How to choose a colorectal cancer doctor 2026: which specialties are involved, colorectal surgery and specialist registration, screening recommendations, public and private routes and colonoscopy fees, insurance
To choose a colorectal cancer doctor, first check the doctor's specialty on the Medical Council's Specialist Register. Surgery alone gives a relatively high cure rate for early colorectal cancer; some need chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy before or after surgery (Hong Kong Cancer Strategy 2019, July 2019). Our analysis: the related specialties are mainly General Surgery (S28), Clinical Oncology (S26) and Medical Oncology (S36). Colorectal surgery is a subspecialty of The College of Surgeons of Hong Kong.
Which specialty treats colorectal cancer?
Our analysis: based on the treatments described in the Hong Kong Cancer Strategy 2019 below, the specialties related to colorectal cancer are mainly General Surgery (S28), Clinical Oncology (S26) and Medical Oncology (S36); the scope of each is in the table below. A considerable proportion of colorectal cancer patients can now be cured, and timely multidisciplinary management is key: for patients diagnosed early, surgery alone already gives a relatively high cure rate, and some patients need chemotherapy and/or chemoradiotherapy before or after surgery; for patients whose spread is limited, aggressive local treatment can also be considered in addition to systemic therapy (Hong Kong Cancer Strategy 2019, Annex One, July 2019).
Chemotherapy in the Hospital Authority is provided by clinical oncologists, medical oncologists and other specialists, and systemic therapy includes chemotherapy, targeted therapy, hormonal therapy and immunotherapy; since 2010-11 the Hospital Authority has run a Cancer Case Manager Programme for patients with breast or colorectal cancer to help coordinate diagnosis and treatment (Hong Kong Cancer Strategy 2019, July 2019).
Our analysis: for colonoscopy, the scope of General Surgery includes endoscopic examination and treatment, and Gastroenterology & Hepatology deals with diseases of the digestive tract (Hong Kong Academy of Medicine, Specialty Descriptions, April 2025); see How to choose a gastroenterologist.
Our analysis: ‘oncology’ in everyday use can mean either Clinical Oncology (S26) or Medical Oncology (S36); see Clinical Oncology: English name and code and Medical Oncology: English name and code.
Which specialty takes charge of an individual patient, and how the patient is treated, is decided by the treating doctor according to the patient's condition.
| Specialty (Medical Council specialty code) | College | Scope | Chinese name |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Surgery (S28) | The College of Surgeons of Hong Kong | Diseases in any part of the body that need an operation, including minimally invasive surgery and endoscopic examination and treatment; colorectal surgery is a subspecialty under General Surgery at the College | 外科 |
| Clinical Oncology (S26) | Hong Kong College of Radiologists | Cares for patients with confirmed or suspected cancer, is responsible for diagnosis and investigation, and treats cancer by methods other than surgery, such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy and biological therapy, together with palliative and psychological care | 臨床腫瘤科 |
| Medical Oncology (S36) | Hong Kong College of Physicians | A specialty of adult internal medicine; prevention, investigation and diagnosis of cancer, and the medical treatment part of multidisciplinary care | 內科腫瘤科 |
I have no symptoms but want colorectal cancer screening. What does Hong Kong recommend?
Average-risk people aged 50 to 75 without symptoms can consider one of the following screening options: a faecal occult blood test every one or two years, sigmoidoscopy every 5 years or colonoscopy every 10 years; there are separate recommendations for people at higher risk, set out in the table below (Hong Kong Cancer Expert Working Group on Cancer Prevention and Screening, confirmed June 2024).
After the 2024 review, the screening age for average-risk people was kept at 50 to 75 and not extended to 40 to 49 (Hong Kong Cancer Expert Working Group on Cancer Prevention and Screening, June 2024).
Early colorectal cancer can have no symptoms; people with symptoms such as a change in bowel habit, blood or mucus in the stool, a feeling of not having emptied the bowel after passing stool, abdominal discomfort, or unexplained weight loss and tiredness should seek medical attention early (Hong Kong Cancer Strategy 2019, Annex One, July 2019).
