How to choose a pancreatic cancer doctor 2026: the specialties involved, hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery and specialist registration, screening recommendations, public and private routes, insurance

Which specialty should I see for pancreatic cancer?

Compiled by this site: based on the treatments described by the Government's Cancer Online Resource Hub below, the specialties related to pancreatic cancer are mainly General Surgery (S28), Clinical Oncology (S26), Medical Oncology (S36) and Palliative Medicine (S47); the scope of each is in the table below. Removing pancreatic cancer completely currently relies mainly on surgery to remove the tumour, but not every patient is suitable, for example when the cancer has spread beyond the pancreas or widely affects the lymph nodes and major blood vessels; other treatments include radiotherapy and targeted therapy; when the cancer has spread widely, the first aim of treatment is to relieve symptoms and maintain quality of life, for example by placing a stent in the bile duct, drainage surgery and pain management (Cancer Online Resource Hub, April 2026).

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

Compiled by this site: ‘oncology’ in everyday speech can mean 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 condition.

I have no symptoms but want to check for pancreatic cancer. What do the Hong Kong recommendations say?

Pancreatic cancer screening is not recommended for people with no symptoms who are at average risk; people at significantly higher risk can consult a doctor for individual assessment (Hong Kong Cancer Expert Working Group on Cancer Prevention and Screening, June 2022); details are in the table below.

The screening recommendations apply only to people without symptoms (Hong Kong Cancer Expert Working Group on Cancer Prevention and Screening, June 2022).

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 to show its list of doctors; a search by name shows the specialty and 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.

Doctors can present themselves as specialists only if they are on the Specialist Register, and can use only the title of the specialty in which they are registered (Medical Council Code of Professional Conduct, section 7, October 2022).

Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery is one of the six subspecialties that The College of Surgeons of Hong Kong recognises under General Surgery; general surgeons who complete subspecialty training receive a post-specialty training certificate from the College. The specialty registered on the Medical Council's register is General Surgery (S28); the register has no specialty of hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery.

For what qualification abbreviations mean, see what FHKAM means.

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 the 2026 public healthcare fee reform.

For booking steps, see how to book a public specialist outpatient clinic; for a general comparison of the two routes, see public or private for a specialist; for cancer drug charges and subsidies, see cancer financial support in Hong Kong.

If the condition gets worse while waiting, you can contact the specialist outpatient clinic and ask for an earlier appointment; in an emergency, go to Accident & Emergency.

How do I compare hospitals and medical centres?

When comparing, look at the same item on the same basis. Private hospitals must keep 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 pancreatic 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 is the doctor listed under on the Medical Council's Specialist Register?

Does the doctor regularly treat patients with pancreatic 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 a hospital stay is needed later, can you give a budget estimate first?

Do you accept my medical insurance, and is a referral letter or pre-approval needed?

What to bring: the referral letter (if any), previous test reports and images, and a list of the medicines you are taking; see what to prepare before seeing a specialist.

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