Cancer Control Act Annex 1: who gets screened and how often

Below is the text as published by the Korean government's legal database, unchanged. The rows in English above it are our summary.

Decree in force since 2026-01-02. Annex 1 last amended 2019. 5. 14.. Checked 2026-09-24.

The six screenings in Annex 1

CancerHow oftenWhoTest
StomachEvery 2 years40 and over, women and menUpper endoscopy (or upper GI X-ray if endoscopy is hard for you)
LiverEvery 6 months40 and over, women and men, in the liver cancer high-risk groupLiver ultrasound and serum alpha-fetoprotein test
ColorectalEvery year50 and over, women and menFecal occult blood test (colonoscopy if positive)
BreastEvery 2 yearsWomen 40 and overMammogram
CervicalEvery 2 yearsWomen 20 and overPap smear
LungEvery 2 years54 to 74, women and men, in the lung cancer high-risk groupLow-dose chest CT with a follow-up results consultation

암관리법 시행령 [별표 1] <개정 2019. 5. 14.> 암의 종류별 검진주기와 연령 기준 등(제8조제2항 관련)

CancerIntervalAge and conditions
위암2년40세 이상의 남ㆍ여
간암6개월40세 이상의 남ㆍ여 중 간암 발생 고위험군
대장암1년50세 이상의 남ㆍ여
유방암2년40세 이상의 여성
자궁경부암2년20세 이상의 여성
폐암2년54세 이상 74세 이하의 남ㆍ여 중 폐암 발생 고위험군

Notes

  1. "간암 발생 고위험군"이란 간경변증, B형간염 항원 양성, C형간염 항체 양성, B형 또는 C형 간염 바이러스에 의한 만성 간질환 환자를 말한다.
  2. "폐암 발생 고위험군"이란 30갑년[하루 평균 담배소비량(갑) × 흡연기간(년)] 이상의 흡연력(吸煙歷)을 가진 현재 흡연자와 폐암 검진의 필요성이 높아 보건복지부장관이 정하여 고시하는 사람을 말한다.

Even and odd years

Neither Annex 1 nor the two ministry standards split people by birth year. NHIS's own text says that for cervical screening, people born in odd years go in odd years and people born in even years go in even years. That's the only case this page uses.

Related rules and NHIS text

These change who counts as due, outside Annex 1. Also quoted as published, in Korean.

Sources: Enforcement Decree of the Cancer Control Act, Annex 1 (Korea Law Information Center), Cancer Screening Standards (Ministry of Health and Welfare Notice 2025-220), NHIS cancer screening page, NHIS webzine, May 2022 (cervical screening, even and odd years) (checked 2026-09-24)