Clifford Hospital
Guangzhou's largest integrative medicine hospital and the first hospital in China accredited by JCI, recognised as the world's only JCI-accredited hospital combining Traditional Chinese Medicine, Western Medicine and Natural Medicine, with a dedicated Oncology Cancer Center for hyperthermia-led integrative cancer care, hosting patients from over 120 countries and contracted with 39 international insurance providers.
About Clifford Hospital
Clifford Hospital (祈福医院, Qí fú yīyuàn), formally known in Chinese administrative records as Guangdong Qifu Hospital, is a large-scale comprehensive tertiary hospital located in Panyu District of Guangzhou. It was founded in 2001 by Professor Peng Lioji, a Hong Kong-based patriotic entrepreneur, philanthropist, member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and chairman of the Clifford Group in Hong Kong, who envisioned a hospital that would meet international standards while preserving and integrating Traditional Chinese Medicine into modern clinical practice. The hospital's original construction represented an investment of more than RMB 1 billion (approximately US$125 million), and a Phase II expansion completed in October 2017 added a further RMB 2 billion in investment along with 1,500 new inpatient beds, bringing the total capacity to approximately 2,100 beds across a built-up area of nearly 300,000 square metres.
In December 2003, Clifford Hospital became the first hospital in the People's Republic of China to receive Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation, and has since been successfully re-accredited multiple times. The hospital is uniquely recognised as the only integrative medicine hospital in the world to hold JCI accreditation, reflecting its distinctive integration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Western Medicine and Natural Medicine within an internationally validated quality and patient-safety framework. Clifford Hospital has also passed China's national Grade 3A reviews, both as a Traditional Chinese Medicine hospital (in 2008 and 2014) and as a Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine (in 2021). The institution is a national GCP clinical trial base, a Guangdong Provincial General Higher Medical Education Teaching Hospital, a Guangdong Provincial Famous Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and a designated medical institution for the 'Hong Kong and Macao Medical and Device Communication' programme in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
Clifford Hospital operates more than 40 clinical and technical departments spanning the full spectrum of secondary and tertiary care, including a dedicated Oncology Cancer Center, cardiology, neurology, endocrinology, gastroenterology and hepatology, respiratory medicine, nephrology, gynecology and obstetrics, pediatrics, general surgery, orthopedics, cardiothoracic surgery, urology, neurosurgery, colorectal surgery, ENT, ophthalmology, an Emergency Center, ICU, and a dedicated Hyperthermia Center and Medical Ozone Center. The Oncology Cancer Center is one of the hospital's flagship programmes and is internationally recognised for its work in clinical hyperthermia in cancer care, with leadership that has twice held the Presidency of the International Clinical Hyperthermia Society. The cancer centre's treatment platform integrates conventional surgical oncology (including Da Vinci robotic surgery, hepatectomy, pancreatoduodenectomy, radical nephrectomy and colorectal resection), interventional modalities (HIFU knife, Gamma Knife, particle implantation, cryoablation therapy, photodynamic therapy and digital subtraction angiography), advanced hyperthermia (whole-body, local-regional, in-field and German ozone-based thermotherapy), Traditional Chinese Medicine formulas developed in-house and complementary modalities including chelation therapy, clinical nutrition and ozone therapy.
Clifford Hospital serves patients from more than 120 countries and regions and is recognised by 39 well-known international insurance companies. Its English-language enquiry desk, foreign-related designated medical institution status and integrated Greater Bay Area positioning make it one of the more accessible international-patient pathways in southern China. CancerFax works with families specifically interested in Clifford Hospital's integrative oncology approach, including patients who want to combine evidence-based conventional cancer care with TCM, hyperthermia or other complementary modalities under a single internationally accredited roof. We help review records before submission, set realistic expectations about what integrative oncology can and cannot achieve for each diagnosis, and coordinate cross-border travel, visa support, accommodation and translation. Where the clinical situation calls for a primarily Western-medicine treatment plan or for advanced therapies not currently offered at Clifford (such as commercial CAR T-cell therapy or proton beam radiotherapy), we will say so openly and help compare options at other leading cancer centres in China and internationally.
