Cancer Treatment in India: A Complete Guide to Options, Technology, and Why Patients Travel Here for Care

There have been great changes in the treatment of cancer in India during the last decade. The healthcare system of India, which used to be viewed as an indigenous one providing medical services to a huge population, is now acknowledged globally as a legitimate destination for oncological services. The hospitals of Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, and Hyderabad now provide all kinds of treatment that can be provided in the US, the UK, or Singapore, including multidisciplinary tumor boards, accredited institutions, and oncologists qualified at the best institutions in the world.

Here we will explain the main types of cancer treatments in India, the technology they employ, and the factors making people choose Indian hospitals for their oncological treatments.

The Scale of Cancer Care in India

Over one million new cancer cases are diagnosed annually globally, which has led to the evolution of the oncology landscape in a unique manner. Due to the sheer number of cancer cases, there is a wide spectrum of cancers of various stages being treated in India, which allows for building expertise that cannot be gained in smaller medical systems. This factor, coupled with the existence of the National Cancer Grid, a network connecting hundreds of cancer centers in India for cooperation and research, as well as for the creation of standardized treatment protocols, has led to increasing evidence-based medicine practices in Indian oncology.

Research and treatment are done by public hospitals including Tata Memorial Hospital and AIIMS, whereas the private chains such as Apollo, Fortis, Max Healthcare, Manipal, and HCG offer highly developed international patient service cancer treatment centers. Some of these hospitals are certified with NABH (National Accreditation Board for Hospitals) or JCI (Joint Commission International) certification.

Types of Cancer Treatment Available in India

Treatment for cancer patients is rarely restricted to one mode of therapy in modern times. In India, multiple methods of cancer treatment are used, all of which are decided on by a multi-disciplinary tumor board of surgical oncologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, pathologists, and radiologists. Now let us explore each of the main types of treatments that are availed of in India.

1. Surgical Oncology

Surgical intervention continues to remain a key component of cancer treatment for most solid tumors, especially when it is local and hasn't spread. Indian hospitals provide all forms of surgical oncology, namely:

Open Surgery to remove tumors through reconstruction surgery
Minimally invasive and Laparoscopic Surgery, which helps in reducing post-surgery recovery time
Robotic-Assisted Surgery, which is increasingly becoming the norm in most cancer hospitals of India, helping surgeons perform more precisely and effectively in procedures such as prostatectomies, surgeries related to gynecological cancers, and head and neck surgeries
Organ Preservation Surgery which seeks to remove tumors while preserving maximum healthy tissue and organ function
HIPEC (Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy), which involves the use of heated chemotherapy in the abdominal cavity of certain abdominal cancers.

Robotic surgery, for instance, is no longer just an experiment but a routine procedure in the top hospitals in India due to increasing volume of patients and indigenous production of the surgical robotic systems, making this modality more easily available.

2. Chemotherapy

This therapy employs drugs for the purpose of killing or slowing down the growth of cancer cells. It continues to be one of the most popular treatments for cancer. Oncological centers in India provide chemotherapy through the use of oral drugs, intravenous injections, and injections. They offer:

Daycare chemotherapy centers
Management of side effects such as nausea, weakness, and compromised immunity
Scalp cooling service at select hospitals to minimize hair loss while undergoing chemotherapy
Up-to-date and innovative chemotherapy protocols.

3. Radiation Therapy (Radiotherapy)

Radiation treatment employs high energy rays to eliminate cancer cells or reduce the size of tumours, and Indian healthcare centers have equipped themselves with state-of-the-art radiation equipment over the last few years. Some of the choices are:

TrueBeam, Linac and other linear accelerator (LINAC) systems for precise external beam radiotherapy
IMRT (Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy) and IGRT (Image Guided Radiation Therapy) that precisely shape radiation doses in conformity with tumours but not affect healthy cells
Stereotactic Radiosurgery and Gamma Knife, which are useful in treating brain tumours and neurological disorders
MR-LINAC, an advanced technology which integrates MRI imaging with real time radiation treatments, which are provided by some leading Indian centers
Brachytherapy, where the source of radiation is delivered into or next to the tumor, mostly useful in cervical and prostate cancer treatments.

4. Proton Therapy

Proton therapy represents another advanced method of delivering radiation treatment available in Indian hospitals. In contrast to traditional radiation treatment, proton beams deliver most of their energy directly in the tumor with minimum exit dose thus reducing risks for healthy tissues in the vicinity. Proton therapy finds its application mainly in cases of pediatric cancers, cancers located close to critical organs, as well as in cases when low radiation side effects are of primary importance. Currently, only a few Indian hospitals provide this type of treatment making India a part of select countries providing such services.

5. Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy represents an approach which consists of enabling the patient's own immune system to detect and fight cancer cells. Immuno-oncology represents a cornerstone of contemporary oncology mainly used in cases of such types of cancer as melanoma, certain lung cancers, as well as particular types of blood cancer. Today, Indian hospitals provide the following treatments using immunotherapy approach:

Checkpoint inhibitorsthat prevent cancer cells from avoiding detection by blocking proteins
Monoclonal antibodies designed to detect particular marker on cancer cells
Several newer immunotherapy drugs approved internationally and now provided by Indian cancer hospitals according to their protocols.

6. Targeted Therapy

Targeted therapy drugs are formulated to act against specific molecules that help cancer grow. Unlike chemotherapies, which destroy all dividing cells, these drugs target cancer-specific molecules and thus cause minimum side effects. Indian cancer treatment centers provide targeted therapies for several molecular pathways like EGFR, HER2, VEGF, CDK4/6, and PARP inhibitors – applicable to breast, lung, ovarian cancers, and others. Usually, the targeted therapy is given when a specific cancer-causing mutation is detected through molecular/genomic testing.

7. Hormonal Therapy

Hormone therapy is applied in hormone-dependent cancers such as breast and prostate cancers in order to prevent or reduce levels of hormones that help tumors grow. It is offered by most Indian cancer centers and can be combined with surgery, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy, depending on the stage of the disease and presence of hormone receptors.

8. Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) and Cellular Therapy

India has developed an extensive capability in bone marrow and stem cell transplantation for diseases like leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myelomas, as well as selected other non-malignant hematologic conditions. India provides:

Autologous transplantations using the patient’s own stem cells
Allogenic transplantations using stem cells from donors (matched sibling and unrelated donors)
Haplo-identical transplantations that become relevant when no fully matched donor is found – a procedure that Indian BMT centers have specialized in for more than two decades of clinical experience
Access to international donor databases for those patients not having a matching donor in their families.

9. CAR-T Cell Therapy

CAR-T cell treatment therapy is one of the latest and most innovative cancer treatment methods currently available in India. This treatment method uses a patient’s T cells, which are genetically modified in laboratories to target cancerous cells. It has been highly effective against specific types of blood cancers, especially some kinds of leukaemias and lymphomas that have not reacted positively to conventional treatments. Currently, only a few Indian hospitals offer CAR-T treatment, and most of them use CAR-T cell products that are developed within India itself – a big achievement considering that until now the treatment was only possible in the US and Europe.

10. Precision and Genomic Oncology

The precision approach involves the use of genomic tests such as Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) and liquid biopsy to identify genetic mutations that are responsible for the disease in the particular patient. The approach thus enables oncologists to deviate from the generalised one-size-fits-all treatment approach and develop a tailor-made treatment plan for the tumour's genomic profile. In India, liquid biopsy has been gaining popularity because of its ability to test for actionable mutations and also determine the response to therapy and recurrence of the tumour via a single blood test without having to conduct a repeat biopsy on tissue. Such diagnostic tests are offered by many laboratories and cancer centres in the country.

11. Palliative and Supportive Care

In addition to the curative treatment, hospitals in India are also increasingly focusing on offering palliative and supportive care services which include pain relief, nutrition assistance, psychological counselling and even yoga and meditation at some leading hospitals in India to help cope with the treatment's impact on the patients.

Why Patients Choose India for Cancer Treatment?

Reasons behind why people choose India as a destination for oncological procedures are more intricate than merely price considerations, although that plays an important role in the choice. These are some of the most commonly mentioned reasons:

Experience from High Patient Volumes: The sheer number of patients in India gives surgeons and oncologists the opportunity to gain valuable experience working on various cases of different forms and stages of cancer. Sometimes, in oncology, the experience might matter more than the technological side of things since the treatment results depend very much on the experience a certain oncologist or surgical team has.

All the Possible Treatment Options Within One Location: Unlike other countries or centers where different phases of treatment require traveling to different places, in India all possible treatment options are accessible at one place. In this regard, surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted treatment, and cellular treatment options such as CAR-T and bone marrow transplants are all available.

