Advocacy groups want better cancer care for Hong Kongese patients

The Hong Kong Alliance of Patients' Organizations and representatives from numerous cancer concern groups have met with physicians and politicians to discuss ways of improving cancer care in the territory.

The groups argue that Hong Kong lags behind many other countries in providing cancer care, with long waits for first treatments, effective drugs and integrated medical services.

On the issue of treatment delays, Mary Wong, chairwoman of Global Chinese Breast Cancer Organizations Alliance, said: "Some women who found lumps in their breasts during self-examination had to wait for a year to a year and a half for an X-ray examination at public hospitals.”