| Hospital at a Glance | |
|---|---|
| Country | China |
| City | Guangzhou, Panyu District (Greater Bay Area) |
| Established | 2001 (Phase II expansion opened October 2017) |
| Hospital Type | Private Comprehensive Tertiary Hospital · Integrative TCM + Western + Natural Medicine |
| Accreditation | First JCI-accredited hospital in China (since December 2003, successfully re-accredited multiple times) · World's only JCI-accredited integrative medicine hospital · Grade 3A Integrated TCM-Western Medicine Hospital (2021) · Grade 3A TCM Hospital (2008, 2014) · GCP National Clinical Trial Base · Guangdong-HK-Macao Greater Bay Area designated medical institution |
| Beds | Approximately 2,100 inpatient beds (planned expansion to 3,000) |
| Annual Patient Activity | Approximately 3,000 outpatients per day; patients from over 120 countries; contracted with 39 international insurance companies |
| Research Focus | Integrative oncology, clinical hyperthermia in cancer, TCM-Western medicine integration, complementary therapies, Comprehensive Green Therapy for cancer |
Why Patients Choose Clifford Hospital
Clifford Hospital is the world's only JCI-accredited integrative medicine hospital, combining Traditional Chinese Medicine, Western Medicine and Natural Medicine for cancer care under a single internationally audited quality framework, with an internationally recognised hyperthermia programme and structured pathways for international patients from over 120 countries.
Cancer Specialties and Clinical Departments
Clifford Hospital's Oncology Cancer Center delivers integrative cancer care that combines surgical oncology, image-guided interventional therapies, clinical hyperthermia and Traditional Chinese Medicine, supported by the wider hospital's 40-plus clinical and technical departments.
Advanced Treatment Capabilities
Key Specialists at Clifford Hospital
Clifford Hospital was founded by Professor Peng Lioji, a Hong Kong-based philanthropist, member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and chairman of the Clifford Group, who continues to provide strategic patronage to the hospital. The hospital's long-serving president and director Dr. Clifford L.K. Pang (Pang Mainland), trained at Indiana University, McGill University and Jinan University School of Medicine where he completed his PhD in pathophysiology, led the hospital through seven consecutive JCI accreditation cycles between 2003 and 2021. Dr. Pang served as the 32nd and 35th President of the International Clinical Hyperthermia Society in 2012 and 2016, has chaired the Specialty Committee of Natural Therapy of the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies, and has authored reference works including the CRC Press monograph Hyperthermia in Oncology (2016), shaping the hospital's identity in integrative cancer care.
Clinical leadership at Clifford Hospital includes Professor Li Dingjiu, regarded as a founder of clinical hyperthermia in China, perennial consultant to the hospital's Hyperthermia Center, chair professor at multiple American universities and a doctoral mentor; Dr. Ni Zhuying, Chief Physician and Professor, master mentor and State Council allowance recipient with more than 40 years of pediatrics and integrative medicine experience; Dr. Yang Guangqin, Chief Physician trained at Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine; Dr. Liu Jianhan, Chief Physician and head of the Pediatrics Department with two decades of integrated TCM and Western medicine practice; and Dr. Li Hongsheng, Chief Physician with over 20 years of clinical experience in integrative pediatric medicine. Patients interested in a specific consultant or department can request a focused review through CancerFax before confirming travel.
Patients seeking specific physician consultations or second opinions may request a review through the CancerFax coordination process before confirming travel or admission.
Clinical Infrastructure and Treatment Technology
Clifford Hospital's Panyu campus combines a hotel-style 2,100-bed comprehensive tertiary hospital with a dedicated Oncology Cancer Center, a Hyperthermia Center, a Medical Ozone Center, surgical theatres for Da Vinci robotic and open cancer surgery, and full diagnostic, laboratory and pharmacy infrastructure.
