Lung cancer is cancer when it spreads across the Lung and damages the tissues around that region. Lung Cancer can be divided into two parts: small cell and non-small cell. Lung cancer treatment is often combined with chemotherapy treatments but may also include radiation therapy and surgery if required.
Medical tourism is a growing sector in India, with tourists coming from across the globe to get various types of medical facilities. The main magnetism for medical tourists coming to India is the quality of health care, which is available at affordable prices, with no waitlist. Most of the Indian doctors are famed throughout the world for their commitment and skills. The majority of the hospitals in India are offering international facilities with cutting-edge diagnostic methods and advanced technology for all types of oncology procedures.
American Oncology Institute, Hyderabad
VPS Lakeshore, Cochin
HCG Hospital, Bangalore
Seven Hills Hospital, Mumbai
The cost of lung cancer in India along with the excellence of treatment and aftercare provided are comparable with few of the most popular medical tourism destinations like Singapore, Turkey, and Hungary. Lung cancer surgery cost in India along with the chemotherapy and radiation, accommodation is almost less than one-sixth when compared with the treatment cost offered in the
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2 No. Travelers
5 Day in Hospital
20 Days Outside Hospital
Treatment cost starts from
USD 8500
Hospitals
Lung cancer is an uncontrolled growth of cells that start off in the lungs. Usually, lung cancer starts in the cells that line the air passages. Instead of developing into healthy lung tissue, the cells divide rapidly and form tumours.
Lung cancer can grow and spread beyond the lung to reach other parts of the body through metastasis. Lung cancers can begin in any part of the lung, but 90 percent of lung cancers begin in the epithelial cells, which are the cells lining the larger and smaller airways also known as bronchi and bronchioles.
This is the reason why lung cancers are sometimes called bronchogenic cancers or bronchogenic carcinomas. Lung cancer is the most common cancer in the world, among both men and women. It is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide.
Long-term smoking is the main cause of lung cancer. After smoking, genetic factors and exposure to radon gas, asbestos, second-hand smoke or other forms of air pollution can also increase the risk of lung cancer.
There are two major types of lung cancers, based on the appearance of lung cancer cells under the microscope:
It is necessary to determine the stage of lung cancer by finding out how far cancer has spread, before initiating treatment of lung cancer.
The following are the four lung cancer stages of NSCLC:
After the determination of stage, treatment of lung cancer starts with choosing the best suitable option for the patient. However, there is usually no single treatment for lung cancer. So the patient often receives a combination of therapies and palliative care.
Lung cancer symptoms may vary, depending upon where and how widespread the tumour is. A person with lung cancer may have following lung cancer symptoms:
The treatment of lung cancer may include the following modalities:
Surgery is the best treatment if the lung cancer is in its early stages. In the early stages, it is possible to cure a patient completely by removing the tumor and the nearby lymph nodes. But after cancer has spread, it is nearly impossible to remove all of the cancer cells with the help of surgery.
There are some specific types of surgical procedures for different location and kinds of lung cancers, such as wedge resection of the lung (removal of a portion of one lobe), lobectomy (removal of one lobe), pneumonectomy (removal of an entire lung) and lymphadenectomy (removal of lymph nodes in the region of the lungs). After the surgery, margin tissues are further studied to see if cancer cells are present or not.
Lung cancer surgery is a major surgical procedure that requires hospitalization, general anesthesia, and follow-up care for a few weeks to several months. It also carries side effects like any other surgery, including complications related to bleeding, infection, and general anesthesia.
This treatment uses high-energy X-rays or other types of radiation to destroy or shrink lung cancer tumors. Radiation therapy can be given as a curative therapy, palliative therapy, or as adjuvant therapy combined with surgery or chemotherapy.
Radiation therapy damages the molecules that make up the cancer cells. However, it can damage the normal, healthy tissues. But nowadays improved technology can focus the radiation on precise locations for certain lengths of time, thus reducing the risk of damage to the surrounding healthy tissues.
Chemotherapy is a strong medication treatment, which interferes with the cell division process and damage proteins or DNA to reduce cancer cells. NSCLC and SCLC, both types of lung cancers can be treated with chemotherapy. Chemotherapy might be given in the form of pills, intravenous infusion, or as a combination of both.
However, drugs used in chemotherapy also kill normally dividing cells in the body that may lead to unpleasant side effects. Some of the common side effects of chemotherapy are vomiting, diarrhea, appetite loss, hair loss, fatigue, anemia, infections and more. These side effects may be felt temporarily during treatment, and several drugs exist to help patients cope with the symptoms.
Drugs used in this treatment work by targeting specific abnormalities in the cancer cells. Some of the drugs in this treatment can also strengthen the activity of the immune system against cancer cells. But mostly this treatment only works in people whose cancer cells show certain genetic mutations.
The cost of Lung cancer treatments anywhere in the world is quite high, which becomes unaffordable for many individuals. The treatments offered in countries like the US, the UK, etc.are downright impressive, however, the affordability is difficult if not covered under insurance. On the contrary, lung cancer treatment in India or developing countries like such is comparatively cheaper with uncompromised medical facilities. Apart from that, the multispecialty healthcare units, world-renowned oncologists, competent radiologists, and advanced laboratory testing facilities have made India one of the best choices for cancer treatment.