Specialists Trained Internationally: A considerable number of India’s senior oncologists, surgeons, and radiologists have had the experience of being trained or working or having fellowship training in the US, UK, or any other top healthcare system before coming back to work in India. This has ensured that international treatment standards and protocols are brought into Indian hospitals but still delivered in an efficient healthcare system designed to cope with a lot of patients.

Quick Treatment Time: The first thing that one hears about from international patients is the quickness of treatment in India as opposed to their home country’s public healthcare system which may take months before a surgical or radiation treatment slot is available for a patient.

International Certification and Standards of Safety: The number of Indian hospitals receiving NABH or JCI certification is rising, and it demands from hospitals to satisfy certain standards for patient safety, infection prevention, and clinical governance. From the perspective of patients who have no familiarity with the local healthcare infrastructure, international certification may serve as an independent indicator of the quality of the hospital, an aspect highlighted by research on cancer medical tourism as an actual criterion for destination choice in addition to the quality of care in comparison with the domestic alternatives.

International Patients Assistance Service: All leading Indian cancer hospitals provide a special service for assisting international patients with organizing their visa, arranging transportation, lodging and interpreting services, case coordination from the beginning to the end of the treatment process. Particularly for patients coming from Africa, the Middle East, CIS states and South Asia, such assistance significantly alleviates the burden of travel for the treatment the aspect recognized by medical tourism research as one of the most stressing in addition to the emotional and financial cost of traveling.

Language and Cultural Comfort: English is common throughout the Indian healthcare infrastructure, and most hospitals of decent size have interpreters for Arabic, French, Russian, and other languages in order to cater to foreign clients. Added to that is the culture of hospitality in India’s healthcare infrastructure which means that patients will not feel alienated while receiving care, especially since they are already stressed out by being diagnosed with cancer in a foreign land.

Comparative Cost-Efficiency: It is necessary to point out explicitly that cancer treatment in India costs less than comparable procedures done in the US, UK, and other Western countries – and that is a huge benefit, considering how costly long-term cancer treatments often are. Most importantly, this lower cost has not led to lower treatment quality; hospitals in India offering innovative treatments such as CAR-T, proton therapy, and robotic surgery are doing so at the same level of medical excellence as Western clinics.

Second Opinions & Treatment Reassurance: For those patients who have had tough diagnoses made, or whose native country doctors lack experience in handling a certain kind of cancer, Indian oncology centers are becoming more common places for second opinions, which can be done even via telemedicine prior to traveling. Patients get an extra reassurance regarding their treatment path regardless of whether they choose to have their treatment in India or go back home having been properly educated.

Types of Cancer That Are Treated in India

India's oncology hospitals are capable of dealing with all kinds of cancers, but certain types of cancer are responsible for the majority of local as well as international patients, and deserve to be highlighted specifically because of the extent to which treatment processes have been developed for them:

Breast cancer: Cancer that develops from the cells of the breast tissue, commonly occurring in the milk ducts or lobules. Breast cancer is treated through surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, and target therapy in the case of HER2 positive cancers. The high number of cases in India has led to making breast oncology the most sophisticated pathway to treatment in the country.
Leukaemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma: Cancer that originates in blood-forming tissue like bone marrow, or in the lymphatic system, interfering with the normal development and function of the blood cells. Leukaemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma can be managed through chemotherapy, immunotherapy, bone marrow transplant, and CAR-T cell therapy.
Lung cancer: The type of cancer where the cancer originates in cells that line the air passages in the lungs and is associated with smoking or other genetic mutations. It can be managed by using surgical intervention along with radiation therapy, targeted therapy mainly targeting mutations of EGFR or KRAS and also using immunotherapy depending upon the genomic profile to determine the mutation.
Head and neck cancers: These include cancers of the mouth, throat, larynx, sinus or salivary gland. Treatment involves surgical procedures like robotic or organ preservation surgery in addition to radiation therapy and chemotherapy.
Cancers of Gastrointestinal and Abdominal Tract: These include the cancers of the digestive tract, such as colorectal cancer, gastric or pancreatic cancer, treated with surgery (also HIPEC in case of peritoneal involvement), radiation and chemotherapy.
Gynaecological cancers: Cancers arising from the reproductive organs of the female body, particularly those of the cervix, ovaries, and uterus, that are surgically removed, undergo brachytherapy, chemotherapy, and, when necessary, PARP inhibitor therapy.
Prostate cancer: Cancer that arises from the prostate gland, a gland within the male reproductive tract, and is slow-growing in its early stages. The prostate gland is surgically removed, irradiated, or treated using hormone therapy based on the stage and risk category of the patient.
Paediatric cancers: Cancers that arise in children. They include leukaemia and brain tumours as well as some solid tumours. These cancers are different from adult cancers because their biology is different, thus necessitating treatment methods specific to children. This is a type of cancer in which proton therapy has become very clinically significant.
Brain and central nervous system tumor: The growth of abnormal cells in the brain or spinal cord, which may be either benign or malignant. Treatment options include stereotactic radiosurgery, Gamma Knife, and emerging technologies such as MR-LINAC along with neurosurgery.

