How to choose a liver cancer doctor 2026: which specialties are involved, checking specialist registration, screening recommendations, public and private routes and test fees, insurance

Which specialty treats liver cancer?

Our analysis: based on the treatments described in the Hong Kong Cancer Strategy 2019 below, the specialties related to liver cancer are mainly General Surgery (S28), Interventional Radiology (S67), Clinical Oncology (S26) and Medical Oncology (S36); the scope of each is in the table below. Liver cancer can be diagnosed by imaging alone (for example contrast CT or MRI), and the treatment strategy depends on the stage: for patients with early disease that can be operated on, surgery is the main curative treatment, and liver transplantation can be considered for some patients; for most patients, treatment is palliative and is provided by different specialties, for example transarterial chemoembolisation, radiofrequency ablation, and drugs such as targeted therapy and immunotherapy (Hong Kong Cancer Strategy 2019, Annex One, July 2019). It is important for a multidisciplinary team to decide on management together, and capacity in oncology, diagnostic and interventional radiology, liver surgery and liver transplantation should be strengthened (Hong Kong Cancer Strategy 2019, July 2019).

Chemotherapy in the Hospital Authority is provided by clinical oncologists, medical oncologists and other specialists (Hong Kong Cancer Strategy 2019, July 2019).

Our analysis: follow-up of chronic hepatitis B or C and of cirrhosis falls within the liver diseases handled by Gastroenterology & Hepatology; 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.

I have no symptoms but want to check for liver cancer. What does Hong Kong recommend?

Routine liver cancer screening is not recommended for people without symptoms who are at average risk; people with chronic hepatitis B or C virus infection and people with cirrhosis are at higher risk and should seek a doctor's advice on regular surveillance, set out in the table below (Cancer Expert Working Group on Cancer Prevention and Screening, revised June 2025).

The screening recommendations apply only to people without symptoms (Cancer Expert Working Group on Cancer Prevention and Screening, revised June 2025). Early liver cancer usually has no symptoms; people with symptoms such as unexplained weight loss, yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes, nausea, dark urine, abdominal pain or abdominal swelling should seek medical attention as soon as possible (Hong Kong Cancer Strategy 2019, Annex One, July 2019).

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, October 2022).

Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic 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 Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery.

For what qualification abbreviations mean, see What is FHKAM?.

How do the public and private routes work?

‘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?; for cancer drug charges and subsidies, see Cancer financial support in Hong Kong.

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.

How much do liver ultrasound and CT scans cost?

Among the private hospitals and medical centres this site checked, the 10 that publish an upper abdominal ultrasound fee charge from HK$2,100 to HK$5,080 (HK dollars; fees published on institution websites as checked on 1 October 2026; pricing bases and what is included, such as the radiologist's fee, differ between institutions; confirm with the hospital); in public hospitals, ultrasound is an Intermediate item in non-emergency radiology and CT and MRI are Advanced items, at HK$250 and HK$500 per item respectively for Eligible Persons from 1 January 2026 (Hospital Authority Chief Executive, March 2025).

For each institution's fees, see Ultrasound fees compared, CT fees compared and MRI fees compared.

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 should I check when using medical insurance for a liver 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?

Which specialty on the Medical Council's Specialist Register is the doctor listed under?

Does the doctor regularly treat patients with liver 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 surgery, 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), previous test reports and images, 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