How can Asia expand bowel cancer screening as deaths rise?

Cancer is now the fastest-growing cost driver across the region.

Asia accounts for the biggest share of global bowel cancer fatalities, yet national screening programmes remain limited to Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, according to the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

This raised concern over preventable deaths as incidence rises across the region, it pointed out.

Willis Towers Watson Public Ltd. Co. said cancer across Asia and the Pacific accounts for 49% of global cases, with more than 9.8 million diagnoses each year, and has become the fastest-growing condition in insurance use and cost over the past 18 months.

More than half of insurers surveyed in the region identified cancer as the fastest-growing condition by incidence, with breast, bowel, and lung cancers ranking as the top three.

Resource constraints limit colonoscopy capacity, whilst funding gaps and workforce shortages restrict screening expansion.

Low reimbursement for colonoscopy creates financial disincentives for healthcare providers, affecting service availability and quality, according to the report.

Ageing populations and policy gaps add pressure on health systems as delayed diagnosis raises treatment costs and mortality risk.

Expanded screening programmes hinge on funding stability, workforce scaling and improved reimbursement design aligned with rising demand across the region.

Questions to ponder:

1. How can hospitals expand colonoscopy capacity fast enough to meet rising demand?
2. Will reimbursement reform be enough to widen screening coverage?