Is India good for cancer treatment?
Cancer is said to be one of the most prevalent diseases among Indians, and the sad part is that India ranks third in the world for cancer deaths. The line is pointing north, and a 20-25 percent rise is expected by 2025. As a result, we must be prepared to combat the dreaded diseases, with knowledge of the conditions and treatments being the first move. According to Dr. Sandeep Nayak, who is one of the best Oncologist in India, India has one the best cancer treatment facilities that too within a economical budget in comparison to other countries. There are even xcenters in India that offer cancer care to patients for free thanks to donations and government programs.
THE CAUSES OF CANCER
Every year over 6 lac people in India succumb to cancer in India. Oral, lung, and throat cancers are the most common cancers in men in India, while breast cancer, cervix cancer, and ovarian cancers are the most common cancers in women. Cancers of the colon, prostate, and kidney are also prevalent in the elderly. According to reports, the causes of 25% of cancers, such as bone cancer, leukemia, and others, are unknown. In India, the majority of cancer cases are oral cancers in men caused by excessive consumption of tobacco and its ingredients. Obesity and genetic factors play a role in breast, uterine, and kidney cancer in women. Cervical cancer is a result of personal hygiene issues. Tobacco use, obesity, and cancer-causing bacteria continue to be the leading causes of all cancers.
INDIA’S TREATMENT VS. THAT OF OTHER COUNTRIES
Every other day, we wake up to the news of some celebrity catching cancer and also that most of them moving abroad for care. But, the words coming out of the horse’s mouth tell a different story. Ask India’s top oncologists and cancer specialists, and they’ll tell you that India is one of the best places to get cancer care. The primary explanation is the cost factor. When considering the cost of care in Dollars or Pounds, India is about 500 percent to 700 percent less expensive. Furthermore, due to globalization having the latest medications in India is fast, at the latest by 3 months or so. India not only has specialist oncologists, but it also has state-of-the-art equipment and treatment facilities in cancer hospitals across the country.
CANCER TREATMENT TYPES
The treatment plan is determined by the condition’s diagnosis and current level. Surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, hormone therapy, stem cell transplant, targeted therapy, and precision medicine are all popular cancer therapies in India. The treatment may involve one or a combination of two or more of the treatments listed above, with radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and surgery is the most common.
Cyber Knife Surgery, a non-invasive, pain-free robotic radiation therapy with no side effects, is the most recent advancement in cancer care in India.
The following are the cancer treatment options currently available in India:
- Surgery is the removal of tumors from the body by a surgeon.
- Radiation therapy kills cancer cells and shrinks tumors by delivering high doses of radiation to the affected areas.
- Chemotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that involves the use of drugs and pharmaceuticals to kill cancer cells.
- Immunotherapy: This activates the immune system to combat cancer.
- Hormone therapy is used to stop breast and prostate cancers from growing because they rely on hormones to grow.
- Patients who have had their blood-forming stem cells destroyed by massive doses of chemotherapy and radiation may benefit from stem-cell transplants.
- Doctors use precision medicine based on their genetic knowledge of the disease.
- Targeted therapy is a procedure that uses targeted drugs to attack cancer cells that are growing and spreading.
INDIA’S CANCER TREATMENT COSTS
The cost varies depending on the type of cancer, its level, the treatment method, and the hospital. Traditional, standard, or cytotoxic chemotherapy are among the options for chemotherapy treatment, while radiation therapy options include systemic radiation therapy (SRT), radio immunotherapy, and intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT), to name a few. The cost is determined by the type of treatment used and the number of cycles completed. Radiotherapy, on the other hand, is said to be the most costly of all.