Advanced Blood Cancer Treatment in India: How Cost-effective is it?
Patients struggling with blood cancer are in dire need of a solution that seamlessly combines expertise, compassion, and cutting-edge technology to navigate through their challenging journey.
With a healthcare landscape steeped in innovation, India boasts world-class hospitals and specialized cancer centers equipped to address the multifaceted needs of patients confronting various forms of blood cancer.
From the crucial stage of diagnosis to the formulation of personalized treatment plans, blood cancer treatment in India is primed to tackle the complexities associated with this formidable disease head-on.
India’s relatively lower treatment costs make quality healthcare more attainable for individuals from diverse socio-economic backgrounds.
Let’s learn about how treatment in India can help you in your blood cancer healing journey.
Cancer is like a group of rebellious cells in your body that start growing out of control. Normally, our body has cells that grow, divide, and die in an orderly way.
But when someone has cancer, these cells don’t follow the rules anymore. They keep dividing and making more cells when they’re not supposed to.
Now, with blood cancer, it’s like these rebel cells start causing trouble in your blood-making factory, which is called the bone marrow. Your bone marrow is like a little factory inside your bones where blood cells are made.
These blood cells are super important because they help fight off infections, carry oxygen around your body, and stop bleeding.
But in blood cancer, something goes wrong in this factory. The rebel cells start growing there, messing up the production line. They produce abnormal blood cells that don’t work properly.
So, instead of having good, healthy blood cells doing their job, you end up with cancerous cells.
This can lead to all sorts of problems because your body isn’t getting the right kind of blood cells it needs.
But the good news is, doctors have been getting better at treating blood cancer. With new treatments and therapies, more and more people can live longer and better lives, even with blood cancer.
The exact causes of blood cancer aren’t completely clear, but it’s thought to be a mix of genetic and environmental factors.
Smoking, being exposed to radiation, and certain chemicals have all been associated with a higher chance of developing certain types of blood cancers.
Additionally, infections like the Epstein-Barr virus, HIV, and the human T-cell lymphoma/leukemia virus can also increase the risk of developing lymphomas and leukemias.
What are the different types of blood cancer?
The three main types of blood and bone marrow cancer are leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma.
Leukemia is a blood cancer that starts in the blood and bone marrow. It happens when the body makes too many abnormal white blood cells, which can stop the bone marrow from making enough red blood cells and platelets.
It is divided into four types based on the kind of white blood cell it affects.
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Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL)
People with ALL make more lymphocytes and crowd out healthy white blood cells. ALL can advance quickly if not treated timely. Children ages 3 to 5 are most likely to get it and adults aged 75+ can also get ALL.
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Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)
It lowers the number of healthy blood cells in white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. This form of leukemia grows faster and affects mainly people over age 65. It’s more common in men than women.
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Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)
This is the most common type of leukemia in adults and like ALL, it starts from lymphocytes in bone marrow, but it grows slowly. It affects people in their 70s or older.
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Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML)
This starts in myeloid cells, like AML. It is more common in men than women and usually affects adults.
It is a cancer of the lymphatic system, especially lymph nodes, and affects a specific type of white blood cell called lymphocytes. It is usually found in adults. It reports over half of all the diagnosed cases of blood cancer. There are two types of Lymphoma:
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Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
Hodgkin lymphoma is another blood cancer that develops in the lymphatic system from lymphocytes. It’s identified by an abnormal lymphocyte known as the Reed-Sternberg cell.
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Non–Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a blood cancer that develops in the lymphatic system from cells called lymphocytes. These cells help the body fight infections.
Multiple myeloma is a blood cancer that starts in plasma cells, a type of white blood cell made in the bone marrow.
Myeloma affects your body’s immune system, leaving it prone to infection. This cancer is often called multiple myeloma because it is found in multiple parts of your bone marrow. Men over the age of 50 are most likely to get it.
