Lung cancer: what are the usual steps from diagnosis to starting treatment?

Financial support and welfare: what to do first?

A first step is to ask the treating doctor or a nurse for a referral to a medical social worker; patients and their families can also apply for medical social services directly to the medical social services unit stationed at a public hospital or specialist clinic, and health care staff at the hospital or clinic, other government departments or welfare agencies can refer a case as well (Social Welfare Department, August 2023).

Medical social workers provide counselling on the emotional, family and caregiving problems that illness brings, help patients plan their discharge, and provide financial or material assistance, for example medical fee waivers, applications for fund subsidies, and referrals for patients and their families to apply for social security allowances (Social Welfare Department, May 2023). For the help available, see Cancer financial support in Hong Kong.

Compiled by this site: when you see the doctor, you can also ask when and where the next follow-up or test will be, and which doctor or case manager to contact; the Hospital Authority has cancer case managers who coordinate the diagnosis and treatment process for cancer patients (government paper submitted to the Legislative Council, July 2025). If you are thinking of moving hospitals or seeing another doctor, you can get the referral letter, test reports and images together first; for the documents needed, see Moving from public to private, or private to public.

What are the usual steps for lung cancer from diagnosis to starting treatment?

Compiled by this site: based on the sources in the table below, the general steps for lung cancer from first finding a problem to starting treatment are as follows; the order of the steps and the time they take vary from person to person.

The order of tests and treatment for an individual patient is decided by the treating doctor according to the patient's condition.

Why does lung cancer need a multidisciplinary team?

Most lung cancer patients in Hong Kong at the time were followed up throughout their treatment by Hospital Authority departments such as clinical oncology, cardiothoracic surgery, respiratory medicine, medical oncology and palliative care, with support from pathology, radiology and allied health professionals; the timely introduction of advanced diagnostic technology, cost-effective anti-cancer treatment, and coordinated, multidisciplinary care are important for lung cancer patients (Hong Kong Cancer Strategy 2019, Annex One, July 2019). The Hospital Authority's cancer case manager service at that time covered only breast cancer and colorectal cancer (Hong Kong Cancer Strategy 2019, July 2019); the Hospital Authority has piloted a multidisciplinary team diagnostic service for patients with suspected lung cancer in the Kowloon West Cluster, with extension to the Hong Kong West and New Territories East Clusters in 2025-26 (Government paper to the Legislative Council, July 2025).

The Hospital Authority has multidisciplinary team clinics or meetings for some cancer types; Hospital Authority cancer services will take a patient-centred multidisciplinary team approach, with teams of doctors, nurses, medical social workers, clinical psychologists, radiation therapists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, dietitians and other professionals caring for the social and psychological needs of patients and their families (Hong Kong Cancer Strategy 2019, July 2019).

Which specialties are involved? How do I look up fees and financial support?

For the specialties related to lung cancer, see How to choose a lung cancer doctor; for the difference between Clinical Oncology and Medical Oncology, see What is the difference between Clinical Oncology and Medical Oncology?.

For CT and PET scan fees, see CT fees compared and PET-CT fees compared; for public, private and financial support compared, see Cancer treatment costs in Hong Kong.

What can I ask the doctor?

Compiled by this site: examples of questions you can ask: What type of cancer has been diagnosed, and what stage is it? Which tests are needed next, and who will arrange them? Will the treatment plan be discussed by several specialties together? Which doctor or case manager will be my contact? What will it cost, and what financial support is available?

For how a family member can help at appointments, see What to prepare for a first doctor's visit; for the documents needed to transfer between hospitals, see Moving from public to private, or private to public; for a second opinion, see How to prepare for a second opinion.

For a fuller checklist of what to ask your doctor and care team after a diagnosis, see what to ask your cancer doctor.

Frequently asked questions