Midcourse Evaluation of the Second-term 10-year Plan for Cancer Control in Korea

The Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korean National Cancer Center (NCC) developedthe Second-term 10-year Plan for Cancer Control, 2006-2015, on the basis of an evaluation of progress of theFirst-term Plan for Cancer Control (10-yr PCC) from 2005-2006. The second-term 10-yr PCC started with twomain objectives and 35 specific aims in eight focus areas, with the overall goal of reducing the economic burdenof cancer. We here assessed the status of the 10-yr PCC objectives by midcourse evaluation in 2010, mid-waythrough the second term. Based on our evaluation and comments received from the government and the NCC,the Cancer Control 2015 objectives were modified. Of the original two main and 35 specific objectives in eightfocus areas, four specific objectives were deleted because they were not relevant to the focus areas and threewere revised to reflect changes in data sources or projects. In addition, four new objectives were introduced toreflect new data sources or emerging projects. The 2015 targets of 13 objectives were also modified to reflect themidcourse evaluation. This mid-term exercise provided an opportunity to assess the progress made during thefirst half of the decade and thereby accurately characterize the current and future status of cancer control andeffectively manage cancer-control programs.