The Colorectal Cancer Screening Programme is for Hong Kong residents aged 50 to 75 who hold a Hong Kong Identity Card or Certificate of Exemption and are registered with eHealth; people with colorectal cancer symptoms or higher risk factors, or who have had colorectal cancer screening or examination within specified periods, are excluded, and a primary care doctor sees each prospective participant in person to assess whether they are suitable to join (Department of Health Colorectal Cancer Screening Programme, ‘Who may enrol’ page, January 2025).
Programme participants are first seen by a participating primary care doctor, who arranges a faecal immunochemical test; those with a positive result are referred to a participating colonoscopy specialist for a government-subsidised colonoscopy (Department of Health press release, March 2026).
| Applies to | Working Group's recommendation |
|---|---|
| Average-risk people in Hong Kong aged 50 to 75 without symptoms | Can consider one of the following: faecal occult blood test every one or two years; sigmoidoscopy every 5 years; colonoscopy every 10 years |
| Carriers of a Lynch syndrome gene mutation | Colonoscopy every one to two years from age 25 |
| Carriers of a familial adenomatous polyposis gene mutation | Sigmoidoscopy every two years from age 12 |
| One first-degree relative diagnosed with colorectal cancer at 60 or younger, or more than one first-degree relative diagnosed (at any age), without a hereditary bowel syndrome | Colonoscopy every 5 years from age 40, or from 10 years before the age at diagnosis of the youngest affected relative (not before 12); after understanding the benefits and risks compared with colonoscopy, a faecal immunochemical test every one or two years can also be considered |
| Family members of a patient with an identifiable gene mutation | Genetic testing can be done first, with endoscopy at specified times if the result is positive, to reduce unnecessary examinations |
How do I check a doctor's specialist registration?
On the Medical Council of Hong Kong website, the Specialist Register can be opened by specialty; searching by name shows the specialty and the specialist registration number in the specialist registration field of the doctor's record. For the steps, see How to check a doctor's registration and specialty.
A doctor must be on the Specialist Register to hold himself or herself out as a specialist, and can use only the title of the specialty in which he or she is registered (Medical Council, Code of Professional Conduct for the Guidance of Registered Medical Practitioners, section 7, revised October 2022).
Colorectal Surgery is one of the six subspecialties recognised by The College of Surgeons of Hong Kong under General Surgery; general surgeons who complete subspecialty training are awarded a Certificate of Post-Fellowship Training in Subspecialty by the College. The specialty registered on the Medical Council register is General Surgery (S28); the register has no specialty called Colorectal Surgery.
For what qualification abbreviations mean, see What is FHKAM?.
How do I get a referral to a public colorectal cancer specialist? Can I book a private specialist directly?
To book a new appointment at a Hospital Authority specialist outpatient clinic, you need a referral letter issued by a locally registered doctor within the last three months; a letter from a private doctor is also accepted. Our analysis: for a private specialist, you can ask the hospital or clinic directly how to book; if you use medical insurance, whether a referral letter or pre-approval is needed depends on the policy terms, and you can ask the insurer first.
‘Eligible Persons’ in the table mainly means holders of a Hong Kong Identity Card and children under 11 who are Hong Kong residents; for details, see Public healthcare fee reform 2026.
For the booking steps, see How to book a public specialist outpatient clinic; for a general comparison of the two routes, see Public or private specialist?.
