Can You Choose a Cancer Hospital in Korea by Ranking? (2026 Edition)

Naming or ranking specific hospitals or physicians is not appropriate. Under Korean medical law, hospital-by-hospital treatment outcomes cannot be used in advertising, and the real decision factor isn't hospital ranking — it's the treatment pathway matched to the patient's cancer type, stage, and biomarker test results.

Key Takeaways

• Under Korean medical law, treatment outcomes by individual hospital cannot be used in advertising, and this content likewise does not provide hospital names or hospital-to-hospital comparisons or rankings.
• The publicly available figures are the nationwide 5-year relative survival rates from the National Cancer Registration Statistics 2019–2023 (National Cancer Center Korea, Central Cancer Registry). For example: breast cancer 94.7%, stomach cancer 78.6%, colorectal cancer 75.6%, lung cancer 42.5%, leukemia 55.7%.
• Comparable figures also exist from the US SEER database for 2016–2022 (e.g., stomach cancer 39.8%, lung cancer 29.5%, colorectal cancer 65.4%, leukemia 68.6%), but because diagnosis timing, age distribution, and screening systems differ between the two countries, direct comparison is difficult.
• At the review stage, rather than ranking hospitals against one another, several hospitals capable of providing treatment matched to the patient's cancer type, stage, and biomarkers are compared and presented via a written opinion.
• The remote review (pre-arrival review) fee is KRW 1,000,000 (about US$730). If treatment is contracted after the remote review, this amount is deducted from the medical costs.

Why Can't Hospital Rankings Be Discussed?

• Using hospital-specific treatment outcomes (survival rates, number of surgeries performed, etc.) in advertising or promotion is restricted under Korean medical law, so no officially comparable hospital ranking exists in the first place.
• What is publicly disclosed instead are national-level statistics. The National Cancer Registration Statistics aggregate, by cancer type, all patients diagnosed in Korea during a specific period (2019–2023) into 5-year relative survival rates — this is a nationwide average, not the result of any single hospital.
• Survival rates are population averages, not numbers that predict an individual's outcome. Actual outcomes vary substantially from person to person depending on stage, histologic type/subtype, age, and comorbidities.

So What Should Selection Be Based On?

• Because the standard treatment pathway differs by cancer type, the practical criterion is not the hospital's name but whether it addresses the treatment approach suited to your specific situation.
• For example, in lung cancer, biomarker test results such as EGFR and ALK determine whether targeted therapy is an option; in breast cancer, hormone receptor and HER2 subtype determine the surgical sequence and drug choice; in blood cancers, subtype and risk group determine whether chemotherapy alone suffices or whether hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is needed.
• The process proceeds as follows: Step 1 — organize pathology, imaging, and genetic test data → Step 2 — remote review (written opinion, KRW 1,000,000) → Step 3 — guidance comparing multiple hospitals matching the patient's conditions → Step 4 — the remote review fee is deducted upon contracting treatment → Step 5 — treatment in Korea → Step 6 — post-return follow-up care coordinated via a handover document.
• Specialized treatments (hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, CAR-T cell therapy, particle therapy, etc.) require dedicated facilities and eligibility conditions, so the written opinion confirms whether the conditions for such treatment are met.

FAQ — Other Countries Make Hospital Rankings Easy to Find. Why Is Korea Different?

Korean medical law restricts comparing treatment outcomes between hospitals or advertising claims of superiority. Instead, only official nationwide aggregated statistics, such as the National Cancer Registration Statistics, are disclosed. As a result, the concept of a ranking does not officially exist, and what matters to patients is whether treatment matched to their cancer type, stage, and biomarkers is available.

FAQ — Then How Is a Hospital Chosen?

At the remote review stage, a written opinion is prepared based on the patient's pathology report, imaging (DICOM), and genetic/biomarker test results, and several hospitals meeting those conditions are compared for the patient. This step costs KRW 1,000,000 (about US$730), and if treatment is subsequently contracted, the fee is deducted from the medical costs.

Sources and Notes

• This article was prepared based on the National Cancer Registration Statistics 2019–2023 (National Cancer Center Korea, Central Cancer Registry), SEER 2016–2022, the National Cancer Information Center, and NCCN patient guideline notes on breast cancer, stomach cancer, colorectal cancer, lung cancer, blood cancers, and targeted therapy.
• This content is intended for general medical information purposes only, and diagnosis, treatment methods, and outcomes may vary depending on individual circumstances. Accurate diagnosis and treatment must be determined through consultation with medical staff.