ASPIRE is proud to announce the conclusion of the Thailand Lung Cancer Policy Forum (1st Edition), where multiple stakeholders gathered last Friday to tackle one of lung cancer care’s biggest challenges – early detection through screening.

Despite advances, late-stage diagnosis remains a hurdle in Thailand due to limited funding and screening access. A phased rollout, starting in provinces with stronger infrastructure, was agreed to be the most practical path forward.

➡️ Next step: Quantify screening needs, prioritise provinces, and assess feasibility.

While policymaker support is growing, gaps in evidence and system readiness persist. Experts emphasised the need for targeted data to strengthen advocacy for a national screening programme.

➡️ Next step: Build the case for lung cancer screening as a clinical and economic priority through APAC evidence collation.

While Taiwan and Japan were cited as successful national LDCT screening examples, experts agreed Vietnam’s phased, city-focused model is more realistic for Thailand.

➡️Next step: Adapt key elements of Vietnam’s approach to design proof-of-concept pilots.

Recognising that lung cancer screening requires upfront investment, experts stressed the importance of economic evaluations to show long-term savings and clinical benefits of early detection.

➡️ Next step: Conduct local studies to support reimbursement and sustainability of screening initiatives.

Experts agreed that strong multistakeholder collaboration – across policymakers, civilsociety, academia, industry, and clinicians – is vital to pilot design and broader policychange.

➡️ Next step: Establish a multi-stakeholder programme to coordinate action and strengthen advocacy.

To support next steps, we agreed on a high-level roadmap:

✅ Develop clear lung cancer screening guidelines (e.g. age, smoking status, risk profile)

✅Apply to the National Research Council or similar bodies for pilot research funding

✅Conduct cost-effectiveness analyses to show clinical and economic benefits of early detection

✅Use generated evidence to engage payers and support national rollout and reimbursement

We extend our sincere thanks to our co-conveners – Asia Pacific Coalition against Lung Cancer, Assoc. Prof. Thanyanan Reungwetwattana, and Assoc. Prof. Naiyarat Prasongsook – and to our keynote speaker, Dr. Somchai Thanasitthichai, for their leadership and contributions.

A special thank you also to our experts who shaped the forum’s outcomes: Prof. Manop Pithukpakorn, Dr. Passakorn Wanchaijiraboon, Dr. Prakaitip Susilparat, Asst. Prof. Punnarerk Thongcharoen, Assoc. Prof. Puree Anantachoti, Ms. Sirintip Kudtiyakarn, Dr. Somcharoen Saeteng, Ms. Wanna Eiatprapan, Dr. Wissawa Malakan and Dr. Wiwatana Tanomkiat.

We look forward to continuing our collaboration as we prepare for the 2nd Edition of the forum, focusing on diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship. More updates coming soon!

Follow us on 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 all our sponsors for their support and contribution for making this roundtable possible.