Other less common blood and bone marrow cancers and related disorders include:
- Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) is a rare condition that may occur due to damage to blood-forming cells in the bone marrow.
- Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) is a rare blood cancer where the body produces too many white blood cells, red blood cells, or platelets. Subtypes include essential thrombocythemia (ET), myelofibrosis (MF), and polycythemia vera (PV).
- Although Amyloidosis is not cancer, this rare disorder involves the buildup of an abnormal protein called amyloid and is closely linked with multiple myeloma.
- Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia is A rare type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that starts in B cells.
- Aplastic anemia is another rare condition that occurs when crucial stem cells are damaged and can only be treated with a bone marrow transplant.
Signs of Blood Cancer may vary in:
- The types of cells they affect.
- How fast they grow.
- How far do they spread into the body?
Though each type of blood cancer is different, they can contribute to some common symptoms and signs. Some people may not have any symptoms of blood cancer until the infection is developed. Or they may misunderstand the symptoms of a severe cold or flu.
Here are some of the symptoms of blood cancer:
- Fever and chills
- Pain in bones or joints
- Feeling persistently tired and weak
- Loss of appetite and nausea
- Unexplained weight loss
- Night sweats
- Discomfort in the abdomen
- Headaches
- Difficulty breathing
- Frequent infections
- Itchy skin or rash
- Swollen lymph nodes in the neck, underarms, or groin
The stages of blood cancer are divided based on metastasis. Corresponding to the symptoms and rate of metastasis, the different stages of blood cancer are determined.
Stage 1:
The first stage includes the enlargement of the lymph nodes. This happens due to the sudden increase in the number of lymphocytes. The risk at this stage is very low since it has not spread to other parts of the body.
Stage 2:
During the second stage, the spleen, liver, and lymph nodes get enlarged. One of the organs gets affected for sure and the growth of lymphocytes is very high at this stage.
Stage 3:
In this stage, anemia develops, and more than two organs are affected.
Stage 4:
This is the last stage of blood cancer with a high-risk ratio. The rate of blood platelets starts dropping rapidly. The affected cells start damaging the lungs and other organs which were already affected in the earlier stages.
India has made significant strides in the field of blood cancer treatment, showcasing remarkable advancements.
Leading hospitals in the country are equipped with dedicated teams of oncologists, hematologists, and bone marrow transplant specialists, ensuring round-the-clock care. Leveraging cutting-edge technology, India has witnessed a notable increase in the remission rate of symptoms, alongside improvements in patient survival rates.
Recent scientific advancement in India
Alka Dwivedi, a graduate student at IIT Bombay, was inspired to explore the possibility of developing CAR T-cell therapy in India due to the high cost and potential side effects associated with existing treatments being tested in the US.
Alongside colleagues Rahul Purwar and Gaurav Narula, she sought to create a therapy tailored to the needs of Indian patients. Through collaboration with experts at the NIH Clinical Center, they gained valuable insights into CAR T-cell therapy.
This led to the development of NexCAR19, India’s first approved CAR-T cell therapy, which was authorized by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization in October 2023. Clinical trials conducted in India showed promising results, with a significant reduction in cancer extent observed in a majority of patients.
Two small trials were conducted in India involving 64 people with advanced lymphoma or leukemia. The results, presented in December 2023, showed that 67% of patients experienced a significant reduction in their cancer, with about half of them having their cancer disappear completely.
Treatment will depend on the type of Blood Cancer, age, how fast the cancer is developing, and whether the cancer has spread to other parts of your body. Blood cancer treatment in India has massively improved over the last few decades, several types of blood cancers are now highly treatable.
Blood cancer treatment in India includes the following:
An Anticancer drug that is introduced to the body via injection into the vein or sometimes taken as a pill to kill and halt the production of cancer cells. This treatment is often carried out for several months. It can be done on an outpatient or inpatient basis depending upon diagnosis of blood cancer. Doctors use chemotherapy to treat cancer and also relieve the symptoms such as shrinking tumors that can cause pain.
