Samsung Medical Center said on the 18th that it ranked No. 1 in three categories—cancer, respiratory, and digestive—in the "2026 Asia-Pacific Best Specialized Hospitals" rankings released by the U.S. newsweekly Newsweek.
The results were assessed by combining a reputation survey of medical staff in 11 Asia-Pacific countries, including Korea, Japan, Australia, Taiwan, and Singapore, along with medical certification and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), which Newsweek commissioned from global research firm Statista.
Samsung Medical Center has held the top spot in cancer and respiratory since 2024 for three consecutive years. It also reached the top in the newly established digestive category this year, achieving a triple crown.
Its competitiveness in cancer stood out in particular. The hospital was ranked No. 3 in the world for cancer in the global specialized hospital rankings released by Newsweek last year. No. 1 and No. 2 were cancer specialty hospitals in the United States, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and MD Anderson Cancer Center.
The five-year survival rate for all cancer patients treated at the Samsung Medical Center Cancer Hospital was tallied at 75.4%.
The Samsung Medical Center Cancer Hospital has strengthened its capacity to treat severe cancer patients by introducing Korea's first CAR-T cell therapy and expanding precision medicine-based cancer treatment. CAR-T is a therapy in which T cells, an immune cell, are taken from the patient's blood, genetically modified to find and attack specific cells, and then returned to the body.
In the respiratory category, outcomes in lung cancer treatment are cited as a strength.
Samsung Medical Center performs about 1,500 lung cancer surgeries a year, more than 90% of which are conducted using minimally invasive techniques such as robotic surgery and thoracoscopic surgery. The five-year survival rate for lung cancer patients is 65.7%, far exceeding the Korean average (42.5%) and the U.S. average (28.1%).
Recently, it has also been advancing diagnosis and treatment using digital technology, including developing the artificial intelligence (AI)-based model "RADAR CARE" to predict early recurrence of early-stage Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
In the digestive category, included in the evaluation for the first time this year, the hospital was recognized for outcomes in treating high-difficulty diseases such as esophageal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and liver cancer. The five-year relative survival rate for patients with esophageal cancer was 62.5%, higher than the Korean average (43.5%) and the U.S. average (21.9%), and the five-year relative survival rate for pancreatic cancer was 24.6%, exceeding the Korean average (17.0%).
Park Seung-woo, president of Samsung Medical Center, said, "Our efforts to focus on severe and high-difficulty diseases and to improve the quality of research and care led to strong evaluations," adding, "We will continue to take on challenges to set new standards for the future of medicine."