Author Bowtie Team
Updated on 2025-06-11
Disclaimer: This article is translated with the assistance of AI.
Shocked by the stats? Nearly 200,000 Hong Kongers face cancer before they reach 45—dive into the real costs of treating the top 5 cancers and smart ways insurance can safeguard your future!
No Smoking or Drinking Means No Cancer? Cancer Rates Might Be Higher Than You Think!
According to the latest Hong Kong government cancer resources report, over 200,000 Hong Kong people will develop cancer before age 45 1 , and out of every 10 Hong Kong deaths, 3 are due to cancer 2 , highlighting that cancer’s “lethality” shouldn’t be underestimated.
Recent studies from various Taiwanese medical schools also show that cancer recurrence rates remain high, with breast cancer, lung cancer, and pancreatic cancer having recurrence rates as high as 80% 3 !
5 Major Cancer Treatments And Costs
Cancer treatment methods can be divided into surgical treatment and non-surgical treatments (including Chemotherapy , Radiotherapy , Immunotherapy , and Targeted Therapy ), with doctors tailoring the treatment plan based on the patient’s condition and tumor spread.
No doubt, as medical advancements continue, more effective cancer treatments are available today, but many come with “sky-high” costs. According to a study, monthly targeted drugs for lung cancer can cost up to HK$50,000 4 ; for colorectal cancer, the median total treatment cost in the private sector reaches HK$1.3 million 5 , leading nearly 20% of respondents to abandon treatment due to unaffordable medical expenses 5 .
Even if you opt for public hospitals, some targeted drugs are charged at cost, and unless you qualify for financial assistance, don’t expect subsidies for cancer treatment costs.
Here’s a quick rundown of the treatment costs for 5 major cancers for your reference:
1. Lung Cancer
| Item | Treatment Cost |
| Tissue Pathology Test | HK$3,860 |
| Thoracoscopic Sympathectomy | HK$60,100 |
| Thoracoscopic Lobectomy* | HK$136,050 |
| Chemotherapy | HK$70,000 |
| 6-Day Hospitalization Cost | HK$6,300 |
| Total Expense | 💰HK$276,310 |
*Costs referenced from Hong Kong Union Hospital
If additional treatments are needed, here are some reference costs:
| Item | Treatment Cost |
| Immunotherapy | Up to HK$1,100,000 |
| Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (1 – 5 sessions) | HK$48,000 to HK$74,000 |
| Radiation Therapy (10 – 30 sessions) | HK$25,000 to HK$151,000 |
*Costs referenced from Union Oncology Center
2. Colorectal Cancer
| Item | Treatment Cost |
| Colonoscopy | HK$4,550 |
| Laparoscopic Colectomy | HK$267,189 |
| 6-day Hospitalization Fee | HK$6,300 |
| Total Cost | 💰HK$278,039 |
* Fees based on St. Paul’s Hospital, including all costs before and after surgery
3. Breast Cancer
| Item | Treatment Cost |
| X-ray and Ultrasound Examination | HK$2,250 |
| Mastectomy | HK$172,570 |
| 6-day Hospitalization Fee | HK$6,300 |
| Total Cost | 💰HK$181,120 |
* Fees based on Hong Kong Adventist Hospital, including all costs before and after surgery
4. Prostate Cancer
| Item | Treatment Cost |
| Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) Test 6 | HK$1,780 |
| Robotic-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy | HK$ 299,700 |
| 6-day Hospitalization Fee | HK$6,300 |
| Total Cost | 💰HK$207,780 |
* Fees based on Hong Kong Adventist Hospital, including all related costs before and after surgery
5. Liver Cancer
| Item | Treatment Cost |
| Upper Abdomen Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) | HK$9,340 |
| Upper Abdomen Computed Tomography (CT) | HK$5,350 |
| Partial Hepatectomy | HK$282,700 |
| 6-day Hospitalization Fee | HK$6,300 |
| Total Cost | 💰HK$303,690 |
* The above references The Chinese University of Hong Kong, including all related costs before and after surgery
Besides Medical Expenses, How To Cope With The Heavy Living Costs?
Many people only realize when they’re unfortunately diagnosed with cancer that high medical costs are just one of the challenges.
If you’re the main breadwinner in your family, stopping work to recover and losing income means ongoing living expenses don’t stop—they keep coming. You still have to pay the mortgage, support your parents, and take care of your spouse and kids. Even if you have company health insurance, it might not cover the full financial strain when your income halts.
| Item | Estimated 3-Year Expenses |
| Traditional Chinese Medicine Conditioning 7 | HK$17,000 |
| Mortgage Payments 8 | HK$675,000 |
| Children’s Tuition Fees 9 | HK$126,000 |
| Supporting Parents 10 | HK$330,000 |
| Total Estimated Expenses | Over HK$1.1 million |
In this critical time when you need funds the most, a Term CI policy can really come through for you. Bowtie Term CI provides a lump-sum payout of up to HK$4 million if you’re diagnosed with cancer, with no restrictions on how you use it. This way, you and your family won’t have to worry about money, allowing you to focus on recovery without passing on the financial burden to your loved ones.
Seeing that many term critical illness policies out there only pay out once or don’t cover cancer recurrence, Bowtie Term CI Multiple Cover offers a total of five payouts for cancer and other critical illnesses, with each payout at 100% of the insured amount. This helps fill in the protection gaps, assisting clients in dealing with the rising risks of early-onset and recurring critical illnesses.
- 1 Based on data from the Hospital Authority Hong Kong Cancer Registry website [accessed in June 2023], calculated using their provided “cumulative risk” formula
- 2 Based on data from the Hospital Authority Hong Kong Cancer Registry website [accessed in June 2023], calculated using their provided “cumulative risk” formula
- 3 “Kao Chin Su-mei takes a month off for lung surgery! 4 major cancers that are prone to recurrence, with return rates as high as 80%”, Good Morning Health, 2020
- 4 “Topick Targeted Drug Costs $50,000 Per Month – Mok Shu-kin: Patients’ Savings Wiped Out in One Go”, Hong Kong Economic Journal, 2017
- 5 Based on “Bowtie Cancer Medical Insurance Plan – Cancer Fighter 300”, compared to similar cancer medical insurance plans from three major insurers in the market (with a lifetime coverage of $3 million each) for non-smoking males and females aged 0, 20, 30, and 50. Please note that the coverage scope varies for each cancer medical insurance plan, so refer to the details from each insurer for more information.
- 6 “Prostate Check: At What Age Should Men Start Regular Screenings? How Much Does It Cost?”, Bowtie, 2021
- 7 Based on Bowtie’s real client claims data, the total traditional Chinese medicine treatment expenses for breast cancer claims amounted to HK$17,325.
- 8 Based on the Economist Intelligence Unit’s “Worldwide Cost of Living 2020” survey, the cost for a non-urban unit in Hong Kong is HK$157,967 per square meter. This example assumes the policyholder’s residence is 40 square meters, so the unit purchase price is HK$6,318,680, with the mortgage balance assumed at 70% of the property value, i.e., HK$4,423,076 (approximately HK$4.5 million), over a 20-year term, with average annual public expenses of HK$225,000, and 3 years of payments totaling HK$675,000.
- 9 Based on the annual tuition fee for government-funded bachelor’s degree programs at HK$42,100 per year, for a 3-year cancer treatment period totaling HK$126,300, applicable only to applicants for local bachelor’s degree programs.
- 10 Based on the Census and Statistics Department’s 2014/15 Household Expenditure Survey, the average monthly expenditure per person in Hong Kong is HK$9,253. This example assumes 36 months of living expenses, meaning each dependent would need HK$333,000.
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