ACCESSING TACE
THROUGH CANCERFAX

Accessing TACE internationally involves multiple decision points that most patients and families are not equipped to navigate alone: assessing which TACE centre has the right volume and expertise for their specific tumour characteristics; obtaining a preliminary eligibility assessment without flying to China or India first; understanding what a quoted cost actually includes; organising a Chinese medical visa; communicating with Mandarin-speaking clinical staff; managing follow-up imaging after returning home; and ensuring their home oncologist receives the procedural documentation they need. CancerFax was built specifically to manage all of these problems in one coordinated service.

“The most common reason patients don't access TACE internationally isn't cost or eligibility — it's not knowing how to start, who to contact, whether the hospital is trustworthy, and what the process actually looks like from the first phone call to the first scan review. That's what CancerFax solves.”

• What CancerFax Does — and Does Not Do

  CancerFax reviews records, assesses eligibility, matches patients to centres, facilitates consultations, manages logistics, provides interpreter services, and coordinates follow-up. CancerFax does not provide medical advice, diagnose patients, prescribe treatments, or make clinical decisions — all clinical judgements are made by the physicians at the treating centre. CancerFax's role is to bridge the gap between a patient who needs specialist treatment and the specialist who can provide it.

• The Fee Structure: Why the Patient Pays Nothing

  CancerFax charges patients no coordination fee for any service — record review, eligibility assessment, centre recommendation, interpreter, or follow-up coordination. The service is sustained by hospital partnership agreements — participating centres pay a referral coordination fee to CancerFax for successful patient introductions. This structure ensures CancerFax's recommendations are driven by clinical appropriateness, not financial incentive.

The complete CancerFax journey from initial contact to post-procedure follow-up — with typical timelines.

1. 1

   Step 1: Submit Your Medical Records

   Upload to the CancerFax portal or send by email: CT/MRI scan files (DICOM format or high-resolution images), radiology reports, pathology report (biopsy or surgical specimen), AFP and liver function blood tests (within 4 weeks), viral hepatitis serology (HBV/HCV), and any prior treatment summary. Records in any language are accepted — CancerFax translates as needed.

2. 2

   Step 2: Clinical Pre-Screening

   CancerFax's clinical team — which includes oncologists, radiologists, and MSLs with hepatic oncology background — reviews your records specifically for TACE eligibility: BCLC staging from imaging, Child-Pugh estimate from blood tests, portal vein status, extrahepatic disease assessment, and any prior TACE history. A preliminary eligibility summary is returned within 5 working days.

3. 3

   Step 3: Centre Matching and Cost Estimate

   Based on your tumour characteristics, CancerFax recommends the most appropriate TACE centre from our network. For BCLC B HCC, Zhongshan Hospital Shanghai or SYSUCC Guangzhou are primary recommendations. For HAIC-indicated cases, SYSUCC or Fudan Zhongshan. For Indian access preference, Tata Memorial or Apollo. A written itemised cost estimate is provided before any travel decision is made.

4. 4

   Step 4: Virtual Specialist Consultation

   Video consultation with the treating interventional radiologist or hepatologist at the matched centre — with CancerFax medical interpreter for Chinese consultations. The treating physician reviews your imaging, confirms eligibility, discusses the procedural plan, and issues a formal written treatment proposal. Questions from you and your home oncologist are addressed at this consultation.

5. 5

   Step 5: Visa and Travel Coordination

   CancerFax issues a hospital invitation letter for the Chinese medical visa application. Travel recommendations — flights, hotel near the treating hospital, airport transfer, hospital registration assistance — are provided. For Indian centres, CancerFax provides the hospital registration letter required for the medical visa application.

6. 6

   Step 6: In-Country Support

   CancerFax's in-country team provides interpreter services for all clinical interactions during the hospital stay — ward rounds, consent discussions, nursing communications, procedure briefings. Regular updates are provided to the patient's family via WhatsApp or email throughout the admission.

7. 7

   Step 7: Remote Follow-Up Coordination

   After you return home, CancerFax coordinates the 4–6 week post-TACE imaging at the treating centre (or at a local imaging centre with results transmitted). The English-language radiology report, mRECIST assessment, and treating physician's recommendation for next steps are forwarded to your home oncologist within 5 working days of the imaging date.

A reference summary of all services provided by CancerFax throughout the navigation pathway — and what is not included.

Reference figures about the CancerFax service.

• USD 0CancerFax patient coordination feeAll CancerFax services to patients — record review, eligibility assessment, centre matching, interpreter, follow-up — are provided at no charge to the patient.
• 5 daysTarget turnaround for preliminary eligibility assessmentFrom the day complete records are submitted to CancerFax, the clinical team returns a written preliminary eligibility summary and centre recommendation within 5 working days.
• 60+Countries from which CancerFax has managed patient pathwaysPatients from Europe, the Gulf, South Asia, East Africa, North America, and Australia have accessed TACE and other cancer treatments via CancerFax.
• 2–3 wksTypical timeline from first contact to TACE procedureFrom initial record submission to TACE performed at the treating centre, for patients with complete records and standard eligibility.

Continue exploring TACE — from cost comparisons to clinical decision guides.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions from patients starting the CancerFax navigation process.