How much does chemotherapy cost in India? It is of the utmost importance to have a good understanding of cost of chemotherapy in India.
If you live in India, you must have a solid understanding of the various factors that go into determining the price of chemotherapy there. This will allow you to be financially ready to cover the costs of treatment if it becomes necessary.
Chemotherapy is a type of pharmacological treatment that eliminates rapidly dividing cells in the body by employing the use of potent chemicals. Chemotherapy is the type of treatment that is most commonly used to treat cancer.
This is because cancer cells grow and multiply much more quickly than the majority of the cells in the body. There is a wide variety of chemotherapy medications available. To treat a wide variety of malignancies, chemotherapy medications may be administered singly or in combination with one another.
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What is chemotherapy?
Chemotherapy is a harsh form of chemical medicine treatment that is intended to kill rapidly dividing cells in the body. Because cancer cells grow and divide at a greater rate than other cells, it is typically utilized in the treatment of cancer.
An oncologist is a medical term for a physician who has chosen to focus their career on the treatment of cancer. They will develop a treatment strategy for you in conjunction with you as a team.
It is common practice to combine chemotherapy with other types of treatment, such as surgery, radiation therapy, or hormone therapy. The application of combination therapy is dependent on the following:
The extent and type of cancer you have, as well as your overall health and any cancer therapies you have received in the past. You have been given information regarding the location of the cancer cells as well as your individual treatment preferences.
It is what is known as a systemic treatment, which indicates that it affects the entirety of the body.
Chemotherapy is an effective treatment for combating cancer cells; however, it is associated with several dangerous side effects that can have a negative influence on a patient’s quality of life. When considering whether or not chemotherapy is the correct choice for you, you should consider these potential adverse effects alongside the danger of not receiving treatment.
- What is the Chemotherapy Cost in India?
When compared to the prices in other industrialized countries, the cost of chemotherapy in India is fairly reasonable. However, the cost also differs depending on the type and stage of cancer, the amount of chemotherapy dosage that is delivered, and the type of drug that is being used.
You will find an estimate of the costs associated with the various types of chemotherapy, additional costs, as well as preoperative and post-operative charges, on this page.
The administration method of chemotherapy has a significant impact on the overall cost of cancer treatment in India. In India, the price of a single chemotherapy session can range anywhere from 56,000 (or $800) to 2,80,000 (or $4,000).
The cost of chemotherapy administered intravenously (also known as intravenous chemotherapy) can range anywhere from 70,000 to 1,05,000 ($1,000 to $1,500). Oral chemotherapy is another prevalent method of administering chemotherapy; the cost of oral chemotherapy in India begins at 56,000 (about $800).
Because chemotherapy port prices begin at $210,000 (or $3,000), the procedure requires minor surgery and, as a result, has higher expenses. These expenses, in addition to those for any further treatments, are included in the total price of the package.
When curative chemotherapy is no longer an option due to cancer’s advanced stage, palliative chemotherapy may be an option. In India, the expense of palliative chemotherapy is roughly Rs. 40,000 ($540) each day.
Factors affecting chemotherapy cost in India
Before we go any further with our estimates of related costs, it is important to note that the actual costs may end up being higher than the ones we have forecasted, due to several factors including the following:
Cancer kind: The amount spent on chemotherapy will change depending on the type of cancer being treated. The type of cancer a person has will determine the total number of chemotherapy sessions necessary, and the cost of chemotherapy will be determined by this number.
The amount that chemotherapy will cost is significantly influenced by the stage of the tumor. When cancer is detected when it is in its earlier stages, the cost of chemotherapy is significantly reduced (stages I and II). If cancer is found at a later stage, when it is more advanced, the cost might be rather substantial (stages III and IV).
Plan of treatment: In some cases, chemotherapy will be administered in conjunction with other types of treatment, such as surgery or radiation therapy. As a direct consequence of this, the price will change depending on the specific treatment plan for each patient.
The cost of chemotherapy in India can vary significantly depending on the hospital or clinic where the patient receives their treatment. In most cases, the cost of medical care is significantly higher in regions that have a high cost of living overall. The cost of chemotherapy will be significantly greater in large cities, such as hospitals in Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Chennai, compared to the cost of chemotherapy in other cities. In addition, the standard of care provided will be higher in these cities.
