Western cancer patients are increasingly choosing to travel to Shanghai for treatment, a stark contrast to the past when Chinese patients sought advanced medical care in the United States or Europe. With the recent approval of solid tumor CAR-T therapy, the number of global cancer patients opting for Shanghai is expected to rise.
The Wall Street Journal recently highlighted cases of New Zealand cancer patients traveling to Shanghai for treatment. One notable example is 25-year-old Michael Walters, who suffered from non-Hodgkin lymphoma. After undergoing chemotherapy and immunotherapy in New Zealand without success, he received CAR-T therapy at Shanghai Sino United Hospital and was declared in complete remission.
CAR-T therapy is a personalized treatment that involves extracting T cells from a patient's blood, genetically modifying them to target cancer cells, and then multiplying and reinfusing them back into the patient. Developed in the United States, CAR-T therapy began receiving approvals in China in 2021, and various types of CAR-T therapies for blood cancers are now available in the country.
A key reason Western cancer patients are choosing to travel to China is cost. According to the WSJ, the price for CAR-T therapy in China ranges from $150,000 to $230,000, significantly lower than the $550,000 to $850,000 required for treatment in the United States. Walters chose Shanghai after comparing treatment costs from other countries.
Additionally, a significant development has occurred: China has become the first country to approve CAR-T therapy for solid tumors. On June 22, the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) of China approved 'Satrisel,' a gastric cancer CAR-T therapy developed by the Chinese biotech company Casgen Therapeutics.
Foreign patients are already arriving for treatment. New Zealander Josh Bronkhorst sought care at the Shanghai Jiahui International Cancer Center for his gastric cancer. After his cancer progressed despite previous chemotherapy and immunotherapy, he considered treatment options in the United States and Saudi Arabia before deciding on China. Bronkhorst had his T cells harvested on July 6, underwent a three-week CAR-T manufacturing process, and completed his treatment on August 16. The entire process, from cell harvesting to manufacturing, infusion, and observation, took six weeks. He returned to New Zealand after treatment, and the hospital introduced him as the world's first international patient to receive CAR-T therapy for solid tumors.
While Walters chose China for its lower costs, Bronkhorst sought treatment there because solid tumor CAR-T therapy is only available in China. Chinese media outlets are actively highlighting this trend. Global Times recently reported on foreign cancer patients receiving treatment in China, emphasizing advancements in the country's cell therapy technology. China Daily noted a case from February where a Czech cancer patient received CAR-T therapy at Shanghai Ruijin Hospital, using the term 'reverse medical tourism' to describe the shift from Chinese patients seeking care abroad to international patients choosing China.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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