Cancer Treatment In India – All You Need To Know About

OVERVIEW ABOUT CANCER TREATMENT IN INDIA

The new discoveries and constant advancements in technology for cancer treatment have changed the course of medical care for patients entirely at a very noticeable speed all around the world, mainly in India.

The oncologists in India provide the best and satisfactory cancer treatment through various innovative approaches and techniques which includes radiation therapy, advanced diagnostic tools and minimally invasive surgical procedures which are identified through precision management equipment.

Many patients from India and even abroad get satisfied cancer treatment in India and this is because the treatment options that are provided to the patients fir the cure of cancer in the country are highly advanced and at the same level or even better than the treatments that are provided by the best hospitals in the world. This justifies that most of the patients can get satisfied cancer treatment in this country.

METHODS OF CURING CANCER

There are a number of cancer treatments available and because of advancing technology, these numbers go on increasing almost everyday. The type of cancer treatment an individual will be receiving varies from person to person and it depends on several factors as well such as the type and stage of cancer, patient’s general health and his or her preferences. Below listed are some of the methods to cure cancer and are followed in India as well:

• Chemotherapy– This is the most widely used technique for cancer treatment and this includes the usage of drugs to kill the cancerous cells.
• Surgery– The goal of surgery is to remove the cancer or the tumor having cancerous cells either entirely or as much as possible.
• Bone marrow transplant– Bone marrow is the material inside the bones that makes new blood cells from blood stem cells. A bone marrow transplant allows a doctor to use higher doses of chemotherapy and it may also be used to replace the diseased bone marrow. Bone marrow transplant is also known as stem cell transplant and this can be used of the patient itself or from the donor (usually a sibling).
• Radiation therapy-Radiation therapy uses very high-powered energy beams ,such as X-rays or protons to kill the cancerous cells. It can be done in two ways – form outside the body (external beam radiation), machine placed inside the body (brachytherapy).
• Hormone therapy– Some types of cancer in our body get more charged up by our own hormones, for example breast cancer and prostate cancer. By removing or blocking these hormones from the body their effects may cause the cancer cells to stop growing.
• Immunotherapy—This is also known as biological therapy and it uses body’s immune system to fight cancer. In immunotherapy you immune system is boosted up so that your body can recognize the unseen cancer.
• Targeted drug therapy– Targeted drug therapy focuses on specific abnormalities within the cancerous cells that allow them to survive.
• Radiofrequency ablation– Radiofrequency ablation is a treatment that uses electrical energy to heat up the cancerous cells, which causes them to die. In this the doctor passes a thin needle through the skin or by making an incision into the cancer tissue and high frequency energy is released through the needle which causes the surrounding tissue to heat up and the kill the nearby cells.
• Cryoablation– Cryoablation is a treatment that kills the cancer cells by cold. During this, a thin wide needle which is known as cryoprobe is inserted through the patient’s skin and directly into the cancerous tumor, and then a gas is pumped into the croyoprobe in order to freeze the tissue and then it is allowed to thaw.
• Clinical trials– Clinical trials are the studies that try to investigate new ways of treating cancer. Many cancer clinical trials are underway.

WHY PEOPLE PREFER GETTING CANCER TREATMENT IN INDIA?

Cancer is one of the most common conditions through which Indians suffer and the worst part is that India is listed as the third- highest in cancer deaths in the world and this is entirely cause of the population. We can reduce this by increasing awareness about the disease.

Below listed are some factors that make India the best destination for cancer treatment:

• Cost factor– This is the primary reason for people prefer getting a cancer treatment done in India. While we compare the cost of the treatment overseas, there it is either in pounds or in dollars and here in India we have rupees, which makes it around 500% to 700% times cheaper to get a cancer treatment in India.
• New techniques– Due to globalization, India is quick in getting all the latest techniques and medications for the treatment of cancer.
• Expert oncologists– India has the best experienced and trained oncologists teams that provide the best cancer treatment in India.
• All facilities under a single roof– Cancer treatment hospitals in India provide all the facilities – from screening and diagnostic facilities to expert consultation, advanced treatment and recovery facilities- under a single roof.
• Rehabilitation– The hospitals that provide cancer treatment India also provide post-surgery rehabilitation facilities or activities like counseling to provide a physiological, social and psychological balance of the patients, thus ensuring a speedy recovery.

TOP 10 HOSPITALS THAT PROVIDE CANCER TREATMENT IN INDIA

India has about 80 to 100 good hospitals that provide cancer treatment in India. Some hospitals have their chain or branches running across the country, for example Apollo and Fortis

Below listed are top 10 cancer specialty hospitals in India-

1. Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai
2. All India Institute Of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi
3. The Career Institute, Adyar, Chennai
4. Apollo Specialty Hospital, Chennai
5. The Gujarat Cancer And Research Institute, Ahmedabad
6. Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute And Research Center, Delhi
7. Kidwai Memorial Institute Of Oncology, Bengaluru
8. Regional Cancer Center, Thiruvananthapuram
9. HCG, Bengaluru
10. Postgraduate Institute Of Medical Education And Research, Chandigarh

COST OF CANCER TREATMENT IN INDIA

The cost of cancer treatment in India, firstly depends on which stage of cancer you are and what type of cancer you are having and in India, as compared to other countries the cost of cancer treatment is way less than other countries.

On an average the treatment in private hospitals may cost you around 2-3 lakhs whereas it is comparatively lower in public hospitals (almost by 72-75 thousand)

These costs vary from the type and stage of the patient and also on what type of treatment the patient is undergoing and also from hospital to hospital as well.