Importance of Cancer Chemotherapy Treatment
Chemotherapy is a drug treatment given by oral or IV route to the cancer patient and is considered to be the first line of chemo treatment in most of the cancers.
It is commonly used to treat cancer in the case where the cell is growing uncontrollably.
Chemotherapy is used for various cancer types as first-line treatment or in combination with radiation therapy or surgery.
A wide range of chemo drugs is used for different types of cancer and its different stages alone or in combination.
It is the treatment used to kill cancerous cells where no other treatment methods are sufficient.
Chemotherapy is usually given in a set of multiple doses to stop the progression of cancer cells from further spreading and complete cycles of chemotherapy are administered to the patient with the intent to bring remission.
Chemotherapy starts from Rs. 12,000 for a day care old generation drugs such as paclitaxel combinations and it can cost a patient up to Rs 40,000.
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So, repeated doses of chemotherapy are required in cyclic intervals according to the cancer type and stage.
The frequency of the cycle is determined by many factors such as the pre-planned chemo schedule, toxicity, patients’ response to the drugs, etc. can be used as a solo treatment also, and in some cases, it is applied after surgery like adjuvant therapy.
Cases Where Chemotherapy Is Applicable –
It is highly effective for more than half of the cancer types, basically in primary treatments
There are more than 100 powerful drugs used to kill the cancer cell, lowers its symptoms, and slows its growth in the body.
It is used after other cancer treatments to destroy hidden cancerous cells that may remain in the body.
It is also used to reduce the tumor before other treatments
Chemotherapy can reveal signs and symptoms after killing the affected cell.
It is used to stop the recurrence of cancer after radiotherapy or surgery.
How Chemotherapy Works In The Body?
Chemotherapy drugs are administered through injection, oral in case of pills or liquid drugs.
Because it circulates throughout the body in the bloodstream, it can treat cancer anywhere in the body.
After administration, it starts shrinking the tumor cell that makes it smaller and easy to remove.
It is working in different ways to kill cancer cells by attacking DNA cancerous cells, reducing its growth, and suppressing tumor size.
Other drugs that bind to the DNA and stop the unwinding process, which forms new identical copies. In the end, it directly attacks RNA and DNA to discontinue the growth of the tumor cell.
Cost of Cancer Chemotherapy in the World
Chemotherapy is the cheapest cancer treatment, but around the world, the cost varies concerning the country.
The table given below consists of the cost of chemotherapy in different countries:
Cost of Chemotherapy Treatment in Different Cities of India
As chemotherapy treatment is the cheapest in India, it attracts many people worldwide to get their treatment from India. However, in India, different cities have different chemotherapy costs.
Some of them are listed below:
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Many experienced doctors and renowned hospitals are in association with us. We provide number of facilities, as given in the table below:
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Chemo Treatment or Cancer Chemotherapy Treatment
Chemotherapy, as a part of treatment, depends on the type of cancer, its size, origin, and spread.
Chemotherapy treatment is applied to cure and reduce the chance of its reappearance and to stop tumor cell growth.
Because a healthy body is continuously dividing cells as per requirement, but in the case of tumor cells, it divides uncontrollably.
It is a sensitive treatment as it requires special care before and after surgery.
The goal behind this treatment relies on various factors like cancer types, pre-medical history, patient age, and some others. Here are some vital elements-
- To cure cancer which is continuously dividing in the body.
- Reducing the growth of cancer that limits its reach to the other parts of the body
- To arise its signs and symptoms which makes it easy to identify
- It is done to check the effect of chemotherapy treatment whether its working or not.
How often do you have to receive Chemotherapy Treatments?
The Oncologist decides how often you are going to undergo radiation therapies depending on what drugs you are going to take, the cancer symptoms, and how much your body responds after each treatment.
Timeframes for chemotherapy treatment vary. Treatment with chemotherapy can be continuous, or it can alternate between treatment periods and rest periods to help you recover.
Chemotherapy Cost In India
When we talk about the quality of various types of cancer treatments in case of brain tumor, thorax cancer, breast cancer, abdomen cancer, renal cancer, it ranges roughly around seven lakhs to 10 lakhs.
It includes all the procedures like diagnosis, chemotherapy treatment, and medications.
Its costs may reach 16 lacks in the case of breast and brain tumors. After splitting the chemotherapy treatment cost-
- PET scan costs approx. 25,000.
- Lung Biopsy can cost 10,000.
- One chemotherapy round costs around 12,000, minimum 5 to 6 rounds in a treatment.
- In radiation procedure- 15,000.
- Lodging and food cost at the hospital per day- 3,000.
- Other costs like blood units and medications per day cost around 5,000.
Collectively the sum is around 5 lakhs, but may vary as per hospital type, stage of cancer, age of the cancer patient, tumor size, and various other issues related to the cancer treatment.
Additional Cost
Apart from the fee for the main course of treatment, chemotherapy, several other things lay in the way.
Multiple tests and procedures need to be done before cancer treatment.
