SBRT (stereotactic radiotherapy) in China

Indicative band¥40k–80k / courseindicative

Drawn from provincial schedules and institutions' published lists. Not a quote.

Typical stay1–2 weeks, outpatient

Your case can differ; the treating team sets the real schedule.

Decided byThe treating institution

Eligibility, technique and price are theirs to state. We translate and coordinate.

1. What SBRT is

SBRT delivers a small number of high-dose, image-guided fractions to a well-defined target. Courses are short, usually one to five sessions.

Because each fraction carries a high dose, the margin for positioning error is tiny; immobilisation and image guidance at every session are what you are paying for.

2. Who it is typically considered for

Typically considered for small, well-circumscribed primary tumours or a limited number of metastases. Eligibility is an imaging and staging question the treating team answers.

3. How the process usually runs

01Step 1Records and imaging review 02Step 2Planning scan and immobilisation 03Step 3One to five treatment sessions 04Step 4Response assessed on follow-up imaging

4. What sits inside, and outside, the institution's bill

Typically inside the bill

The planning, sessions and the treating team
Routine on-treatment reviews
Standard imaging or tests bundled by the centre's published list

Usually billed separately

Flights, hotel and daily costs
Our translation, interpretation and coordination fees, published separately
Treatment of complications beyond the routine course
A companion's costs

What moves the total

Number of fractions
Imaging guidance used
Whether systemic therapy runs alongside, billed separately

You contract with the institution directly and pay it directly. We add nothing to its bill and never handle payments owed to it.

5. Recovery and follow-up

01Step 1Most people return to normal activity immediately between and after sessions 02Step 2Site-specific effects, such as cough or local soreness, are reviewed by the team 03Step 3Response imaging is scheduled weeks to months later

6. Common questions

How is this different from proton therapy?

SBRT uses conventional X-ray beams from many angles in few, high-dose sessions. It is far more widely available and much cheaper; the indication decides which fits.

Is one session enough?

Sometimes. One to five fractions is the usual range; your plan's fraction count is set by the tumour's size and site.

Can I fly home right after?

Often yes, subject to the team's review; there is no incision to heal.

Is the price per fraction?

Centres differ. Ask whether the figure quoted covers the whole course, planning included, in writing.

7. What to ask the institution

How many fractions is my plan?
Is the price per fraction or per course?
What follow-up imaging is expected, and where?

Our part, and its limits

We translate your records in full, correspond with institutions in Chinese, and interpret on site, at the rates published on the fees page. We do not give medical advice, do not recommend one institution over another, and never handle payments owed to any hospital. Whether this procedure is right for you is a question only the treating physicians can answer. Nothing on this page is medical advice, and no outcome is implied or promised.

Before any of this, the records

A rehabilitation plan can only be written by an institution that has read your case accurately. That is where the work starts.

Read: preparing your records →