Depending on the stage and type of blood cancer, chemotherapy is either given through mouth or injection. Usually, the chemotherapy is given in cycles with a treatment period followed by rest that allows the body to recover and build strength. For blood cancer treatment in India, doctors often use chemotherapy along with radiation therapy.
There are some side effects of chemotherapy depending upon the type of treatment including fatigue, nausea, and hair loss.
This type of treatment involves high-energy radiation to kill cancer cells. They may be given chemotherapy at times. They are given through injections or tablets into the vein. This treatment takes several days or months and blood cancer cells keep dying even after the therapy ends. The session will take 30 mins to 1 hour every five days a week for 7-20 weeks usually, the patient needs a 2-3 day break after 5 days to help restore the healthy cells.
Two types of radiation therapy include:
External radiation therapy:
This therapy uses a machine to send streams of energy into the blood cancer cells through the skin. Before the process, the patient has to undergo a simulation that measures the angle at which radiation has to be done.
Only specific areas with cancer are open to radiation while the remaining parts of the body like ovaries and testes are under the shield. Hence there are fewer chances of skin reactions in patients.
Internal radiation therapy:
In this therapy, the source of radiation is inside the body and it can be a liquid or a solid. During this therapy, the patient’s blood count needs close supervision since he/she might need a blood transfusion. The treatment involves damaging the DNA in cancer cells.
There are some side effects of radiation therapy like Fatigue, skin problems, decrease in blood cell count, hair loss, dizziness, variation in blood pressure, and heartbeat. The most affected areas during the treatment include the heart, kidneys, chest, head, neck, and central nervous system.
This form of treatment involves drugs that kill malignant blood cells, without harming normal cells. A potential target for this therapy would be protein present in the cancer cells. It can involve different things like blocking the cancer cells from growing and dividing, preventing the cells from living longer, or destroying the cancer cells themselves.
There are several types of target therapy available but the most common ones are monoclonal antibodies and small-molecule drugs.
Monoclonal antibodies:
They block specific targets outside cancer cells that might be an area around cancer.
Small-molecule drugs:
These drugs block the process that helps cancer cells to multiply. Angiogenesis inhibitors are an example of this type of therapy that makes new blood vessels. A tumor needs blood vessels to bring its nutrients and angiogenesis starves the tumor by preventing new blood vessels from forming tissue around it.
In this treatment, healthy bone marrow is infused into your body to produce healthy blood followed by therapy to destroy malignant blood cells. This bone marrow is very rich in stem cells which help in growing in all types of blood cells including red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. BMT is a permanent cure and the best blood cancer treatment in India.
There are three types of bone marrow transplants for blood cancer:
1. Autologous Transplantation
It is a stage when stem cells are collected from a patient prior to chemotherapy treatment and re-introduced into the patient’s body after treatment. The high doses of chemotherapy kill the cancerous cells in the blood.
2. Allogeneic transplantation
It is a stage when a patient receives stem cells from a related or unrelated donor.
Depending on the relation of the donor and the matching of tissue, Allogenic BMT is further classified into 3 types. They are;
a) Complete Matched Sibling Donor BMT: In this, the donor is most likely to be a brother or sister of the patient. These are often a complete match to the patient’s tissue.
b) Haplo-identical BMT: It is a type of Allogenic BMT in which parents are usually a donor to the patient since they are a half match for their children. In cases, where a complete match is not found and the patients do not have any siblings, the expert surgeon considers the parents to be a donor and perform Haplo-identical BMT.
c) Unrelated Donor BMT: In cases, where there is no sibling and the parents are also not a match for the patient, then Un-related Donor BMT is the solution, in which a donor who is unrelated to you is made available for the transplant from the Donor Match Registry.