Another factor that goes into determining the cost of chemotherapy is the kind of medical facility that you decide to receive treatment at. For instance, the costs of chemotherapy are significantly lower at government hospitals in India than they are at private institutions. On the other hand, there is no doubt that patients will receive superior care in private hospitals.
Location of Treatment: Another factor that affects the overall cost of chemotherapy is the setting in which the treatment is administered.
In addition, how chemotherapy is delivered affects its cost, with the chemo port cost in India being significantly more than the costs of IV and oral chemotherapy.
Drugs used in chemotherapy or dosage: The amount of chemotherapy a patient receives varies depending on their condition. Because of increased levels of body resistance, the dosage is often high for a person who has a greater body weight, whereas it is low for a person who has a lower body weight.
When determining the appropriate dosage for certain medications, height and weight are taken into consideration. Cisplatin, for instance, is one of the most powerful chemotherapeutic drugs used for the treatment of ovarian cancer. Its price range is approximately 1,300–2,700 Indian Rupees.
What are the additional costs for Chemotherapy in India?
The costs associated with chemotherapy in India, in addition to the tests that are typically recommended by your physician, are described above. The cost of chemo drugs and how it is accompanied also includes several other expenses.
The additional expenditures cover both the charges incurred before the beginning of the treatment as well as those incurred following the conclusion of each chemotherapy session.
- Pre – chemotherapy costs in India
Before beginning chemotherapy, your organs, including your liver and kidneys, as well as your heart, will be tested to determine their level of functionality.
Because some chemotherapy treatments may weaken your body’s ability to resist infections, it is important to treat and control any infections that you may have to reduce the likelihood that you may experience any difficulties as a result of receiving chemotherapy.
The expenses that a patient is responsible for shouldering before the initiation of chemotherapy are referred to as pre-chemotherapy costs. The fees for consumption, laboratory tests, and diagnostic testing are all included in this price.
Because various tumors require different testing, the range of possible fees may change from patient to patient.
- Surgical procedures can be anywhere from 2,80,000 (about $4,000) to 10,50,000 (approximately $15,000) in India.
- Radiation: The price of radiation ranges anywhere between 30,000 and 20,000 Japanese yen ($434 and $28,981 respectively).
- Transplantation of bone marrow (if required) Bone marrow transplants, which are performed to treat blood cancers and blood disorders, typically cost between $15,000 and $40,000 (or $21,428 and $57,143).
- Post – chemotherapy costs in India
After the session of chemotherapy is over, there is a possibility that you will encounter certain side effects. It is necessary to take drugs to control the negative effects of chemotherapy.
For instance, a person who is diagnosed with an exceptionally low white blood cell count will be prescribed medication that will raise the white blood cell count. The price of the drugs could change depending on the kinds of adverse reactions that have been reported.
To determine how your body is responding to chemotherapy, several different tests will be carried out, and some of these tests are as follows:
- Lung function test: Rs. 100 to Rs. 3000 (1.32 USD to 39.45 USD)
- Electrocardiogram (ECG): Rs. 100 to Rs. 300 (1.32 USD to 3.95 USD)
- Echocardiogram (or an ECHO): Rs 2500 to Rs 3500 (32.88 USD to 46 USD)
- Urine collection: Rs. 100 to Rs. 300 (1.32 USD to 3.95 USD)
- Blood test: Rs. 100 to Rs. 2000 (1.32 USD to 26.3 USD)
- Audiogram, Blood sugar test, and Infertility checks: Rs. 300 to Rs. 1,500 (3.95 USD to 19.73 USD)
What are the side effects of chemotherapy?
Within the first five to ten days of starting chemotherapy, most patients experience side effects. Certain adverse effects can disappear in a matter of months, but others can last a lifetime, causing harm to the heart, lungs, kidneys, and even the reproductive system.
Because of the treatment’s side effects, elderly persons are particularly vulnerable. As we age, our body’s total water content decreases, reducing the amount of water available for the administration of water-soluble drugs.
The amount of fat in the body increases, causing a change in the distribution of fat-dissolving drugs in the body.
Negative effects of the treatment
Listed here are some of the possible negative effects of the treatment:
Chemotherapy’s most common side effect is exhaustion or a lack of energy. Full-body fatigue that is not alleviated by sleep can make chemotherapy patients unable to conduct their everyday activities or work.
Many chemotherapy patients report vomiting and/or nausea as a side effect. Anti-sickness drugs prescribed by a doctor can alleviate the symptoms. These drugs may, however, have their own set of side effects to consider.
