation and transfers. If the screening finds something that needs attention, we connect you directly to the relevant specialist at the same hospital, and the process continues with a pre-review opinion and treatment guidance.

Frequently asked questions

Is it really done in one day?

The tests themselves take two to four hours in the morning. Because fasting and bowel preparation are needed the day before, plan a stay of two to three days.

When do I get the results?

Some endoscopy and ultrasound findings are explained on the day. The complete results, including blood tests and biopsies, arrive in one to two weeks as a multilingual report with a video consultation.

What happens if something is found?

You are referred directly to the relevant department at the same hospital for further tests. If treatment is needed, the next step is a pre-review opinion and an itemised quote.

Is it a problem if I don't speak Korean?

The questionnaire, consent forms and report are provided in your language, and an interpreter accompanies you on the day.

Statistics on this page are official national statistics, not the results of any particular hospital. Outcomes differ by stage and by individual health. Discuss diagnosis and treatment decisions with your physicians.