Price report · Cancer screening
Cancer screening abroad or at home: waits and published prices compared
We read what hospitals and clinics in 20 countries publish for a cancer screening package and set it against the official wait and the self-pay price in the UK, Canada, Ireland and the US. Price unit: one package for one person; contents differ widely, so each row says which tests are in it.
- Countries with a price
- 10 of 20Turkey, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, India, United Arab Emirates and China
- Lowest abroad
- £110China, before travel
- UK private
- –not verified
- Price lines read
- 2113 providers
Short answer
Providers in 10 countries publish a price for a cancer screening package that we could check. Converted to pounds, they run from £110 to £2,390, before flights and a hotel.
- Countries with a price
- 10 of 20: Turkey, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, India, United Arab Emirates and China
- Range abroad
- about £110 to £2,390 before travel
- UK private
- Not verified
- NHS England
- No NHS figure for this
- Price is for
- one package for one person; contents differ widely, so each row says which tests are in it
Key findings
- 8 of 20 countries publish a comparable price (2 more only inside bundles). The lowest is China at £110; the highest published figure is £2,390, before travel.
- No official waiting-time figure is published for this in the UK, Canada or Ireland that we could use; it is mostly bought privately.
- No verified comparable price in Mexico, Poland, Hungary, Czechia, Lithuania, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Costa Rica and Colombia. A gap means we could not find a price the provider publishes itself, not that the treatment is unavailable.
Figure 1Lowest to highest comparable price, by country (GBP, before travel)
Figure 2Cheapest total trip from each home country
| From | Turkey | South Korea | Japan | Taiwan | Malaysia | Singapore | United Arab Emirates | China | Pay at home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | £2,130 | £1,570 | £2,370 | £1,790 | £1,180 | £1,340 | £977 | £970 | not verified |
| Canada | C$4,800 | C$2,730 | C$4,230 | C$3,140 | C$2,490 | C$2,690 | C$2,470 | C$1,890 | not verified |
| Ireland | €2,530 | €1,790 | €2,750 | €2,050 | €1,360 | €1,520 | €1,170 | €1,110 | not verified |
| US | $3,520 | $2,100 | $3,070 | $2,290 | $1,890 | $2,050 | $1,810 | $1,470 | not verified |
What a cancer screening package is
Cancer screening packages combine tests that look for cancer in people without symptoms: for example blood markers, a mammogram or breast ultrasound, a cervical smear, a PSA test, a low-dose chest CT, or a gastroscopy and colonoscopy. Only some of these tests have good evidence for screening healthy people; others often give false alarms.
Cancer screening prices by country
The range in each country covers only the prices that match the unit above. Click a country for every price line, what it includes, and how to book as a visitor.
| Country | Providers | In GBP | In CAD | In EUR | In USD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey | 1 | £1,720–£2,390 | C$3,220–C$4,480 | €2,050–€2,860 | $2,300–$3,200 |
| South Korea | 4 | £508–£2,220 | C$951–C$4,160 | €607–€2,650 | $680–$2,970 |
| Japan | 1 | £1,310 | C$2,450 | €1,570 | $1,750 |
| Taiwan | 1 | £726–£747 | C$1,360–C$1,400 | €868–€892 | $971–$999 |
| Thailand | 1 | not comparable | not comparable | not comparable | not comparable |
| Malaysia | 1 | £275 | C$514 | €328 | $367 |
| Singapore | 1 | £325–£351 | C$609–C$656 | €388–€419 | $435–$469 |
| India | 1 | not comparable | not comparable | not comparable | not comparable |
| United Arab Emirates | 1 | £367–£509 | C$686–C$953 | €438–€608 | $490–$681 |
| China | 1 | £110 | C$206 | €131 | $147 |
No page yet for Mexico, Poland, Hungary, Czechia, Lithuania, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Costa Rica and Colombia: we did not find a published price there that we could verify.
Waiting and paying at home
The latest official waiting figure in each country, and what providers there publish as a self-pay price.
| Where you live | Official wait | Pay at home |
|---|---|---|
| UK | No official figure found | Not verified |
| Canada | No official figure found | Not verified |
| Ireland | No official figure found | Not verified |
| US | No national figure | Not verified |
Compare with your wait and price at home
Choose where you live and the calculator lines up your wait, your price at home and each country's price plus travel for a cancer screening package.
How to compare cancer screening package prices
- Look at which tests are in the package, not how many. Tumour-marker blood tests on their own are poor at finding early cancer.
- Check that a doctor reviews all the results with you and tells you what to do next.
- Ask whether endoscopies include sedation and biopsies.
Do not travel for a cancer screening package if
- A symptom or a lump you have noticed: see your doctor at home first.
- Replacing your national screening invitations, which are free.
Before you book
- Ask your doctor which screening tests make sense for your age and family history.
- Check the fasting and bowel-preparation instructions if an endoscopy is included.
After you come home
- Bring all the results to your doctor; an abnormal result is followed up at home.
Bringing results home so your own doctor can use them is covered in how to bring your results home.
Cancer screening abroad: questions
Where is a cancer screening package cheapest abroad?
Before flights, the lowest published prices we found are in China (about £110), Malaysia (about £275) and Singapore (about £325 to £351). The cheapest country is not always the cheapest trip: a short flight can matter more than the price difference.
How long is the wait for a cancer screening package on the NHS?
NHS England does not publish a waiting-time figure for this that we could use. Ask your GP or dentist what the NHS offers in your case.
How much does a private cancer screening package cost in the UK?
We have not verified a published UK price for this yet.
What does the price of a cancer screening package usually include?
On this site the price should cover one package for one person; contents differ widely, so each row says which tests are in it. Look at which tests are in the package, not how many. Tumour-marker blood tests on their own are poor at finding early cancer.
How long do I need to stay abroad for a cancer screening package?
One day for most packages; two if an endoscopy is included. Ask the clinic for the schedule in writing before you book flights.
Sources
- International patients. Liv Hospital (Ulus and Vadistanbul, Istanbul). Read 27 October 2026.
- Prices. BNH Hospital. Read 27 October 2026.
- Prices. Island Hospital. Read 27 October 2026.
- Prices. Raffles Hospital. Read 27 October 2026.
- Prices. Asan Medical Center. Read 27 October 2026.
- Centres and specialties. Samsung Medical Center. Read 27 October 2026.
- Prices. SNUH Healthcare System Gangnam Center. Read 27 October 2026.
- Centres and specialties. KMI Korea Medical Institute (KMI Global). Read 27 October 2026.
- Centres and specialties. Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital. Read 27 October 2026.
- International patients. TIMC Osaka (Tokushukai check-up centre). Read 27 October 2026.
- Centres and specialties. Jiahui International Hospital. Read 27 October 2026.
- Prices. Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital. Read 27 October 2026.
- Prices. King's College Hospital London, Dubai. Read 27 October 2026.
- Euro foreign exchange reference rates. European Central Bank, 23 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.