If your condition gets worse while you wait, you can contact the specialist outpatient clinic to ask for an earlier appointment; in an emergency, go to the Accident and Emergency Department.
| Item | Public (Hospital Authority) | Private |
|---|---|---|
| How to start | You need a referral letter issued by a locally registered doctor within the last three months; a letter from a private doctor is also accepted; ‘BookHA’ can be used to book new-case appointments at specialist outpatient clinics such as surgery (Hospital Authority, January 2018); ‘BookHA’ is a feature in HA Go (Hospital Authority, December 2023) | As arranged by the hospital or clinic |
| Triage | New cases are usually first assessed by a nurse and then reviewed by a specialist, and classified as urgent, semi-urgent or stable; the Hospital Authority's target is to keep the median waiting time for urgent and semi-urgent new cases within two weeks and eight weeks respectively | As arranged by the clinic |
| Service arrangements | Most Hospital Authority cancer services (for example diagnostic radiology, pathology, endoscopy, surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and palliative care) are provided mainly in regional hospitals or cancer centres (Hong Kong Cancer Strategy 2019, July 2019) | Depends on the hospital or medical centre where the doctor practises; you can ask the hospital |
| Consultation fee | HK$250 per specialist outpatient attendance for Eligible Persons; oncology clinics, listed separately in the fee schedule, are also HK$250 per attendance (from 1 January 2026) | Ask the hospital or clinic; for what a consultation fee quote generally includes, see Private specialist fees overview |
| Medicines | HK$20 per drug item, charged in units of 4 weeks (self-financed drugs excluded) | Medicines are generally charged separately |
| Cost protection | An annual charge cap of HK$10,000 (excluding inpatient charges in special wards and self-financed drugs and devices), by application, with no means test; those in financial difficulty can apply for a medical fee waiver | Depends on your medical insurance cover; see Using medical insurance for a private specialist |
How much does a colonoscopy cost at a private hospital?
At the 11 private hospitals this site checked, diagnostic colonoscopy packages cost about HK$10,070 to HK$19,880; the median total charge for a day-case colonoscopy was about HK$9,350 to HK$31,320 (2025 bill statistics published by 7 of these hospitals). (HK dollars; fees published on institution websites as checked on 1 October 2026; confirm with the hospital.) Packages are generally for a diagnostic examination under sedation by injection without polyp removal, and most apply only to specified doctors, room classes or referral routes; some cases in the median bills include polyp removal, so they are for reference only.
For each hospital's fees, see Colonoscopy fees compared; for cancer drug charges and subsidies, see Cancer financial support in Hong Kong.
How do I compare hospitals or medical centres?
When comparing, put the same item on the same basis. Private hospitals must have a fee schedule covering all chargeable items, and patients have the right to know the charges before treatment (Department of Health, Code of Practice for Private Hospitals, July 2026).
For each private hospital's fees, see Private hospital fees.
| What to compare | How to put it on the same basis |
|---|---|
| Specialties and services | Whether doctors in the related specialties above practise at the hospital; whether services such as radiotherapy are provided in the same hospital; you can ask the hospital |
| Colonoscopy package | Whether the endoscopist's fee and the anaesthetist's fee are included; how much extra polyp removal and laboratory tests cost; which doctors, room classes or referral routes it is limited to |
| Budget estimate | Before a non-emergency procedure or admission, you can ask for a budget estimate of the service fees; the Department of Health has set out 30 common non-emergency treatments and procedures for which private hospitals can provide a budget estimate before admission |
| Insurance | Whether the hospital can bill the insurer directly; whether a referral letter or pre-approval is needed |
What should I check when using medical insurance for a colorectal cancer doctor?
Before seeing a private specialist, confirm three things with the insurer: whether the policy covers specialist outpatient visits, whether it is limited to a designated medical network, and whether a referral letter or pre-approval is needed; see Using medical insurance for a private specialist.
The Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme covers only individual indemnity hospital insurance; outpatient insurance is outside the Scheme. The Standard Plan covers up to 1 outpatient or emergency consultation before a hospital stay or day surgery, and up to 3 follow-up outpatient visits within 90 days after discharge or day surgery, which must be directly related to the illness or injury requiring the hospital stay or day surgery, at HK$580 per visit and HK$3,000 per policy year (Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme, Standard Plan policy template, July 2022).