How the Treatment Journey Typically Works

Patients, especially those travelling internationally, find comfort in knowing the rough outline of the treatment path ahead of them. Though there will be slight differences in each hospital, each type of cancer, and other variables, the general treatment process in most Indian cancer hospitals goes like this:

1. Medical consultation: The patient and their referring physician provide medical records, including diagnosis reports and test results, to be reviewed online by the hospital’s oncology team before travelling.

2. Consultation on second opinion and treatment plan: The tumour board conducts the consultation and provides a treatment plan for the patient. This is usually done online before the patient decides to travel to the hospital.

3. Travel and admission: In cases of international patients, the International Patient Care team helps with obtaining visas, appointment scheduling, and even accommodation.

4. Treatments: This involves various treatments in a sequence depending on the combination that the patient requires, for example, surgery and then radiotherapy.

5. Recovery and monitoring: Monitoring is done to see the results of treatment and side effects along with supportive care at all times.

6. Follow-up care: Telemedicine consultation services have been introduced by several hospitals so that the patient can continue doing the follow-ups without traveling back to India once he returns to his own country.

It is one of the factors making the Indian cancer care system feasible for international patients since the coordination does not end here but continues even after treatment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is treatment of cancer in India suitable for complicated or advanced cancer cases?

A: Yes. Advanced and complicated cancer cases have been managed by leading cancer hospitals in India with the help of multidisciplinary tumor boards, genomic testing, and new forms of treatment such as CAR T-cell therapy and proton therapy which were previously available in only a few countries.

Q: Do the Indian hospitals follow the treatment protocols used internationally?

A: Many leading hospitals follow the treatment protocols as per international oncology guidelines, and there are also hospitals which are accredited by NABH or JCI standards and follow certain clinical governance standards and patient safety practices.

Q: Are there provisions to seek second opinion before travel?

A: Yes. Most leading cancer hospitals provide remote second opinion service where the patient can send in his diagnostic reports for a thorough discussion with the oncology experts before coming for treatment in India.

Q: How will the international patient be helped out during treatment?

A: There are international patient departments in most leading hospitals which assist with visa procedures, hospitalization, interpreting and even stay facilities after discharge from the hospital.

What This Means for Patients Considering Treatment in India

Treatment for cancer is not a simple one-size-fits-all process. Rather, it involves a chain of decisions that relate to diagnosis, staging, treatment sequence, and follow-up – all of which are better done through a collective effort. What has been achieved by India's oncology industry over the past decade or so is exactly that: a variety of treatment methods from traditional surgery and chemotherapy to CAR-T cell therapy and proton beam therapy being provided by accredited hospitals that have infrastructure for handling international patients.

Wherever patients consider treatment abroad, the first step in their decision-making process remains the same irrespective of their destination country: getting properly diagnosed, staging their cancer and understanding which treatment methods can be used depending on that, and, if necessary, obtaining a second opinion regarding the course of action.

Note: This blog is intended for informational purposes only and is not considered to be medical advice. Patients should consult a qualified oncologist in order to determine the treatment program that is right for them.

Key Takeaway

India has put together one of the most comprehensive cancer treatment ecosystems anywhere in the world, covering surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, bone marrow transplant, and the more recent additions of CAR T-cell therapy and proton beam therapy, usually available from within a single hospital network. With internationally trained oncologists, NABH/JCI-certified facilities, shorter waiting times, and special support for international patients, India is no longer merely a viable cost-effective destination for cancer treatment, but a clinically reputable one as well.

In choosing between options for treatment, the first priority must always be to secure an accurate diagnosis, figure out what kind of treatment approaches will actually work on your particular cancer, and get a second opinion if needed.

Getting a diagnosis of cancer itself can be confusing enough, without having to worry about how to get the best treatment. Candormedi is here to help you and your family find the right doctors and hospitals. Contact us anytime you like.