India offers some of the most advanced approaches to treat lung cancer. However, the types of treatments depend on the type and stage of cancer.
Radiation Therapy: Included among the primary treatments, radiation therapy is further subdivided into external and internal therapies. Where the former uses a radiation beam to penetrate, aim and destroy the malignant cells, the latter uses radioactive metals to kill the cells internally.
Chemotherapy: Over 100 different types of chemical composition, or drugs, are used to treat various types of cancers. In lung cancer treatment, the necessary drug is injected or provided in the form of pills, which when consumed destroy the malignant cells. However, the drugs also destroy normal cells that regrow after certain period.
Targeted Therapy: Candidates are subjected to specific target chemicals or drugs which invade and destroy the abnormal cells. The therapy is very specific and is used for recurring non-small lung cancer cells or cells that are non-responsive to chemotherapy.
Photodynamic Therapy: In this technique, drugs are administered into the body to be absorbed by the cancerous cells. When exposed to high-energy laser or photons, these destroy the drug-soaked cancer cells. However, the treatment offers successful results in the initial stages only.
Thousands of people seek medical attention in India due to the affordable and uncompromised treatments offered. The average cost of lung cancer treatment in the major countries is approximately 5 times higher than that offered in India. However, just like the other places, the lung cancer treatment cost in India varies as per the type of treatment required by the individuals and the stage of cancer. Hence, here is a gist of probable expense according to the type of lung cancer treatment in India:
Radiation therapy: $3000
Chemotherapy: $3000
Wedge Resection: $3000
Pneumonectomy: $5000
In general, there are two broad types of lung cancers: small cell and non-small cell lung cancer, which are further subdivided as per the position, extent, and type of malignancy displayed. This becomes an important factor which affects lung cancer treatment cost in India.
Apart from that, the expenditure is also dependent on the type of treatment required by the candidate and the stage at which it is diagnosed. Besides, in extreme cases, metastasis may occur even in the brain cells which complicates the condition to a great extent, thereby requiring additional treatments and expense.
The other factors include laboratory tests, radiation required, oncologists and surgeons necessary, hospitals opted and the tenure of stay in the country.
Before opting for medical travel in such cases, people are always on the lookout for the best hospital for lung cancer treatment in India. There are several hospitals and private nursing homes which offer treatment in the country. Located in major cities, hospitals are easily accessible and are also affordable. Thus, here are some of the best hospitals for lung cancer treatment in India:
Artemis Hospital located in New Delhi
Located in the vibrant city of Delhi, the Artemis Hospital can be one of your best bets in treating lung cancer. To cure this potentially life-threatening ailment, the doctors generally implement various options like chemotherapy, immunotherapy, surgery, etc. As per reviews, Dr. P. Yadav is one of the best oncologists in this institute.
Indraprastha Apollo Hospital located in Delhi
Widely admired as one of the best healthcare centers in India, IAH offers treatment to both new as well as the terminal cancer patients. Its services in this arena include – chemotherapy, less-invasive and full-fledged surgeries, robotic surgical procedures, and many more. So, if you want to opt for this hospice, then you can opt for Dr. S. M. S. Zaidi.
Fortis Malar Hospital located in the city of Chennai
In terms of efficiency, FMH has one of the best Pulmonology departments in the whole country. With its adept doctors and state-of-the-art infrastructure, it has treated hundreds of lung cancer patients successfully. Dr. K. Rajkumar of this hospital is one of the best in the business.
Fortis Anandapur Hospital in Kolkata
Unlike the previous option, FAH offers two different types of treatment procedures to cure its patients. These include – chemotherapy and surgery. If you are looking for a pair of safest hands in this hospital, then Dr. J. K. Jha should be your go-to option.
Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road
Like any other healthcare center from Fortis lineage, Fortis Hospital, too, provides radiation, immunotherapy, chemotherapy, surgery, etc, to cure the condition. If you are looking for the best option in the institute, then we would suggest you to opt for Dr. Bharath G.
Indian oncologists, radiologists, and surgeons are found in almost all the major countries, showing promising results and high success rates. This is also an indirect reason, why many people seek lung cancer treatment in India. Paired with advanced and improved technology in the field, the specialists are now capable of producing high success records every year. The oncologists are furnished with incomparable knowledge, the ability of quick thinking, and decades of experience which makes them the best on a global scale.
Dr. Arvind Kumar
Dr. Suresh Advani
Dr. Ashok Vaid
Dr. Harpreet Singh
Dr. Kapil Kumar
With the introduction of modern technology, lung cancer treatment in India has witnessed the sun above the horizon. The success rates of both 5-year and 10-year survival have increased manifolds, thereby standing on-line with the major countries in the world. A research study in 2013 shows that the success rates for both former and latter are approximately 55.6% and 80% respectively. However, the record of success rate over the last decade shows an increase of approximately 17.8% for the former.
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