How Much Does Cancer Treatment Cost in China?

As someone who has long tracked global healthcare costs, I'm often asked: “If I get cancer, how much would treatment cost in China?” Behind this question lies widespread curiosity about China's reputation for “high-value medical care.” After all, when cancer treatment averages over $200,000 in the U.S. and exceeds €100,000 in many European countries, China's cancer care is frequently labeled “affordable.”

Over the past six months, I interviewed three foreign cancer patients undergoing treatment in China (one each with lung cancer, breast cancer, and colorectal cancer), reviewed publicly available fee schedules from multiple top-tier hospitals in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, and consulted oncologists and healthcare insurance specialists. Below are the key insights I've compiled:

I. Cost Breakdown: Where Does the Money Go from Diagnosis to Treatment?

Cancer treatment costs vary significantly by stage, type, and treatment plan, but broadly fall into three phases: diagnosis, treatment, and recovery. Using the most common non-small cell lung cancer (accounting for 85% of lung cancers) as an example, here are the fees from the international medical department (for foreign patients) at a top-tier hospital in Beijing:

1. Diagnosis Phase: Testing and Pathology Analysis

Cancer confirmation requires a series of tests, including imaging (CT/MRI/PET-CT), blood tests (tumor markers), and pathological biopsy (needle or surgical sampling).

• PET-CT Whole-Body Scan: Approximately ¥12,000 (equivalent to ¥21,000 when converted from the US price of about $3,000 for a similar test);

• Genetic Testing (e.g., EGFR, ALK mutations): Approximately RMB 8,000–15,000 (depending on the number of genes tested; comparable U.S. tests often exceed $5,000);

• Pathology Consultation (multispecialty confirmation): Approximately RMB 2,000.

Total: Approximately RMB 20,000–30,000 (diagnosis phase only; U.S. costs may exceed $4,000).

2. Treatment Phase: Core Expense Component

Treatment modality directly impacts costs. Mainstream options for Chinese patients include surgery, chemoradiation, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy. In recent years, significant price reductions for high-cost drugs have occurred through national health insurance negotiations.

(1) Surgical Treatment

Surgical resection is the preferred treatment for early-stage lung cancer (Stages I-II). Thoracoscopic minimally invasive surgery costs approximately 50,000-80,000 RMB (including preoperative examinations, surgical consumables, and 7-10 days of hospitalization). Open thoracotomy procedures incur slightly higher costs (approximately 70,000-100,000 RMB).

Note: Similar surgeries in Germany cost approximately 80,000-120,000 EUR, while costs in the U.S. may exceed $100,000 USD.

(2) Radiation and Chemotherapy

Patients with advanced-stage disease often require concurrent chemoradiation. Conventional radiotherapy (25 sessions) costs approximately ¥30,000–40,000; intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT, higher precision) costs approximately ¥50,000–70,000. Each chemotherapy cycle (21 days) costs approximately ¥8,000–15,000 (depending on drug type, e.g., domestically produced paclitaxel vs. imported docetaxel). Completing 4–6 cycles totals approximately ¥40,000–90,000.

(3) Targeted Therapy and Immunotherapy

This category has seen the most significant cost changes in recent years. Previously, imported targeted drugs (e.g., osimertinib) cost ¥50,000–80,000 monthly. However, after 2021, China's National Medical Insurance negotiations included these drugs in coverage, reducing patient out-of-pocket expenses to approximately ¥3,000–5,000 monthly (provided eligibility criteria are met).

Immunotherapy (e.g., PD-1 inhibitors) also saw significant price reductions: domestically produced drugs (carrelizumab) cost approximately ¥2,000 per treatment cycle (21 days) after insurance coverage, while imported drugs (pembrolizumab) cost approximately ¥5,000.

Total treatment costs for a stage III lung adenocarcinoma patient (surgery + chemotherapy + targeted therapy):

Surgery: ¥60,000

4 cycles of chemotherapy: ¥60,000

1 year of targeted therapy: ¥60,000

Total: Approximately ¥180,000 (out-of-pocket cost after insurance reimbursement: ¥60,000, based on 70% reimbursement under Shanghai employee medical insurance).