One of the most distressing symptoms of chemotherapy is the loss of hair. Quite often, this is a side effect that people experience.
It does not, however, impact everybody. While other regions of the body might be impacted by hair loss, the head is the most common location. In almost all cases, the hair will grow back after the therapy has ended.
Many chemotherapy patients complain of a lack of appetite or the feeling that they are not hungry, or of feeling full quickly after consuming only a modest amount of food. Depending on the medicine, these modifications may last the entire course of treatment or just last for a short period.
Insomnia, or difficulty falling or staying asleep, is a common side effect of chemotherapy. The advice of a healthcare professional can help you deal with sleep issues. Consider possible causes, such as pain, anxiety, or certain medicines.
Chemotherapy can potentially hurt fertility in both sexes. If you are worried about not being able to have children in the future, talk to your doctor about IVF and egg/sperm banking.
Also, Chemotherapy can cause bruising and bleeding because it reduces the number of platelet cells in the bloodstream. As a result of this,
- Cuts cause substantial blood loss.
- rapid bruising of the skin
- Nosebleeds
- Inflamed or infected gums
In the early phases of chemotherapy, diarrhea and/or constipation are common side effects. Diarrhea and constipation can be alleviated by consulting a doctor for nutritional advice. Over-the-counter medications may be used to lessen the intensity of this side effect if the problem persists and a doctor approves that it is safe.
Mucositis, or ulcers or sores in the mouth and throat, is a common side effect of chemotherapy. These ulcers can be painful and make it difficult to eat or drink.
Because of this, they are also vulnerable to disease. If necessary, doctors can prescribe painkillers or other appropriate therapies.
Chemotherapy side effects include dry, itchy, discolored, or painful skin and nails.
Short-term memory loss and difficulty concentrating can also result after chemotherapy for reasons that are not entirely apparent.
It is common for this side effect to go away once the treatment is over. Setting reminders, keeping written records, and enlisting the assistance of others are all common ways to stay on top of things.
Frequently Asked Questions about the cost of chemotherapy in India
See below for the answers to the most asked questions on How much does chemotherapy cost in India?
- During chemotherapy, is it possible for a patient to continue working?
Chemotherapy has both physiological and psychological effects on the patient receiving it. During chemotherapy, some patients have perfectly normal lives, while other people lead lives that are quite challenging because of their condition.
Patients who can continue working while undergoing chemotherapy are encouraged to do so. Some people feel more comfortable working part-time jobs because it allows them more time to relax.
- Is it okay for a patient to take their other medications during their course of chemotherapy?
There is a possibility that the chemotherapy drug will not work well if you take certain medications. Therefore, you must constantly discuss whatever you are taking with your medical staff, as they will provide you with the optimal answer.
- Is the chemotherapy procedure unpleasant?
The chemotherapy procedure does not typically cause any discomfort to the patient. There is a possibility that you will feel a burning sensation as the chemotherapy medicine is being administered, but this will only last for a very little time and should progressively go away.
Pain in the muscles, joints, head, and stomach are all possible side effects of certain chemotherapy medications.
- Where can I get chemo for my cancer treatment?
A patient has the option of receiving chemotherapy either at home or in the medical facility. At-home chemotherapy can be administered via portable pumps or by taking drugs orally.
- Why does chemotherapy make you feel like you have no energy?
Because chemotherapy kills healthy cells in addition to malignant cells, patients undergoing treatment for cancer experience fatigue as a side effect of the treatment.
- How long will it be before you feel normal following the chemotherapy?
Nausea and vomiting are common side effects of chemotherapy, although they only last for a few minutes to a few hours after the treatment is administered and go away within 24 hours.
Certain types of chemotherapy can cause delayed nausea and vomiting, which typically begin 24 hours after treatment and can last anywhere from 5 to 7 days.
- How long do the negative effects of the chemotherapy treatment last?
In most cases, the majority of the adverse effects disappear shortly after the last chemotherapy treatment, but some may last for a few weeks, months, or even years.
On the other hand, there are relatively few adverse effects that can cause irreversible harm to the body.
- How can I tell whether the treatment is indeed helping?
The medical staff will conduct a series of blood tests, physical exams, and x-rays to evaluate the patient’s condition and determine whether or not the treatment is effective.
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Chibueze Uchegbu is a certified medical physiologist with a great passion for healthy living.