Some insurers offer pre-approval (commonly called ‘免找數’): if both the policy and the hospital offer direct billing, you can apply to the insurer before admission and the insurer pays the hospital directly; the approved amount is an estimate, and before discharge you still pay charges not listed in the ‘letter of guarantee’, such as the deductible, co-payment and items outside the cover (Insurance Authority, January 2024); see Medical insurance pre-approval.
What should I ask before booking? What should I bring to the first visit?
Which specialty on the Medical Council's Specialist Register is the doctor listed under?
Does the doctor regularly treat patients with colorectal cancer? Will the treatment plan be discussed with other specialties?
How much is the first consultation? What tests might be needed this time, and roughly how much will they cost?
If a colonoscopy is needed, does the package include the doctor's fee and the anaesthetist's fee? How much extra is polyp removal or a tissue biopsy?
If surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy or admission is needed later, can a budget estimate of the service fees be provided first?
Is my medical insurance accepted? Is a referral letter or pre-approval needed?
What to bring: a referral letter (if any), reports and images of previous colonoscopies and other tests, and a list of the medicines you are taking; see What to prepare before a specialist appointment.
For a fuller checklist of what to ask your doctor and care team after a diagnosis, see what to ask your cancer doctor.
Vomiting blood, black stools or severe abdominal pain: when should I go to A&E straight away?
Go to A&E now, without waiting for an appointment, and call 999 if you cannot get there yourself or it gets worse, for: vomiting blood, or black or bloody stools; or abdominal pain that came on very suddenly or is severe. Hong Kong sources do not list these signs item by item; they are taken from the UK NHS (NHS, Stomach ache, May 2023).
If you feel it is an emergency for any other reason, call 999 straight away too. The situations in which this site suggests calling 999, with the source for each, are listed in Why do we suggest calling 999?.
If it is not urgent and you are not sure which specialty you need, you can see a family doctor first; which specialty to be referred to is decided by the attending doctor according to your condition.
Frequently asked questions
Who is a good colorectal cancer doctor?
What you can check yourself: which specialty the doctor is listed under on the Medical Council's Specialist Register, whether to go public or private, how much tests cost, and the questions to ask before booking. To find a doctor by specialty and district, use Book a Doctor's General Surgery (288), Clinical Oncology (68) and Medical Oncology (19, as of 25 October 2026) lists, each doctor page showing the register check date, in order of English name, not of preference. Book a Doctor does not publish patient reviews, because it is hard to verify whether an online reviewer actually saw the doctor; instead it lists what you can check yourself, such as register entries, qualifications and practice arrangements, with their sources and dates.
How common is colorectal cancer in Hong Kong?
In 2023 colorectal cancer was the third most common cancer in Hong Kong, with 5,467 new cases, 14.4% of new cancer cases; in 2024 colorectal cancer was the second leading cause of cancer death, with 2,322 deaths, 15.4% of cancer deaths (Centre for Health Protection, January 2026).
Is colorectal surgery a specialty?
Colorectal surgery is a subspecialty recognised by The College of Surgeons of Hong Kong under General Surgery, and general surgeons who complete the training are awarded a certificate by the College; the specialty registered on the Medical Council's Specialist Register is General Surgery (S28).
How much do Hospital Authority oncology clinics charge?
From 1 January 2026, Eligible Persons pay HK$250 per attendance at Hospital Authority oncology clinics, the same as at specialist outpatient clinics.
What is the difference between gastroenterology, colorectal surgery and oncology?
Gastroenterology & Hepatology deals with diseases of the digestive tract; General Surgery deals with diseases that need an operation and also performs endoscopic examination and treatment; Clinical Oncology treats cancer by methods other than surgery, such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy; and Medical Oncology is responsible for the medical treatment part of multidisciplinary care (Hong Kong Academy of Medicine, Specialty Descriptions, April 2025).
Find a doctor by district
General Surgery specialists in Hong Kong, by district →