As the population continues to age, Hong Kong will encounter considerable challenges in:  

1. Meeting the healthcare demands arising from the projected incidence of cancer and the advances and innovations in diagnostic technologies and treatment modalities, and  

1. Financing escalating costs of cancer care arising not only from the per-capita costs of cancer case, but also from new costs generated from more treatable cancers.   

Hong Kong SAR government has published a Cancer Strategy in 2019 that sets out a vision to reduce the cancer burden in the local population. Research on the financing and provision of holistic cancer care in the health system and the role of public and private financing and provision is warranted.  

The Centre for Health Systems and Policy Research has conducted a Study of Cancer Care in Hong Kong. The evidence generated could inform policy for a cancer care and control strategy in Hong Kong with a focus on prevention and in particular early detection and cancer screening. It also identifies the gaps in the current service delivery and financing system in the cancer control continuum.  Prof Yeoh, Centre Director, presented the findings at a press conference on 29 September 2022 at 12:30pm at Seasons Room, 33/F, AIA Central. For the details of the report, please click here. 

As cancer research is more advanced in recent years, there is a trend that research agencies and pharmaceutical companies conduct clinical trials with experimental drugs on existing cancer patients under doctor’s guidance. Subsequently, our research team carried out a Discrete Choice Experiment (DCE) study among adults aged 18-64 in Hong Kong, aiming to find out Hong Kong’s citizens’ preference in the usage of experimental drugs for cancer treatment, and the factors that affect their choice. Experimental drug is defined as off-label use of existing drug for cancer treatment in this study. Summary of DCE results is here.

This research was supported by funding from AIA Hong Kong, which did not participate in the design, conduct, or analysis; interpretation and reporting of the results; or writing of the report.