The Expert Guide to Oncologists in Hong Kong

Cancer is the number one cause of death in Hong Kong, and there is a growing need for specialised doctors (oncologists). Healthy Matters brings you a practical and expert guide to finding oncologists in Hong Kong, including costs and insurance cover.

What is an Oncologist?

An oncologist is a doctor who treats and gives medical care to patients with cancer. Oncologists conduct necessary exams, tests, and diagnosis, inform patients about the different types of cancers, treatments and their implications, treat patients and help them manage side effects.

There are generally four major types of oncologists in Hong Kong:

• Clinical oncologist: the most common type of oncologist in Hong Kong. Clinical oncologists use a balance of radiotherapy and chemotherapy to treat patients without surgery.
• Medical oncologist: mainly uses non-radiological treatments for cancer, such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy and targeted therapy.
• Gynecologic Oncologist: treats gynecologic cancer such as uterine, ovarian and cervical cancer.
• Haematologist-Oncologist: diagnoses and treats blood cancer such as leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma.

A cancer care team usually consists of the following people:

• Pathologist: reads and examine laboratory tests.
• Diagnostic radiologist: doctor who specialises in diagnosing and treating cancer using medical imaging techniques such as MRI.
• Oncology nurse: nurses that care for people who are diagnosed with cancer.
• Oncology social worker: social worker focusing on helping patients manage the stress that comes with cancer.

There are more than 200 registered oncologists in Hong Kong, working both in the private and public sectors. Here is the official list of registered oncologists in Hong Kong according to their specialities from the Medical Council here.

• Gynaecological Oncology (4)
• Medical Oncology (41)
• Clinical Oncology (165)
• Haematology & Haematological Oncology (57)

According to the Hospital Authority, it takes 9 years to be fully registered as a clinical oncologist. The training is separated into 3 parts, basic specialist training of 4 years, 3 years of full-time training in an accredited oncology training centre, and another 2 years of higher specialist training.

PRIVATE SECTOR – Private Market Rates

In Hong Kong and as is the case with other doctors, the cost of a consultation with an oncologist varies greatly, depending on the location and facilities needed. Our research shows that consultations in the private sector range from $800 to $2,500 for the initial consultation.

PUBLIC SECTOR – HA fees and charges

For eligible HKID-holders, a day procedure and treatment cost $96 per attendance

For non-eligible people, the price of a day procedure and treatment at a public oncologist clinic is $895 per attendance.

Beware of waiting times which can be very long in the public sector.

Please enquire at your clinic of choice for the specific costs.

* All amounts are in HKD. No responsibility is accepted for any inaccuracies, errors, or omissions. It is always best to call ahead to make sure the information is still up-to-date.

To make it easier for you, here is a list of Hong Kong oncology clinics and oncologists:

Oncologists in the public sector:

Here is the list of public centers providing Oncologist services throughout Hong Kong.

Oncologists in the private sector:

You can search for Oncologists according to their locations here.

You can search for Clinical Oncologists according to their locations here.

You can search for Gynaecological Oncologists according to their locations here.

You can search for Haematological Oncologists according to their locations and languages here.

According to Alea, oncologists consultations are reimbursed under doctor specialist fees. Generally, high-end medical plans will reimburse oncologist consultation and surgical fees in full without any sub-limit whereas local plans usually have surgical and doctor specialist limits. 

If you have any health insurance questions, contact an expert at Alea at [email protected].