The Ministry of Health and Welfare held a commemorative event for the ’19th Cancer Prevention Day’ on the 17th to raise awareness about the importance of cancer prevention and to award those who have contributed to the development of the national cancer management program.
At the event, Professor Lee Je-hwan (pictured) from Seoul Asan Medical Center received the Okjo Order of Civil Merit. Professor Lee was recognized for his dedication of over 30 years to research and treatment in the field of hematologic cancer, contributing to advancements in cancer treatment and improvements in patient survival rates. The People’s Medal was awarded to Lee Gun-guk, director of the National Cancer Center Research Institute, and the Order of Civil Merit was given to Professor Guk Hoon from Hwasun Chonnam National University Hospital. Director Lee has been a key figure in the national cancer research project as an expert in lung cancer pathology and precision medicine research, and Professor Guk Hoon has devoted more than 35 years to the treatment and research of pediatric and adolescent cancer. During the event, awards were given to a total of 98 people, including one Order of Merit, two Orders of Civil Merit, three Presidential citations, five Prime Minister’s citations, and 87 Minister of Health and Welfare’s citations.
Cancer Prevention Day, as designated by the World Health Organization (WHO), will be on the 21st. It is established based on the ‘3-2-1’ concept, signifying that ‘one-third of cancers are preventable, one-third can be cured if diagnosed early, and the remaining one-third can be mitigated with appropriate treatment.’ In Korea, it is designated as a national commemoration day in accordance with the Cancer Control Act.