3. Umbilical cord blood transplant
This is a type of allogeneic transplant. Right after birth, stem cells are extracted from a newborn baby’s umbilical cord. The stem cells are frozen and kept until a transplant is required. Because umbilical cord blood cells are so immature, perfect matching isn’t required. Blood counts take much longer to recover due to the lower number of stem cells.
Because most of the blood stem cells live in bone marrow, bone marrow transplants are also known as stem cell transplants in some countries. It involves harvesting bone marrow from a donor through a needle while the donor is under anesthesia.
This treatment activates the immune system to kill cancer cells. It can work directly with your body’s immune system to slow the growth of cancer cells or destroy the cancer cells. Immunotherapy treatment is carried out one or a few times a week for several weeks. In most cases, you will receive a shot of immunotherapy into a vein over the course of a few hours.
There are a few side effects of having immunotherapy depending upon the agent used and also differ from person to person.
These treatments often can cause rashes or swelling at the injection area and may cause headaches, muscle aches, fever, and weakness.
Different types of Immunotherapy include:
Cytokines:
These are proteins made by white blood cells to regulate the immune response and help to slow the growth of cancer cells. There are two types of cytokines – interferon and interleukin.
Gene Therapy:
In this approach, genetic materials are inserted into the cells to fight blood cancer using a viral vector.
Immunomodulators:
These are the substances that affect the eBay cells interacting with each other to divide and grow.
Monoclonal antibodies:
These are lab-produced antibodies that bind to cancer cells and allow the immune system to kill the cancer cells in the blood and bone marrow.
Blood cancer treatment explained by renowned consultant hematologist, hemato – oncologist & Bone Marrow Transplant – Dr Puneet Jain
Treatment and surgery costs in India are nearly half compared to developed nations, making it more accessible for patients seeking quality care without financial strain.
At the same time, some of the best countries for blood cancer treatment like the US, Germany, and Japan are super expensive.
The cost of blood cancer treatment in India starts from as low as 500 USD for evaluation and may vary depending on the stage, treatment protocol, and other factors, ensuring affordability and transparency in healthcare services.
The median expense for Blood Cancer Treatment in India stands at 10,94,000 INR (13,1210 USD), while the highest fee can reach up to 22,00,000 INR (26,387 USD).
The cost analysis of blood cancer treatment across various countries underscores India’s remarkable cost-effectiveness in this regard.
In the United States, the average cost per patient spans from nearly 89,000 USD for chronic leukemia to exceeding 460,000 USD for acute leukemia, showcasing substantially high expenses. Similarly, in Germany, the costs are significant, with chemotherapy ranging from €10,000 (11,000 USD) to €50,000 (54,000 USD) per year, radiation therapy from €20,000 (21,500 USD) to €50,000 (54,000 USD) per year, and stem cell transplantation from €50,000 (54,000 USD) to €200,000 (216000 USD).
Even in Japan, the first CAR-T therapy approved, priced at approximately 33 million yen (equivalent to around 300,000 USD), indicates considerable expenses. In India, the cost is between 30,000 USD and 40,000 USD.
On the other hand, India offers a much more cost-effective option for blood cancer treatment. With overall costs ranging from INR 3.8 lakh (4500 USD) to INR 22 lakh (26000 USD), Indian healthcare provides significantly lower expenses compared to other countries, making it a highly attractive destination for patients seeking quality treatment at a fraction of the cost.
India offers top-notch healthcare services with well-trained doctors and specialized operative and post-operative care teams capable of handling complex cases.
The hospitals here follow a Multidisciplinary approach. Patients can consult various oncologists including medical, surgical, and radiation oncologists, ensuring a comprehensive treatment plan tailored to their needs.
Additionally, hospitals in India provide facilities for bone marrow transplantation, which is the only permanent cure for blood cancer, ensuring comprehensive treatment options.
Moreover, in many hospitals, the ‘Tumor Board’ approach is followed. The ‘Tumor Board’ approach involves a group of highly qualified cancer experts who evaluate each case comprehensively and recommend the best treatment approach, resulting in better outcomes.