The additional cost is variable according to cancer, but the overall additional cost is divided into two main categories, such as:
- Pre – treatment cost –
Before the chemotherapy starts, several tests are conducted to check the functioning of some organs such as the brain, heart, kidney etc. Some of the tests included in the pre-treatment cost are:
- Post – treatment cost –
After the complete course of chemotherapy, some other tests are required to be done to check the overall health of the patient or if there are any other side effects due to the treatment, such as:
Which factors affect Chemotherapy Treatment Cost?
- Major part of the cost of treatment depends upon the drugs used in chemotherapy
- Then comes frequency and duration for which therapy is taken.
- Hospital charges are charged differently depending upon the type of facilities they provide. Some of the government hospitals might provide the treatment as an out-patient regimen and hence would certainly charge less.
Depending upon the type of cancer the approximate chemotherapy cost might range between Rs 3,000,00 to Rs 20,000,00 (US$ 3000 TO US$ 30,000) considering all different factors.
Over time with new drugs and techniques the pricing does vary a bit however the overall treatment is effective and can even be reimbursed by insurance.
What is the Average Chemotherapy Cost in India?
The approximate cost of eight weeks of chemotherapy might vary somewhere between Rs 20,000 to Rs 10,000,00.
Treatment with a few inexpensive drugs like 5-FU or leucovorin will cost approximately Rs 20,000 for eight weeks of therapy.
However, mostly for improved therapeutic effects, these inexpensive drugs are often used in combination with some of the newly developed drugs which are expensive and it can add up the cost differently as per the drug.
Is there any hidden cost involved in chemotherapy treatment?
Chemotherapy treatment cost involves mainly the drug cost, which is used for the treatment.
Besides that, there are several medical bills involved which are a fraction of the total financial chemotherapy treatment cost like travel or commuting to the hospital, diagnostics, and testing during the treatment, etc.
Prescription refilling from time to time also adds up to the main chemotherapy treatment cost.
It might lead to financial toxicity if the patient can’t afford refills during the later stages of the treatment. So for managing its treatment cost, careful planning is required.
Nowadays several online portals are available which assist in all matters related to cancer treatment from finding the best hospital to the best possible procedure for the particular type of cancer.
So it avoids visiting every single hospital and helps in managing the extra cost of the treatment.
How to Pay for Chemotherapy?
At times insurance companies do reject payments for some of the newly expensive chemotherapeutic drugs as their cost-cutting methods.
So, it is advisable to get a detailed discussion beforehand with your insurance provider.
Moreover, several pharmaceutical companies and hospitals offer support programs to help patients who can make up for this chemotherapy treatment cost a little light on their pocket in terms of affordability.
Chemotherapy Treatment in India for International Patients
India is one of those fastest-growing medical tourism destinations where the best cancer treatment is available at a very affordable cost.
A huge number of international as well as national patients get treated for cancer with chemotherapy every year in India.
It varies slightly depending upon the exact drugs used and the number of rounds required to treat cancer.
Still, chemotherapy cost in India is economical along with all facilities and availability of best drugs as well as doctors.
This mainly brings medical tourism patients in India from several developed countries like the USA, Europe, the Middle East, and from countries that have limited resources like Bangladesh, Africa, Sri Lanka, etc.
Chemotherapy for Cancer Patients in India is one of the reasons patients travel to India since the latest medicines are available in India
Side Effects of Chemotherapy
Common side effects of chemotherapy drugs comprise of:
- Nausea- it is advised to eat light meals after the procedure because it may cause nausea. Nausea is an unpleasant condition that causes sensation and discomfort in the chest and abdomen that results in vomiting.
- Vomiting- some drugs may cause nausea effects. Vomiting cannot be considered as a disease and cannot create any type of pain. It can cause weakness due to excess water loss
- Diarrhea- it is advised to take low-calorie foods because of weak digestion after the treatment. Diarrhea is a condition where watery tools are used more than one time in a day. It is a common problem and lasts a short time.
- Hair loss- people may experience hair loss after chemotherapy due to drugs. In some cases, facial hair or eyebrows are also lost.
- Mouth sores- some cancer treatment drugs may cause mouth ulcers, wounds, or infections due to radiation therapy.
- Bleeding problems- in the chemotherapy process, blood components like platelets dropped as bleeding problems may occur after a minor cut.
- Infertility- chemotherapy may reduce libido that causes an inability to produce offspring. Because cancer therapy may lower the sex life in men and women.
Results of Chemotherapy
Frequent visits to the Oncologist on the scheduled day during Chemotherapy treatment helps to know about any side effects experienced as many can be controlled.
Depending on the response to Chemotherapy, scans and other tests are undertaken to monitor the progress. It gives an idea about the response and thus the treatment can be manipulated.
Conclusion
It is the latest cancer treatment in which treatment is done at the molecular level. Surgery and all other related procedures are also useful, but chemotherapy can destroy every single cancerous cell.
It is considered as a complete cancer therapy except for some toxic side effects. Some are short term effects, and few can appear a few months after treatment. Due to all these factors, it is essential to monitor regularly after the procedure.
Note – Cancer Rounds is a known organization to provide solutions for chemotherapy for cancer patients in India as the team on boarded by Cancer Rounds comes with 20 years of average experience.
