Pros and cons of tapping specialists abroad

Last year, in a desperate move, Gu (not his real name) and his wife sent their 5-year-old daughter to Germany after she was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a highly aggressive and malignant form of cancer.

"We don't have other choices," said the businessman from northeast China who is in his 30s. His daughter needed proton therapy that is too sophisticated to be available for children in China.

While the outcome of the treatment in Germany remains uncertain, Gu said it has already cost his family "close to 1 million yuan".