The appeal of healthcare in China: Why are overseas patients choosing China for CAR-T treatment?

When discussing CAR-T treatment, China stands out because of its unique advantages in this field. CAR-T technology is a very advanced and personalized type of cellular immunotherapy that has shown great outcomes in the treatment of hematological cancers like multiple myeloma (MM), lymphoma, and leukemia.

CAR-T treatment typically involves just one injection, offering convenience and long term efficiency. However, access to this treatment is limited in countries and regions like Singapore, New Zealand, Russia, India, and many Southeast Asian nations.

China, on the other hand, has made significant progress in CAR-T therapy, attracting more foreign patients seeking treatment in China. Another key factor is the significant cost advantage in China, where treatment expenses are 7–10 times lower than in the United States and waiting time is much shorter.

Hospitals in China, like Jiahui International Hospital (JIH), have professional and multidisciplinary teams (MDT) to ensure patients’ access to the best possible treatment for their cancers.

Clinical research on CAR-T in China started relatively early, leading to very rich experience in CAR-T therapy, from bench research to clinical use. At JIH, 80 percent of discharged CAR-T treatment patients are foreigners from countries such as New Zealand, Singapore, and Russia.

CAR-T therapy requires the strong and professional coordination among multiple subspecialties and hematological team due to its potential for severe adversereactions. Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) are the most common reactions.

A strong multidisciplinary team is vital to keep patients safe. The CAR-T medical team at JIH boasts comprehensive expertise and experience. It collaborates closely with its MDT members to prioritize patient safety and treatment efficacy.

Comprising experts from diverse fields such as ICU, neurology, cardiology, and pulmonology, the MDT at JIH develops personalized treatment plans tailored to each patient’s needs.

Through this collaborative effort, JIH has completed numerous CAR-T treatment cases with outstanding outcomes, resulting in shorter hospital stays compared to overseas treatments and no ICU admissions required for any patient.

Dr Vicky Lee (LI Hua), Director of Jiahui International Cancer Center (JICC) and Chief of Medical Oncology at JICC, oversees CAR-T treatment and brings 30 years of cancer treatment experience from the United States.

“We assess a foreign patient’s suitability online where patient stay at home with their treating physician and their family members. After initial remote/online consultation, we will collect all the information needed and then discuss the case at out MDT to make personalized treatment plan. If eligible, they start treatment upon arrival in Shanghai. After discharge, we provide detailed follow-up guidelines and stay in touch with their local physicians,” Dr Lee said.

Ethan, a patient from Singapore, had been struggling with illness for almost a decade. Despite exhausting all available treatment options worldwide and consulting with numerous hospitals, the prognosis remained dire, with a survival rate of less than three months. Upon arriving at JIH, the patient continued to have persistent fever and weight loss with initial weight of 88 pounds. After thorough evaluation and MDT discussion, a personalized CAR-T treatment plan was formed to ensure the treatment efficacy and patient’s safety. Four weeks post CAR-T cell infusion, her large liver mass decreased more than 2/3, not only her fever resolved and appetite improved, but the patient’s weight also began to recover and function status improved nicely.

So far, no patient experienced severe CRS, and there were no cases of ICANS reported among the patients at JIH.

Additionally, patients’ CAR-T cells duplicated well after CAR-T cell infusion. Furthermore, every patient displayed an excellent response to CAR-T therapy, with significant improvements observed shortly after infusion.

The treatment results have been in line with JIH’s expectations, with significant improvements in key indicators such as a major reduction of M spike protein, serum-free light chains, and extramedullary disease for myeloma patient, and complete resolution of lymphoma.

“The team’s professional experience and dedication played a crucial role in the success of CAR-T therapy. The CAR-T team at JIH accumulated rich experience in CAR-T therapy through professional and international standard training, and applied CAR-T therapy to patients,” Dr Lee said.