Medical Oncology Department

Scope of practice

A department of this type in China usually covers:

• Diagnostic work-up, staging and multidisciplinary case review
• Chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy
• Molecular and genetic testing to guide treatment selection
• Participation in clinical research where eligible and available
• Supportive and palliative care planning

Specialist disciplines involved

Care is normally coordinated across several disciplines:

How care is usually arranged

• • Initial review of your reports and imaging, usually before travel
• • An outpatient appointment after arrival, with any further tests ordered there
• • A written treatment plan and cost estimate issued by the hospital
• • Treatment scheduled only after the plan and estimate are agreed

Our position

• • We cannot independently verify a named clinician's current post, credentials, registration or availability.
• • Individual physicians move between hospitals and departments, so a named profile goes out of date quickly and without warning.
• • In China, specific procedures are frequently performed by a team rather than a single named surgeon.
• • Publishing an unverified name against a real hospital can mislead patients and unfairly characterise the clinician.

How to verify before you commit

• • Ask the hospital's international department who will be responsible for your case, in writing.
• • Ask for the treating physician's full name, title and registration details directly from the hospital.
• • Ask how many procedures of your type the team performs each year.
• • Ask what happens if the physician you were assigned to is unavailable on your dates.
• • Treat any profile you cannot confirm with the hospital itself as unverified.