India has witnessed a significant increase in blood cancer survival rates over the past decade, with rates ranging from 60-90% depending on factors such as stage of cancer, age, comorbidities, and chosen treatment protocol.
When it comes to diagnosing and treating blood cancer, your doctor will most likely use a multidisciplinary approach.
The type of blood cancer you have, your age, how quickly the cancer is progressing, and whether the cancer has spread to other parts of your body will all influence your treatment.
The following are some of the most common treatments that your doctor may combine two or more treatments depending upon your condition: Chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapies, bone marrow transplantation, surgery, and immunotherapy are some of the options for treating cancer.
Blood cancer treatment is an expensive process. To fight cancer, patients will need a lot of time and money.
The most effective cancer treatment is found in the USA, India, Singapore, and the UK. However, not everyone can afford the treatment in developed countries.
The cost of treatment and surgery is nearly half when compared with the developed nations. Many international citizens have been enticed to seek treatment in India because of the availability of world-class treatment at a reasonable cost.
India’s healthcare system includes well-trained doctors and specialized, well-trained operative and post-operative care teams capable of handling complex cases at a reasonable cost.
So, if you’re looking for the best combination of results and affordability, India is the best option.
While choosing a hospital in India, you should keep these factors in mind:
- Choose a hospital in India that offers world-class healthcare services and has the capability for bone marrow transplantation, as it is the only permanent cure for blood cancer.
- Ensure the hospital provides access to various oncologists such as medical, surgical, and radiation oncologists, along with a well-trained paramedical staff to address the complexities of battling cancer.
- Consider the success rate and survival rates of both the oncologist team and the hospital itself to gauge their effectiveness in treating blood cancer.
- Opt for hospitals affiliated with the MedicoExperts Panel, which has been curated based on the aforementioned criteria, ensuring quality care and comprehensive treatment options for patients.
While choosing the oncologist in India keep these points in mind:
- Consult different oncologists including medical oncologists, surgical oncologists, and radiation oncologists when selecting the best oncologist for treating blood cancer.
- Consider their experience and survival rates as crucial factors before undergoing treatment.
- Embrace the ‘Tumour Board’ approach, a recent and unique method in cancer treatment.
- The Tumour Board comprises highly qualified cancer experts from medical, surgical, and radiation oncology fields.
- They conduct a comprehensive evaluation of your medical case and recommend the most suitable treatment approach, which may involve a combination of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and/or surgery.
- Tumour board reviews adopt a multidisciplinary approach to cancer treatment, leveraging expertise from various specialties to ensure the best possible outcomes.
- MedicoExperts utilizes this tumor board approach to provide patients worldwide with the best blood cancer treatment in India, boasting the highest survival rates.
The cost of blood cancer treatment in India comes with several major benefits. A team of expert oncologists and doctors with years of experience and the best of hospitals in India that are endowed with the latest innovation and cutting-edge technology are available to provide complete care.
The evaluation cost of blood cancer treatment in India starts from 500 USD (41691 INR). To ensure a complete cure, a bone marrow transplantation will be recommended. The cost of a autologous bone marrow transplant cost in India is around USD 10,400. ( 800000 INR) and allogeneic bone marrow transplant cost in India is nearly USD 18,000. (15,00,000 INR).
A combination of therapies is done to ensure better results. Chemotherapy costs range from 500 USD (41691 INR) to 1,000 USD(83383 INR) per cycle. The cost of radiation therapy is approximately USD 3500 (291841 INR) – USD 5500 (458608 INR).
However, the cost depends upon multiple factors including stage, treatment, protocol, age, and associated comorbidities. You should treat this cost as an indicative cost.
To know, what would be blood cancer treatment cost in India for you, you may like to get in touch with us and we can advise tentative cost and treatment plan.
