Hongkongers with lung cancer risk urged to test after actor Will Or’s diagnosis

Hongkongers at a high risk of developing a common form of cancer should proactively get themselves screened as lung adenocarcinoma is often discovered at late stages, medical experts have warned, following a high-profile diagnosis of a local actor.

On Wednesday, actor Will Or Wai-lam revealed in his social media post that he had been diagnosed with stage-four lung adenocarcinoma in May, which forced him to pull out of what was set to be his first theatre production.

The actor’s confirmation of his illness has sparked public concerns over this type of cancer, with doctors calling on residents at higher risk to receive screenings with low-dose computed tomography (CT) scans to catch the condition early on.

“In most cases of lung adenocarcinoma, it is usually when people start displaying symptoms of the disease that they will go get screened, so most people discover they have the illness when it is in the later stages,” said respiratory medicine specialist Dr Leung Chi-chiu.

“However, there are some groups of people, especially those who are working, who need to get a body check for various reasons, so we will occasionally find these conditions in earlier stages.”

Lung cancer is the most common cancer in Hong Kong, accounting for 16.1 per cent of new cases in 2022.