Proton and Heavy-Ion Therapy Cost in China

Quick Summary

There is no verified current public price for an international patient's full proton or heavy-ion course in China. People's Daily reported an average ¥278,000 at the Shanghai Proton and Heavy Ion Center (SPHIC) in May 2015. That historical figure cannot tell you what you would pay now or what a present-day quote includes. We do not have a like-for-like, source-backed US comparison from the same date and scope, so a savings percentage would be misleading.

Return to the proton and heavy-ion therapy overview before comparing centers.

Cost Breakdown

Component	Who charges it	Public figure	Source and date
SPHIC particle-therapy course	Treating center	Average ¥278,000 in 2015 only; present price and inclusions unverified	People's Daily report, 27 May 2015
First consultation and case review	Center or its clinic	Not publicly available for the planned international route — ask for a written estimate	No current center tariff verified, 30 Oct 2026
Planning scans, simulation and other imaging	Center and imaging department	Not publicly available — ask whether the course quote includes them	No current itemized tariff verified, 30 Oct 2026
Admission, room, nursing and medicines	Treating center	Not publicly available — ask about room class and days covered	No current itemized tariff verified, 30 Oct 2026
Further tests or services outside the course	Relevant hospital department	Not publicly available — ask which changes trigger a revised quote	No current itemized tariff verified, 30 Oct 2026

The historical SPHIC report says patients paid for treatment themselves rather than through China's national health insurance. It does not establish your international insurer's benefits or today's billing rules. Do not add the table rows to the historical average: we do not know which items were included in it.

International Department vs General Clinic

An international service may arrange English-language contact, scheduling or direct-billing support; a general clinic may follow another registration and billing route. We have no verified SPHIC tariff comparing those routes. The China hospital costs guide documents a consultation-price difference at a different hospital, but that is not a particle-therapy price comparison. Ask the center which department will bill you and whether coordination services have separate charges.

What Is Not Included

Budget separately for translation or interpretation, accommodation near the center, daily transport, companion costs, visa fees and post-treatment follow-up at home. Published treatment figures do not establish those amounts. Ask whether an admission deposit, medicines, repeat imaging or an extended stay would be outside the quote. See the stay and visa plan before committing to flights.

How to Get a Written Estimate

Ask the treating center's international department to identify the proposed treatment route, quoted currency, validity date, included sessions and planning work, room category, tests, medicines, deposits, payment schedule, refund terms and the circumstances that would change the price. Ask for the center's own estimate after it has reviewed your case; Medvoyal cannot determine the treatment plan or price. Our hospital-cost guide explains how to compare quotes without turning a published example into an offer.

The Guangzhou Concord Cancer Center profile is one published oncology-center profile; its listed proton service does not provide a public treatment price or establish that it is appropriate for your case.

Insurance and Payment

Send the center's itemized proposal to your insurer and request a written answer about the exact center, department and treatment. Confirm prior authorization, exclusions, direct billing, deposits and what remains payable by you. International insurance in China explains the questions; paying without a Chinese bank account covers payment preparation. Neither guide guarantees coverage or card acceptance.