The blood cancer survival rate in India has increased significantly over the past decade.
The rate of blood cancer survival rate in India depends completely on early detection and timely treatment of blood cancer.
The 5 year Blood cancer survival rate in India varies anywhere between 60-90% depending on the stage of cancer, Other comorbidities, age of the patient, and treatment protocol chosen.
The blood cancer survival rates in India are more than 75% in patients who have undergone bone marrow transplants as a treatment for blood cancer.
Frequently Asked Questions and patient concerns:
1. Which part of the body can get affected by Cancer?
Cancer can occur in any part of the body, and they are usually painless and present as swellings or growths. They gradually enlarge and damage the surrounding tissue.
2. Is blood cancer curable in India?
Yes, blood cancer is curable in India.
3. Is Blood Cancer transmittable?
Cancer is a non-communicable disease that does not spread from one person to another. Certain cancers may have a hereditary cause which means a person is at higher risk of getting cancer if his/her family had specific cancer. These cancers are breast, ovarian, colorectal, and other common cancers.
4. How to prevent Blood Cancer?
Avoid exposure to radiation, and chemicals such as pesticides or benzene. Avoid smoking or consuming tobacco in any form. Stay active and have a healthy diet that can help reduce the risk of developing any diseases.
5. How is Blood Cancer detected?
The Common Blood Count (CBC) test measures the amount of various blood cells in your blood. Blood cancer can be detected if too many blood cells or abnormal cells are found.
6. How does Cancer spread so fast?
Malignant tumors tend to grow faster than other tumors. Cancer grows as it invades the surrounding structures and causes damage. It spreads to the draining lymph nodes and through the bloodstream, it spreads to other parts of the body like the lung, liver, bones, brain, etc.
7. How is Cancer treated?
Cancer can be treated through surgery, drugs, and radiation. Treatment usually requires more than one type of treatment like surgery with radiation or drugs.
8. What are the factors on which Blood cancer treatment cost in India varies?
The cost depends upon multiple factors including stage, treatment, protocol, age, and associated comorbidities. For example, the cost of a Bone marrow transplant is way higher than chemotherapy cycles.
Moreover, your selection of Hospital and treating doctor is also one of the major differentiators of the cost.
9. Are blood cancers painful?
Blood cancers are usually painless, but they can ache for some people. If lumps or swellings exist deeper within your body and press on organs such as your lungs, you may experience pain, discomfort, or shortness of breath.
10. What happens if you have blood cancer?
Cancer cells can swell your lymph nodes, tonsils, liver, and spleen as they accumulate. You might notice lumps in your neck or armpits, or you might feel full after a small meal. You might be able to lose a lot of weight without even trying. Bone pain can be caused by cancer cells growing in your bone marrow.
Best Blood Cancer Hospital In India
The best blood cancer hospital in India are equipped with cutting-edge technology and protocols to provide the best cancer care and outcomes.
Here is a list of the best cancer hospitals in India which provide the best blood cancer treatment in India:
MedicoExperts is a Global virtual hospital which is established to offer quality healthcare services at affordable pricing without compromising the success rates of the treatment.
MedicoExperts is having a network of highly experienced super specialist doctors and well equipped hospitals across the globe and offering second opinion through online video consultation and surgical interventions through its empanelled super specialist doctors at its network hospitals in 17 countries from 3 continents.
By the virtue of its approach and model, MedicoExperts is successfully achieve to deliver
- Latest and most advanced treatments with success rates of international benchmarks.
- Multiple cost options depending upon the hospital facilities, with the same doctor.
- Treatment option in multiple cities/state/countries.
- Trust and peace of mind.
Most suitable for patients who are looking for:-
- Planned Surgeries and treatment from most experienced doctors and at multiple cost options as per hospital facilities with best possible outcomes.
- Second Opinion from expert doctors.
- Complex cases involving multi specialities
- International patients looking for treatment from Indian doctors
