How Many Oncologists Are There in China?

As a foreign researcher with a long-standing interest in global healthcare, I am often asked: “How many oncologists are there in China?” Behind this seemingly simple statistic lies a key to understanding China's approach to tackling cancer—how is this nation of 1.4 billion people allocating its medical resources to confront the world's most prevalent cancer burden?

I. The Numbers: China's Oncology Physician Base

According to the 2022 China Health Statistics Yearbook published by the National Health Commission, China had approximately 58,000 registered practicing (and assistant) oncologists by the end of 2021. This translates to roughly 41 oncologists per million people. This disparity becomes starker in international comparison: the United States has roughly 160 oncology specialists per million people, while some developed European nations (such as Germany and France) range between 120 and 140.

However, these figures require context. China bears a cancer burden far exceeding most nations. According to the 2023 report by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), China accounts for approximately 4.82 million new cancer cases annually—representing 24% of the global total—and 3.21 million cancer deaths, constituting 30% of the global figure. This means that China's 58,000 oncologists must manage nearly a quarter of the world's new cancer patients, alongside an equally vast existing patient population.

II. The Reality Hidden by “Averages”: Urban-Rural and Regional Divide

While “58,000” represents China's average, the actual distribution of medical resources resembles a map with starkly visible fractures. At top-tier oncology hospitals in Shanghai and Beijing (such as Fudan University Cancer Hospital and Cancer Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences), physicians see 80-100 outpatient visits daily, with surgery schedules booked months in advance. In contrast, some county-level hospitals in western China may have oncology teams operating as subdivisions within internal medicine departments. Some doctors juggle multiple specialties, and due to a lack of radiotherapy equipment, they can only provide chemotherapy and palliative care for early-stage cancers.

This disparity stems from the “Matthew Effect” in healthcare resources. Statistics show that 80% of China's high-quality oncology resources are concentrated in eastern coastal regions and provincial capitals, while central and western regions—covering over 60% of the country's land area—face a shortage of over 60% in oncologists. An oncologist working at a county-level hospital in Gansu remarked: “We see about 2,000 new cancer cases annually, but only have five dedicated oncologists—three of whom also take turns covering emergency shifts.”

III. Long Training Periods and High Pressure: The “Cultivation Dilemma” for Oncologists

The “quantity dilemma” facing China's oncologists stems from a deeper “supply challenge.” A qualified oncologist requires at least five years of undergraduate medical education plus three years of specialized oncology training (or two years of residency training followed by two years of specialized fellowship). Certain subspecialties, such as radiation oncology and oncopathology, demand even longer training periods. Even after completing training, young physicians face intense work pressures—surveys by the China Cancer Registry Center show oncologists average over 60 weekly working hours, with nonstop cycles of surgeries, outpatient clinics, ward rounds, and research being the norm.

Additionally, insufficient career appeal exacerbates the talent gap. Compared to internal medicine and surgery, oncologists bear heavier workloads, while the complexity of cancer treatment and patient prognosis pressures often impose greater psychological burdens. Although China has raised compensation for oncology specialists in recent years (with annual salaries reaching 300,000 to 500,000 yuan in some tertiary hospitals), salaries still lag significantly behind those in Western countries (where U.S. oncologists earn over $300,000 annually on average). This disparity has led some top medical students to favor other specialties.

IV. Response and Transformation: How China Addresses Its Weaknesses

Recognizing the urgency of the issue, China has initiated systematic adjustments. On one hand, policy efforts have increased investment in training specialized oncology professionals: The Ministry of Education is promoting medical schools to establish oncology programs, with some universities piloting a “5+3+X” integrated undergraduate-master's-doctoral training model. The National Health Commission mandates that all tertiary hospitals establish independent oncology departments and deploys high-quality resources through “oncology medical consortiums” to reach regional hospitals (e.g., Beijing Cancer Hospital has established remote consultation and physician rotation training mechanisms with county-level hospitals across 10 western provinces).

On the other hand, technological innovation is alleviating staffing pressures. China has become the world's second-largest market for radiotherapy equipment, with the widespread adoption of domestically produced linear accelerators enabling more grassroots hospitals to perform precision radiotherapy. AI-assisted diagnostic systems (such as intelligent lung nodule identification and pathology slide analysis) are helping physicians improve efficiency—a pilot study at an eastern hospital showed AI could reduce pathology report turnaround time from three days to six hours, freeing doctors to focus more on patient communication and treatment.

V. Conclusion: Beyond the Numbers Lies Reverence for Life

Returning to the initial question, “How many oncologists does China have?” The answer may be 58,000, but this figure cannot capture the resident physician writing case notes at 3 a.m., cannot depict the county hospital doctor carrying a medicine box to conduct rural screenings, and certainly cannot measure their unwavering commitment to “gain one more month of survival” for every patient they treat.

For foreigners seeking to understand China's cancer prevention and control efforts, it's not just about the “quantity” of numbers, but the ‘transformation’ of the system—this nation once deemed to have “scarce medical resources” is now forging its own path on the battlefield of cancer control through institutional innovation, technological breakthroughs, and the passion of a generation of medical professionals.

After all, the war against cancer has never been a game of numbers, but the weight of every single life.

Document dated 2025-11-03 11:04 Modify