Cancer Treatment In India

Why do patients who need cancer treatment go to the west if they have the means and resources when India has more specialized advanced oncology departments then ever? It is the USA that is regarded as the best treatment point for cancer.

The answer is disappointing and sad- from diagnosis to therapy there is glaring knowledge gap. Some of the reasons are:

There is no compulsory registration of cancer patients and hence no data is available on different patterns of the disease. Since there is no information sharing all crucial decisions are taken by the individual doctor or pathologist. So there are about 28lacs of cancer at any given time in India, there are no official records regarding the number yet.

The system of tumour boards -teams of oncologists, radiologists, and pathologists, is mandatory for all cancer cases in the west, but yet to be found in India.

There are few specialized doctors with organ specific training and oncology centres with organ specific specialization.

Diagnostics such as molecular and genetic tests are rarely available and when found are very highly priced. Without easy access to advanced technology patients in India have to choose the diagnostics they can afford.

Here in India, there are no national guidelines for cancer patients like in western countries where a system is in place for the cancer patients to get prompt, advanced treatment in specified number of days from the day he is diagnosed as cancer patients.