3. Recovery Phase: Long-Term Management and Follow-Up

Cancer treatment is not a “one-time cure.” Follow-up examinations are required every 3 months for 2 years post-surgery (CT scans, blood tests), with annual PET-CT scans; intervals gradually extend thereafter.

• Annual follow-up costs: Approximately 10,000–20,000 RMB (including imaging and blood tests);

• If recurrence or metastasis occurs, additional targeted/immunotherapy may be required, with costs similar to initial treatment.

II. Payment Methods: Can Foreign Patients Access Medical Insurance?

For foreign nationals, payment arrangements primarily fall into three categories:

1. Enrolling in Chinese Medical Insurance

Foreigners holding a Chinese residence permit and enrolled in employee/resident medical insurance (e.g., Shanghai and Guangzhou permit eligible foreigners to enroll) may claim reimbursement for hospitalization, surgeries, and certain chemotherapy drugs (targeted/immunotherapy drugs must be listed in the medical insurance catalog) according to local policies. For example, a German engineer in Guangzhou who enrolled for gastric cancer treatment received 60% reimbursement for chemotherapy costs and 70% for targeted drugs (already covered by insurance).

2. Commercial Insurance

Most expatriates in China purchase international commercial insurance (e.g., BUPA, AXA). Note: Some policies require treatment at “designated hospitals” (typically international departments of top-tier hospitals), and high-cost items like targeted drugs or immunotherapy may require prior approval. One American patient's global medical insurance, purchased through their company, covered 80% of their lung cancer immunotherapy costs.

3. Out-of-Pocket Payment

Without insurance, out-of-pocket payment is the norm. Even so, total cancer treatment costs in China remain lower than in most developed countries. For instance, the ¥180,000 total cost for the aforementioned lung cancer patient would exceed $1 million in the U.S. (where targeted drugs alone cost $12,000 monthly and are largely excluded from insurance coverage).

III. Why Does “China Pricing” Compete with Europe and the U.S.?

Two key factors:

• Drug price regulation: National healthcare negotiations combined with centralized drug procurement (“4+7” volume-based procurement) significantly reduce prices for generic drugs and certain originator drugs. For instance, the lung cancer targeted therapy erlotinib dropped from ¥12,000 per box to ¥2,000.

• Healthcare service pricing: Chinese physicians' outpatient/surgical fees are far lower than in Europe and the US (a senior physician's outpatient visit costs about ¥50 domestically, compared to over $300 in the US), but diagnostic tests and medical supplies align with international costs, balancing overall expenses.

Summary: How much does cancer treatment cost in China?

• Early-stage cancer (Stages I-II): Surgery + short-term adjuvant therapy: Total cost approx. ¥80,000–150,000 (out-of-pocket);

• Advanced-stage cancer (Stages III–IV): Comprehensive treatment (surgery + radiotherapy/chemotherapy + targeted/immunotherapy): Total cost approx. ¥200,000–500,000 (out-of-pocket; lower with insurance);

• Extreme cases (rare targets/multiple recurrences): May exceed ¥800,000, yet remain lower than the $200,000–$500,000 range in Europe and America.

For many international patients, China's cancer treatment offers not only cost-effectiveness but also accessibility—eliminating months-long waits for specialist appointments, rapid adoption of new drugs (e.g., PD-1 inhibitors approved in China in 2018, just four years after the U.S.), and mature multidisciplinary team collaboration. Of course, details like language barriers (some hospitals offer translation services) and out-of-area medical treatment registration (requires advance processing) still require attention. Overall, however, China is emerging as a “new choice for cancer treatment” for an increasing number of international patients.

(Note: Costs in this article are based on 2024 data from top-tier hospitals in China's first-tier cities. Variations of 10%-30% may occur across different regions and hospitals.)

Document dated 2025-11-03 11:09 Modify