Cancer Treatments in India

Treatment of cancer is called oncology. Oncology involves a vast band of studies. Oncology is derived from a Greek word which means ‘mass’ or ‘bulk’, referring to tumor. Doctor who treats cancers is called an oncologist. As cancer can spread its fatal roots in various organs of the complex human body, oncologists prefer to specialize in specific branch of it like lung cancer, brain cancer and the like. Some oncologists specialize in chemotherapy while some are masters of radiation therapy. Another term coined for cancer treatment is medical oncology which is the science of treating and curing cancer with anti cancer drugs. Treatment of cancer depends on the type of cancer and the organ affected. Age of the patient, his/her general health and the stage to which cancer has reached also determines the type of treatment/surgery to be performed. Cancer treatments in India have given hope to numerous sufferers to be relieved at a comfortable cost.

Cancer Treatments in India

Treatments and Surgery for Cancer in India

  1. Medical oncology
    1. Chemotherapy of haematological malignancies
    2. Diagnostic tests
    3. Chemotherapy of solid tumors
    4. Bone marrow and stem cell transplantation
    5. Immunotherapy and targeted therapy of haematological malignancies and solid tumors involving Herceptin, Avastin, Mabthera and Interleukin.
    6. Chemoport insertion
    7. Day care chemotherapy
  2. Radiation oncology
    1. Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT)
    2. Linear Accelerator (LINAC)
    3. Simulator
    4. Cobalt Unit
    5. 3D Conformal Radiation Therapy (3D-CRT)
    6. Brachytherapy
  3. Microscopic brain tumor surgery All kinds of brain tumors are removed microscopically. A few examples of brain tumors operated are-
    1. Pituitary tumors
    2. Glioma
    3. Acoustic tumors
    4. Meningiomas
    5. Skull tumors
    6. Intra-Ventricular tumors

Advancements in Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment in India

Two new advancements have been reported in India in the sphere of cancer diagnosis and treatment. Both are elaborated below-
  1. The researchers at Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre (RGCIRC), New Delhi have successfully used the radioactive material Technetium-99m (99m Tc) glucarate as a new tumor imaging agent that can also assess how cancer cells act in response to the therapy.
  2. A team from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi reported that philocarpine which is an alkaloid, can be used during radiotherapy in head and neck cancer patients to curtail the incapacitating side effects of pharyngeal toxicity and speech difficulty.

Both of the above therapies are highly cost effective which makes India a decent choice over prevalent costly imaging techniques and radiotherapy drugs.

Cost Effectiveness of Cancer Treatments in India

Cancer treatments in India are provided to you at a fraction of cost of that in the Western World and other developed countries. The total treatment trip costs you less than what you have to pay only for the medical treatment. The rapidly progressing medical tourism packages facilitate your treatment trip at a meager cost.

Oncology has traveled a long way as early surgeons were able only to expurgate the tumors with the most primordial means. It has leaped forward during the past three decades with vast improvements in prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Cancer treatments in India ensure you a healing process which kicks out the catastrophic invader in your body.