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) developed the Second-term 10-year Plan for Cancer Control, 2006-2015, on the basis of an evaluation of progress of the First-term Plan for Cancer Control (10-yr PCC) from 2005-2006. The second-term 10-yr PCC started with two main objectives and 35 specific aims in eight focus areas, with the overall goal of reducing the economic burden of cancer. We here assessed the status of the 10-yr PCC objectives by midcourse evaluation in 2010, mid-way through 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 eight focus areas, four specific objectives were deleted because they were not relevant to the focus areas and three were revised to reflect changes in data sources or projects. In addition, four new objectives were introduced to reflect new data sources or emerging projects. The 2015 targets of 13 objectives were also modified to reflect the midcourse evaluation. This mid-term exercise provided an opportunity to assess the progress made during the first half of the decade and thereby accurately characterize the current and future status of cancer control and effectively manage cancer-control programs.