On Tuesday, 1st April, ASPIRE, together with co-conveners Dr. Mary Bussell, PhD and Dr. Herbert Loong, successfully concluded the second workshop of the APAC Lung Cancer Policy Consensus initiative.
The focus was on three critical areas that will shape the future of lung cancer care in the APAC region:
🔑 Expanding Access to Treatments:
Advocating for broader access to surgery, radiotherapy and innovative treatment, accelerated approvals, comprehensive guidelines and shared decision-making for improved outcomes.
🚫 Tackling Stigma:
Exploring how stigma hinders early detection and treatment — and why we must address it head-on.
🌍 Building Stronger Partnerships:
Highlighting the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration and patient advocacy to create more resilient healthcare systems.
As we consolidate insights from Workshop 2 with findings from Workshop 1 (focused on prevention, screening & early detection, and diagnosis), the organising team have also planned for a dedicated Patient Advocacy Group Workshop, to ensure that the patient voice remains at the centre of this initiative.
Together, we will work to create a holistic, patient-centred consensus that will empower better treatment access and improved care for lung cancer patients across the region.
We’d like to thank all the experts who have contributed to this initiative so far, including those who participated in Workshop 2:
Asia Pacific Coalition against Lung Cancer, Dr. Aaron Tan, Dr. Abhishek Shankar, Dr. Annie Wong, Prof. Hidehito Horinouchi, Dr. Jemma Arakelyan, Prof. Kenneth O’Byrne, Dr. Kenneth Samala, Prof. Martin Chi-Sang Wong, A/Prof. Naiyarat Prasongsook, Prof. Pan-Chyr Yang, Prof. Pham Cam Phuong, Dr. Sewanti Limaye, A/Prof. Thanyanan Reungwetwattana, Prof. Yeon Wook Kim and Dr. Zhou Jian Ya..
The contributions received from experts so far have been invaluable. Together, let’s work to tackle lung cancer. Stay tuned for more updates!
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.
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to our industry partner, MSD, for their support and contribution for making this roundtable possible.
We are a collaborative multilateral effort focused on improving lung cancer outcomes in the Asia-Pacific region through policy reforms.