- HIFU (high-intensity focused ultrasound) knife and Gamma Knife stereotactic systems for solid tumour ablation
- Cryoablation therapy, particle implantation, photodynamic instrument and nano therapeutic apparatus
- Digital Subtraction Angiography suite for interventional oncology procedures
- Comprehensive hyperthermia platform including whole-body, local-regional and in-fresh-field thermotherapy machines
- German ozone-generator thermotherapy and a dedicated Medical Ozone Center for adjunctive cancer therapy
- Hyperthermia Center co-developed with the founder of clinical hyperthermia in China, and twice host of the International Clinical Hyperthermia Society annual meeting (2012, 2016)
- Da Vinci robot endoscopic surgery for prostate, urologic and complex abdominal cancers
- Open and minimally invasive surgery including mediastinal tumor resection, radical nephrectomy, adrenal tumor resection, hepatectomy, pancreatoduodenectomy and colorectal resection
- Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) and endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for early-stage colorectal cancer in situ
- Traditional Chinese Medicine formulas developed in-house including Xinfuning Granule, Ruanjian Sanjie Granule, Children's Cough Expectorant Mixture and Qingshu Lotion
- Acupuncture, herbal cuisine, chelation therapy and clinical nutrition integrated with conventional oncology protocols
- Biology Cell Lab, dedicated Pathology and Functional Test departments and full Laboratory and Radiology support
International Patient Support at Clifford Hospital
Clifford Hospital serves patients from over 120 countries and regions and is contracted with 39 well-known international insurance companies. The hospital is one of the first foreign-related designated medical institutions in Guangdong Province and a designated medical institution for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, with English-language enquiry support and a hotel-style international patient environment.
What to Prepare Before Traveling
- arrow_rightShare complete pathology reports, slides if requested for re-review, recent CT, PET-CT and MRI imaging, biomarker and molecular profiling results, prior treatment summaries and a current medication list (translated into Chinese or English) with Clifford Hospital's enquiry desk at least two weeks before your planned consultation.
- arrow_rightApply for an appropriate Chinese visa (L for short-term tourist, M for business or medical) at your nearest Chinese consulate. Clifford Hospital can issue an official invitation letter for the patient and accompanying family members; many south and southeast Asian countries also have e-visa or visa-on-arrival options for shorter stays in mainland China.
- arrow_rightPlan travel via Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN), which connects to most major Asian and European cities, or arrive into Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) and continue via the Greater Bay Area high-speed train to Guangzhou South or via direct cross-border bus into Panyu District. Allow at least two to three weeks for an initial integrative oncology evaluation and treatment planning cycle.
Clifford Hospital can be contacted directly for English-language enquiries on (8620) 8471 8123 during China working hours, by email at [email protected] or [email protected], or through CancerFax, which coordinates all submissions, translation, visa and travel arrangements on the patient's behalf, manages comparison with other cancer hospitals where useful, and remains the single point of contact through treatment and follow-up at no cost to the patient.
Patient Facilities and Accommodation at Clifford Hospital
Clifford Hospital's Panyu campus combines a hotel-style hospital environment in line with JCI international hospital standards with a wide range of accommodation options, on-campus pharmacy, dining and family support, across a built-up area of nearly 300,000 square metres.
Family members accompanying international patients can stay either within Clifford Hospital's hotel-style inpatient suites or at nearby hotels in Panyu District, with easy access by taxi, ride-hailing or hospital shuttle. The international patient team can advise on extended-stay arrangements for longer treatment journeys, and CancerFax can help plan budget-conscious options for families on extended trips.
How to Reach Clifford Hospital
Clifford Hospital is located on Hongfu Road in Panyu District of Guangzhou, within the Clifford Estates area in the southern part of the city, well connected by metro and expressway to central Guangzhou, Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport and the wider Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
How CancerFax Helps
CancerFax is a specialist cancer access and patient-navigation platform. We help patients and families understand their options, organise medical records, coordinate hospital communication, and support cross-border treatment planning where appropriate.
We help collect and organise reports, scans, pathology, biomarker results, and treatment history for structured case review.
We communicate with hospitals or trial teams to assess whether a case may be suitable for further screening.
We support appointment coordination, document submission, translation, and direct communication with international departments.
For international patients, we help with practical coordination — travel planning, hospital admission guidance, and local support.
If this option is not suitable, we help explore other relevant treatments, clinical trials, or advanced care pathways.
From inquiry through to follow-up, our coordinators provide a single point of contact for the family.
CancerFax does not guarantee treatment access, eligibility, or clinical outcome. Our role is to help patients access accurate information, structured review, and appropriate specialist pathways.
Clifford Hospital — Patient Questions Answered
CancerFax acts as your single coordinator for the entire Clifford Hospital journey. You begin by sharing your medical records, including pathology reports, recent imaging, prior treatment summaries and any molecular or biomarker testing through our secure intake. Our team reviews the case, identifies whether Clifford Hospital's integrative oncology approach is genuinely appropriate for your diagnosis, and where useful compares it against other leading cancer hospitals in China and internationally. We then submit your records to Clifford Hospital's Oncology Cancer Center and its English-language enquiry team, who arrange a consultation or remote opinion.
