China is emerging as a medical tourism destination offering cutting-edge CAR-T cell therapy that can be faster, cheaper and more accessible than many Western countries.
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For years, Asian medical tourism has been associated with destinations such as Thailand and South Korea.
But a growing number of patients are now travelling to China for advanced cancer treatment, often at a fraction of the cost than in their home countries.
China is rapidly developing new CAR-T cell therapies, a type of treatment that involves modifying a patient’s immune cells to find and attack cancer cells more effectively.
Originally developed in the United States, the therapy has primarily been used for blood cancers that return despite frontline treatments like chemotherapy.
China now leads the world in the number of CAR T-cell clinical trials and its biotech companies have developed ways to rapidly speed up the process.
In this episode of Asia Specific, host Mariko Oi speaks to Amanda Harvey, an Australian patient and doctor who travelled to Shanghai for CAR-T therapy after several rounds of chemotherapy treatment for multiple myeloma.
Mariko is also joined by Bloomberg Health reporter Karoline Kan, who has been reporting on China's growing reputation for advanced medical care to discuss how China became a leader in CAR-T therapy, why treatment can be much cheaper, and whether China could become a major medical tourism hub in the years ahead.
This podcast discusses cancer treatment and patient experiences and is for information only. It should not be considered medical advice. If you have concerns about your health or treatment options, please seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional.
00:00 Introduction
01:20 Why go to China for multiple myeloma treatment
01:57 What is CAR T-cell therapy?
02:47 Why choose China for CAR T-cell treatment?
03:39 Cancer treatment in China
05:42 The cost difference between China and Western countries
06:43 Why China's treatment is faster
07:19 What's the efficacy rates for CAR T-cell therapy?
08:19 Why CAR T-cell treatment isn't used earlier in treatment
09:15 Could China become a medical tourism destination?
09:55 Differences between healthcare experience in China and the West
11:02 Why CAR T-cell therapy isn't a frontline treatment
12:40 How did China become a leader for cancer treatment
14:23 What treatments do foreigners seek in China?
15:00 China's fast development in CAR T-cell treatment
15:55 What drives the costs lower?
17:23 Why China has so many clinical trials
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