ASPIRE for Lung Cancer recently concluded the Lung Cancer Patient Advocacy Group Workshop, a vital part of the larger APAC Lung Cancer Consensus Initiative.

This session brought together patient advocates, caregivers, and survivors from across the APAC region to discuss the challenges and opportunities in lung cancer care, ensuring that the patient voice remains at the heart of this key initiative.

Key Takeaways from the Discussion:

    πŸ›‘ Prevention & Screening: We must address smoking and non-smoking causes like cooking fumes, industrial pollutants, and asbestos, ensuring early detection programmes reach all high-risk populations

    πŸ”¬ Broader Panel Testing & Diagnosis: Improving access to broader panel testing and strengthening diagnostic infrastructure is crucial for personalised care

    πŸ’Š Access to Treatment: Expanding access to clinical trials and speeding up the approval process and access to new treatments will save lives

    🚭 Stigma & Patient Experience: Tackling the stigma associated with lung cancer, especially for those who smoke or have smoked is critical to encourage diagnosis and treatment-seeking behaviour. There is also a growing need to support caregivers and families affected by this disease.

    🀝 Partnerships & Investment: Multi-stakeholder partnerships, strong patient advocacy, and regional networks and collaboration are key to advancing lung cancer care.

As we move forward to finalise the consensus statements, these patient-centric discussions and insights will shape the framework for policy recommendations across the region.

A huge thank you to all the participants who contributed their expertise, stories, and passion to these vital discussions: Ms. Cheryl Fung, Hong Kong Anti-Cancer Society (HKACS), Dr. Corazon Ngelangel (Philippine Cancer Society), Mdm. Desidre Wee and Mdm. Edwina Lau (Society for Cancer Advocacy and AwareNess Kuching, Malaysia), Mr. Do Xuan Phong, Mr. Eric Liu (Taiwan Young Patient Association), Mr. Francis Goh (Lung Cancer Education and Advocacy for Patients, Singapore), Mr. Hyung-Seok Yim (Korea Lung Cancer Patients Association), Ms. Jane Tsai (Formosa Cancer Foundation), Ms. Liu Yi Ting (Mijian θ§…ε₯), Dr. Lye Mun Tho, Lung Cancer Network Malaysia (LCNM), Dr. Prakaitip Susilparat (Thai Cancer Society), Ms Rachael Neumann (Te Aho o Te Kahu | Cancer Control Agency) and Ms. Sammy Tsai (Hope Foundation for Cancer Care)

Stay tuned for the official launch of the consensus later this year, in Q3!

Together, we will drive the changes needed to improve lung cancer care and patient outcomes in the APAC region.

Follow us onβ€―LinkedIn for more updates from this engagement and feel free to reach out to us if you’d like to get involved or find out more.

Acknowledgement:

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to our industry partner, MSD, for their support and contribution for making this roundtable possible A big thank you as well to our co-hosts, A/Prof Herbert Loong, MBBS, FRCP, FASCO from the Asia Pacific Coalition Against Lung Cancer, and Dr. Mary Bussell, PhD, along with all the participants who shared their insights, experiences, and energy during these important discussions.

Merck Sharp and Dohme logo
© 2025 Asia Pacific Policy Review & Engagement (ASPIRE) for Lung Cancer. All rights reserved.
Website Designed & Developed by EquiHealth Ltd