Cancer care in China
Patients abroad can ask about second opinions, CAR-T therapy and cancer treatments approved in China. WELLIN helps arrange records review and specialist access; hospitals decide suitability and treatment. Start with an enquiry about the diagnosis and the patient’s country.
Who usually contacts us
- Patients with lymphoma, leukaemia or multiple myeloma who have relapsed after standard treatment and are asking about CAR-T therapy
- Patients with advanced stomach cancer asking about the solid-tumour CAR-T therapy approved in China in 2026
- Families who want a second opinion from a specialist in China before deciding on surgery or another line of treatment
- Patients facing long waits or high costs for treatment at home
What we do, and what we don't
We organise your records, find the right department, get a written answer from the hospital, and arrange the appointment, travel and stay.
We do not diagnose, recommend a treatment or promise a result. The hospital's doctors decide whether a treatment is suitable, and they may say it is not.
Second opinions
A specialist reviews the records you already have and provides a written or video opinion. Complex cases can be considered for a multidisciplinary team (MDT) review. Remote specialist consultations / MDT start from US$300, including the hospital consultation fee and WELLIN professional service fee. An itemised breakdown is provided before payment. If you sign an agreement for treatment services, the WELLIN professional service fee portion is credited in full against the professional service fee for treatment. The hospital consultation fee is not credited.
We help organise the pathology, scans and treatment history, explain what the hospital needs, and stay in touch about its answer. Read about second opinions.
CAR-T therapy
What CAR-T therapy is
Doctors collect the patient's T cells from the blood. A laboratory modifies the cells so that they can recognise the cancer, grows them, and the hospital infuses them back into the patient. It is usually considered after other treatments have not worked.
What it is approved for in China
CAR-T products approved in China cover certain types of large B-cell lymphoma, B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and multiple myeloma, each for patients who meet specific conditions, usually after earlier lines of treatment. For example:
- Relmacabtagene autoleucel was approved in 2021 for adults with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma (JW Therapeutics announcement).
- Zevorcabtagene autoleucel was approved in 2024 for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma after at least three earlier lines of treatment (CARsgen Therapeutics, 2026 interim results).
Whether a patient qualifies depends on the diagnosis, earlier treatment, current condition and test results. Only the treating hospital can decide.
How the process usually runs
- The hospital reviews your records remotely and says whether an in-person assessment makes sense.
- The patient travels to China for assessment and tests.
- If the hospital accepts the patient, it collects the T cells. Manufacturing takes some weeks.
- The patient receives the infusion and stays near the hospital for monitoring.
- Follow-up continues at home, with results shared between the hospital and the home doctor.
The whole stay is often several weeks or longer. The hospital gives the expected timetable for each case.
What it costs
Reported prices for CAR-T therapy in China range from about US$150,000 to US$230,000, compared with US$550,000 to US$850,000 in the United States (Becker's Hospital Review, reporting The Wall Street Journal, September 2026). The hospital's written quote for your case is the figure that counts. Travel, accommodation and a companion's costs come on top.
Our support for a treatment case is quoted per case and agreed in writing before you pay. See fees.
Questions to ask before you travel
- Which product would be used, and is it an approved product or part of a clinical trial?
- What tests are needed to confirm eligibility, and can any be done before travel?
- What does the quote include, and what happens to the cost if there are complications?
- How long should the patient expect to stay in China?
- Who handles follow-up after the patient goes home?
New cancer treatments approved in China
The first CAR-T therapy for a solid tumour
On 22 June 2026, China's National Medical Products Administration approved satricabtagene autoleucel (brand name Kailimei), developed by CARsgen Therapeutics in Shanghai. It is described as the first CAR-T cell therapy approved anywhere for a solid tumour.
It is approved for adults with advanced gastric or gastro-oesophageal junction adenocarcinoma that is Claudin18.2-positive and HER2-negative, after at least two earlier lines of treatment have failed. Sources: The Paper, 22 June 2026; CARsgen Therapeutics, 2026 interim results.
A patient needs a Claudin18.2 test on tumour tissue before a hospital can consider this treatment. If the test has not been done, ask your doctor whether it can be done at home first.
Other medicines approved in China first
Some targeted drugs, immunotherapies and antibody-drug conjugates are approved in China before they reach other markets. Approval is always for a specific diagnosis and situation, so a drug being available in China does not mean it suits a particular patient.
If you have a specific medicine in mind, tell us its name and the patient's diagnosis. We will ask a hospital whether it is approved and appropriate for that situation, and what it would cost.
Clinical trials
Some patients ask about trials. Trials have strict entry rules, and many accept only patients who live in China. We can ask, but we cannot arrange a place on a trial.
After treatment
A medicine approved in China may not be available in your home country. Before starting, ask how the patient will continue treatment and follow-up after going home, and whether the medicine can legally be taken back.
Records to prepare
A hospital cannot give a useful answer without these. Send what you have; we will tell you what is missing.
- The pathology report that confirms the diagnosis, including any gene or marker tests
- Recent scans: the reports and, if possible, the image files (CT, MRI or PET-CT)
- A summary of every treatment so far, with dates and how the cancer responded
- Recent blood tests
- A list of current medicines
- The patient's passport details, needed later for the hospital letter and visa
Please do not send medical records through the website form. Contact us first and we will tell you how to share them securely.
Professional service fees and travel
The WELLIN professional service fee for treatment services is quoted in writing after records review. Hospital treatment costs are paid directly to the hospital.
We help you obtain the hospital's invitation letter. Visa decisions are made by the Chinese embassy or consulate. Flights, hotels and visa application services are arranged through licensed travel and visa partners.
Frequently asked questions
Is the first consultation free?
Yes. Registration, a first look at existing records, a preliminary pathway and cost range are free. Do not submit medical records through the website form.
What does a remote specialist consultation cost?
Remote specialist consultations / MDT start from US$300, including the hospital consultation fee and WELLIN professional service fee. An itemised breakdown is provided before payment. If you sign an agreement for treatment services, the WELLIN professional service fee portion is credited in full against the professional service fee for treatment. The hospital consultation fee is not credited.
How are treatment fees paid?
The WELLIN professional service fee for treatment services is quoted in writing after records review. Hospital treatment costs are paid directly to the hospital.
Can WELLIN decide on treatment?
No. WELLIN is not a hospital and does not diagnose or treat. Licensed physicians and hospitals make medical decisions.
Ask about a cancer case
The first look at your records and a preliminary pathway and cost range are free. Hospital names are not disclosed at this stage.
Start an enquiry