Cancer Diagnosis

>Cancer in any part of the human body is defined as uncontrolled growth of the cells. All the cells in the human body have a tendency to die and regrow. Each cell has a speed of regrowth. When this speed is altered and the cells start to multipy very rapidly it is termed as cancer. Common cancers in human body are found in the brain, mouth, esophagus, prostate, liver, gall bladder, pancreas, breast, uterus, ovaries, cervix, urinary bladder, colon, blood etc.

Cancer is often noticed in the body in the form of a lump or mass at places where it should not be present. This mass is either felt by fingers if it is at a place which is accessible or seen through some kind of imaging test like Ultrasound, CT Scan or MRI Scan. The mass can be benign (non cancerous) or malignant ( cancerous). The next step is to find the nature of this mass which is done through a test called FNAC (Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology) or Biopsy. In FNAC a needed is stuck into the mass and fluid is taken out. This fluid is then tested in the laboratory under a microscope to see the kind of cells present in the fluid. The pathologist would then prepare a report which states whether it is benign or malignant. In biopsy a tissue is taken out from the mass and tested in the laboratory in the same manner.

Cancer Treatment

Once the diagnosis of cancer is done through FNAC or Biopsy then staging of the cancer is done. If the cancer is localized in any one part of the body then it is considered as stage 1-3 but if the cancer has spread to other organs then it is termed as stage 4 or 5. The staging of cancer is done through Whole Body PET Scan.

If the cancer is in an early stage (1-3) then treatment is often successful. The best line of treatment for cancer is surgical removal of the cancerous mass. A good cancer surgeon would remove all the cancerous part without damaging the healthy tissue thereby preserving as much function of the organ as possible. Sometimes it is not possible to remove the entire cancerous tissue. In such cases the remaining cancerous tissue is burnt and destroyed through radiation therapy. The Radiation is done on a machine called Linear Accelerator which costs more than 16 Crores and is therefore not available at many places.

Sometimes when the tumour is too big and the surgery is difficult then Chemotherapy is done to shrink the tumour and then it is removed through Surgery. In some cases Chemotherapy is done even after the surgery to destroy any residual cells present in the body. Chemotherapy is done by injecting medicines through the veins or even through oral medication.

Best Doctors and Cost

SPES Hospital has a very experienced team of doctors who treat organ specific cancers. Dr Saurabh Sharma is a neurosurgon who treats patients with Brain and Spine Tumours. Our GI Surgeon treats the patients who are suffering from Esophageal, Stomach, Gall Bladder, Pancreatic and Colorectal Cancer. Dr Deepanshu Gupta is a Urologist who treats patients with Urinary Bladder Cancer, Testicular Cancer, Renal Cancer.

The costs associated with Cancer Treatment are initial consultations with multiple specialists which can cost upto Rs. 5000. The diagnostic tests like CT Scan, MRI, FNAC, Biopsy, Blood Tests and PET Scan can cost anywhere between Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 50,000.

The costs associated with the treatment of cancer depend on the line of treatment taken. Most of the Cancer Surgeries can be done at SPES hospital in the range of Rs. 1.5 Lacs to 4 Lacs. Each cycle of Chemotherapy can cost Rs. 25- 30 thousand and the patient may require 8-10 cycles. The cost of Radiation therapy is 1.5 - 2 Lacs for the complete course of 25 cycles.

Cancer treatment is covered under most of the insurance policies. Some of the insurance companies would have a waiting period of 6 months to 2 years before the treatment can be covered under insurance. SPES hospital is empanelled with most of the insurance companies and TPA's for providing cashless treatment to policy holders.

If cancer is diagnosed at an early stage then the chances of getting fully cured are high.