Cost by Treatment Type — Full Breakdown

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The figures below are broad ranges for the treatment itself at a good private hospital, alongside the equivalent Western cost. Your real figure depends on your cancer, your stage and exactly what your plan involves — which is why a written estimate for your specific case matters more than any range.

Treatment	India	USA (private)	UK (private)
Chemotherapy (per cycle)	USD 400–1,500	USD 3,000–7,000	GBP 2,000–5,000
Radiation therapy (full course)	USD 3,000–7,000	USD 15,000–50,000	GBP 10,000–30,000
Robotic cancer surgery	USD 6,000–12,000	USD 30,000–60,000	GBP 15,000–30,000
Bone marrow transplant	USD 18,000–35,000	USD 100,000–300,000	GBP 80,000–200,000
Proton therapy (full course)	USD 20,000–35,000	USD 80,000–150,000	GBP 60,000–120,000
Targeted / immunotherapy (per dose)	USD 1,000–4,000	USD 5,000–15,000	GBP 4,000–10,000
PET-CT staging scan	USD 400–800	USD 3,000–6,000	GBP 2,000–4,000

Cost by Cancer Type

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Most cancers need a combination of treatments, so the total cost is rarely a single line item. The ranges below are broad guides for complete treatment of common cancers at a good private hospital, from early to more advanced stages.

Cancer type	India (complete treatment)
Breast cancer	USD 5,000–15,000
Prostate cancer	USD 6,500–12,000
Lung cancer	USD 6,000–14,000
Blood cancers (leukaemia, lymphoma)	USD 18,000–35,000 (with BMT)
Colorectal cancer	USD 6,000–13,000

For a deeper breakdown of one cancer, see our guide to breast cancer treatment in India, which sets out surgery, chemotherapy and radiation costs in detail alongside success rates.

Why India Is Cheaper Without Being Lower Quality

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This is the question every international patient quite reasonably asks, because in most things cheaper does mean worse. In cancer care in India, it genuinely does not, and it is worth understanding why so you can travel with confidence rather than suspicion.

The equipment is identical. The Da Vinci robots, the linear accelerators, the PET-CT scanners are the same models made by the same manufacturers used worldwide. The drugs are the same molecules. And India's leading hospitals hold the same JCI accreditation as top Western hospitals, assessed against the same patient-safety standards.

What differs is the cost base. Salaries, land, construction and administration all cost a fraction of what they do in the West, and India's hospitals run at high patient volumes that spread fixed costs efficiently. That, not any compromise in care, is where the saving comes from. To judge a hospital's quality yourself, our guide on how to choose a cancer hospital sets out exactly what to check.

The Hidden Costs to Plan For

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The treatment package is not the whole bill, and the gap between the two is where patients get caught out. Diagnostics, medicines outside the package, a longer-than-expected stay, and the cost of managing any complication can add 20 to 40 percent to the headline figure if you have not planned for them.

The honest way to handle this is to ask for an all-in written estimate that names what is included and what is not, and to keep a contingency fund of 15 to 25 percent for the unexpected. A trustworthy hospital or facilitator will give you this gladly. A vague verbal figure that keeps shifting is a warning sign.

What the Total Trip Costs

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For an international patient, the number that matters is not the surgical bill — it is the cost of the entire episode. That means treatment, hospital stay, accommodation for the full duration, food, local travel, and return flights for you and any companion.

Accommodation near the major hospital clusters in Gurugram, Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai runs roughly USD 30 to 80 a night for a serviced apartment suitable for a patient and companion. Where you are treated affects the total, and city guides help here — compare options in our best cancer hospitals in Delhi NCR, Mumbai and Bangalore and Chennai guides.

Even with every one of these added together, the saving against the United States or United Kingdom usually remains very large — which is exactly why more than two million international patients a year choose India for treatment.

Getting a Reliable Estimate for Your Case

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Every range on this page is just that — a range. The only number that helps you plan is an estimate built around your actual diagnosis, and you can get one before you book a single flight.

Send your pathology or biopsy report, your scans, and a short summary of your diagnosis and any treatment so far. Most major Indian hospitals review electronic copies and return a written estimate, and GAF Healthcare coordinates this across the right hospitals for your cancer so you can compare like with like.

Once you have a confirmed plan, a named specialist and an all-in written cost, you are in a position to decide calmly. To see how the hospitals themselves compare on accreditation, volume and technology, start with our pillar guide to the best cancer hospitals in India.