How Much Does Radiotherapy Cost Per Session in India?

Radiotherapy Cost Per Session in India

Radiotherapy is one of the most effective and widely used treatments for cancer. In India, where the cases of cancer are steadily rising, radiotherapy has become a cornerstone of oncology care.

Understanding radiotherapy cost per session in India is essential for families planning cancer treatment.

Radiation therapy is used to treat cancer and relieve cancer symptoms.

Continue reading this article to understand what is radiotherapy, how much does radiotherapy cost per session in India and its risk factors.

What is Radiotherapy?

Radiotherapy, also known as radiation therapy, is an effective treatment for many types of cancer. This treatment uses beams of intense radiation to kill or damage cancer cells; thus stopping the cancer to grow or spread.

It uses high-powered radiation, like X-rays, to destroy cancer cells. Modern radiotherapy is designed to target tumours while reducing exposure to surrounding healthy tissues, but some nearby normal cells may still be affected. During treatment, nearby healthy cells may be affected, but they usually repair themselves over time.

Different forms of radiotherapy use different types of radiation, such as:

• X-rays
• Electron beams
• Gamma rays
• Proton beams

Health experts may give you radiotherapy together with other treatments, like chemotherapy and surgery.

How is RadioTherapy Used in Patients With Cancer?

Radiation therapy or Radiotherapy may be used at different times or for different reasons during your cancer treatment.

Doctor may suggest radiation:

• Primary Treatment: It is the main approach that is used to treat cancer. It typically includes surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy.
• Neoadjuvant Therapy: It is the treatment that is given to the patient before the primary treatment or surgery. Neoadjuvant Therapy is used to shrink a cancer.
• Adjuvant Therapy: It is the treatment given to the individual after the primary treatment. It usually eliminates or stops the growth of any remaining cancer cells.
• Concurrent Therapy: Treatment used alongside other therapies, such as combining chemotherapy with radiation to enhance the overall effectiveness.

Radiotherapy Cost Per Session in India

Let’s review the table to determine the approximate price of Radiotherapy Cost Per Session in India.

Here, the following table highlights a better understanding of price ranges in different cities:

Radiotherapy is expensive in India due to the use of some advanced techniques. The whole radiation procedure price is different in each city in India.

Technology-Based Radiotherapy Cost in India

The cost of radiotherapy in India varies significantly based on the type of technology used, the hospital, and the city.

Let’s understand the average cost per session  of radiotherapy and the total treatment cost:

Conventional External Beam Radiation

• Cost per session: Rs.4,000 –Rs.8,000
• Total cost (25–30 sessions): Rs.1,00,000 –Rs.2,25,000

IMRT (Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy)

• Cost per session: Rs. 7,500 – 20,000 per session
• Total cost: Rs.2,00,000 –Rs.4,50,000

IGRT (Image-Guided Radiation Therapy)

• Cost per session: Rs. 12,000–22,000
• Total cost: Rs.2,50,000 –Rs.5,00,000

CyberKnife (Stereotactic Radiosurgery)

• Cost per session: Rs.1,00,000 –Rs.2,00,000
• Total cost (3–5 sessions): Rs.3 Lakh –Rs.8 Lakh

Proton Therapy

India currently has very limited access to proton therapy, with only one fully operational center (Chennai) and a few more in development.

• Cost per session: Rs.1,50,000 –Rs.2,50,000
• Total cost (15–30 sessions): Rs.15 Lakh –Rs.25Lakh

Factors Affecting Radiotherapy Costs

Some of the key factors influencing the cost of radiotherapy are listed below:

• Type of Technology
• Hospital Type
• City and Location
• Number of Sessions
• Doctor’s Expertise
• Pre- and Post-Treatment Costs

Benefits of Performing RadioTherapy 

Some of the advantages of radio therapy for cancer are outlined below:

1. It stops the growth of cancer cells and prevents relapse.
2. It helps treat cancer-related symptoms such as pain, bladder, and breathing issues.
3. Minimal invasive process.
4. Improves quality of life.

Risks of Radiotherapy

Not all patients experience side effects after radiotherapy. It depends upon the part of the body, where radiation is getting and how much is used. Although, the patients who are experiencing side effects, can be easily managed during treatment. After treatment, most side effects will go away.

Usually, these side effects only affect the part of your body receiving radiation directly.

General Side effects are:

• Fatigue
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Headaches
• Skin irritation
• Dry, itchy scalp
• Hair loss
• Mouth sores
• Pain while swallowing
• Loss of appetite
• Burning sensation in the throat or chest
• Pain or a burning sensation when urinating

Side Effects Based on the Treated Body Part

Summing Up

Radiotherapy helps to stop and reduce the recurrence of cancer cells with few side effects such as hair loss, skin irritation and fatigue. When radiotherapy is used to treat cancer it can cure cancer, stop it from returning, or prevent or slow its growth.

In India the price of radio therapy can be quite expensive due to complex machines and involvement of many experts. The price of radio therapy  depends on the expenditure of health care where you live, what type of radiation therapy individual get, and how many treatments you need.

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