Once a clinical plan is confirmed, CancerFax prepares your full pre-travel pack: Clifford Hospital's official cost estimate (shared with you without any CancerFax mark-up), Chinese visa documentation, accredited translation of your home-country reports into Chinese, accommodation and travel guidance into Panyu District either from Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport or via Hong Kong using the Greater Bay Area transport network, and where relevant a check against your international insurance provider (Clifford Hospital is contracted with 39 international insurance companies). We remain your single point of contact through admission, treatment and follow-up. There is no fee to the patient for any part of this coordination, and we will tell you openly if a different cancer hospital would serve your case better.
Clifford Hospital's integrative oncology model deliberately combines three traditions of medicine under a single internationally accredited roof: conventional Western oncology (surgery, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, radiotherapy), Traditional Chinese Medicine (in-house herbal formulas such as Xinfuning Granule and Ruanjian Sanjie Granule, acupuncture and herbal cuisine), and Natural Medicine (clinical hyperthermia, chelation therapy, ozone therapy and clinical nutrition). The intention is not to replace evidence-based curative cancer treatment where it is indicated, but to add complementary modalities that may help with symptom control, quality of life, immune support, treatment tolerance and, in selected indications, treatment response. Clifford Hospital is the only integrative medicine hospital in the world to hold JCI accreditation, which means this integration of three traditions is delivered within an internationally audited quality and patient-safety framework. CancerFax will help you understand which elements of integrative oncology have stronger published evidence for your specific diagnosis and which remain primarily adjunctive.
Yes, and these are among Clifford Hospital's distinguishing capabilities. The hospital operates a dedicated Hyperthermia Center with whole-body, local-regional, in-fresh-field and German ozone-generator thermotherapy platforms, used in combination with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery or TCM rather than as standalone treatment. The Oncology Cancer Center is also equipped with HIFU (high-intensity focused ultrasound) knife and Gamma Knife stereotactic systems, cryoablation therapy, photodynamic therapy, particle implantation and nano therapeutic apparatus, alongside a full surgical platform including Da Vinci robotic endoscopic surgery, hepatectomy, pancreatoduodenectomy, radical nephrectomy and colorectal resection. Clifford Hospital does not routinely offer some advanced therapies such as commercial CAR T-cell therapy or proton beam radiotherapy. If your treatment plan calls for those modalities, CancerFax can guide you to other Chinese cancer hospitals where they are routinely delivered. Hyperthermia and the other modalities listed here have variable strength of clinical evidence depending on cancer type, and Clifford Hospital's clinical team will discuss appropriate use with you honestly.
Yes. Clifford Hospital's Oncology Cancer Center can provide a remote integrative-oncology second opinion based on your medical records before any travel commitment. CancerFax facilitates this submission, coordinates accredited translation of your reports into Chinese, follows up on your behalf and helps you understand the resulting opinion, including how it compares with treatment plans from conventional Western-medicine cancer centres. A remote opinion is often the most efficient first step, particularly for patients from Africa, the Middle East, South Asia and Southeast Asia who would otherwise need to travel before knowing whether Clifford Hospital is genuinely a good clinical fit.
Clifford Hospital is contracted with 39 well-known international insurance companies and is one of the first batch of foreign-related designated medical institutions in Guangdong Province, which generally makes pre-authorisation and direct billing more straightforward than at hospitals without these contracts. The hospital provides English-language enquiry support during China working hours through its dedicated enquiry desk on (8620) 8471 8123 and through email enquiries at [email protected], with additional interpreter support arranged where needed. Treatment costs at Clifford Hospital are typically significantly lower than at comparable JCI-accredited hospitals in the United States, Western Europe or Singapore, while remaining in line with leading private hospitals in tier-one Chinese cities. CancerFax shares Clifford Hospital's official cost estimates with you at no extra charge and without any CancerFax mark-up, and we are happy to compare them openly with other Chinese and international cancer hospitals before any decision is made.
Send Your Medical Reports to Clifford Hospital via CancerFax
CancerFax reviews your records, identifies whether Clifford Hospital's integrative oncology approach is genuinely appropriate for your case, and coordinates your consultation or remote second opinion in Guangzhou, at no cost, with no obligation, and with full medical confidentiality throughout.