Cancer treatment will have different risks depending on the cancer type, stage, treatment method, intensity, and patient condition. Common risks include:

• Radiation therapy: Organ-specific side effects 
• Surgery: Complications, infections, bleeding. 
• Chemotherapy: Hair loss, fatigue, decreased appetite, increased infection risk, etc.

Although most side effects are temporary, some last for a long time and demand appropriate medical interventions. Our clinicians closely observe our patients throughout their treatment to help manage and alleviate these side effects.

Treatment typically includes:

• Molecular diagnostics and genetic testing for personalized treatment planning.
• Depending on the type of cancer, stage, grade, age, health, and patient preferences, primary interventions include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, or stem cell transplant.
• Follow-up care and treatment monitoring.

We have partnerships with major providers worldwide and accept international health insurance. For more information, visit the insurance coverage guidelines.

HCG hospitals in Bengaluru, Ahmedabad (cancer hospital and multispecialty hospital), Mumbai, and Kolkata offer international patient services. These hospitals have a dedicated wing for international patient care and offer supportive services like visa assistance, complimentary airport pick-up and drop-off services, language interpreter services, and more.

HCG has a dedicated wing for international patient care services. When you inquire, a care officer will call you to learn about your condition and needs. They can arrange medical opinions with specialists in virtual consultations. The international patient desk is the main point of contact for all queries and concerns.

HCG provides visa assistance through invitation letters for medical visas to India. A dedicated care officer from HCG will generate the visa invitation letter for patients and medical attendants. The officer also expedites the visa issuance and gives the patient the documentation to submit to the visa-issuing authority (Embassy/Indian High Commission/Consulate/Visa Application Centre) in the patient’s country. 

After confirmation of travel, patients receive an emailed scanned invitation letter, and our team assists them in getting the necessary medical visa for the patient and their medical attendants. 

Once approved, the patients and their medical attendants are issued visas under HCG’s name to enable their travel to our hospitals in India.

Should your medical visa expire during your treatment, HCG will provide clinical documentation on your current health status and provide prompt assistance with the visa extension process. 

One of our care officers will be in touch with you to assist you with these steps.

HCG does not book flight tickets for international patients. Nevertheless, we help you get the visa invitation letter to make your medical visa application easier. Airport pick-up and drop-off at the hospital or nearby hotel are complimentary. A dedicated care officer will be assigned to your case, and they will help you with end-to-end assistance, including making local travel arrangements for shopping or sightseeing.

Yes. International patients are provided with complimentary airport pick-up and drop-off services. As soon as we receive the patient’s travel itinerary, we arrange airport pick-up and transfer to the hospital or hotel.

Yes. HCG can send an ambulance to the airport to pick up patients. 

We recommend that patients or their families inform us about the need for an ambulance in advance.

HCG does not provide on-site accommodation in all of its hospitals. The International Patient Care team can, however, direct you to nearby hotels.

For more information on accommodation, please contact our care officers.

Yes, HCG provides currency exchange services in all centers where we cater to international patients. This service is provided through a designated third-party vendor, who may charge a small transaction fee. For current rates, exchange calculations, available currencies, applicable fees, and other information, please contact the international patient desk.

Yes, our international patient desk can provide local SIM cards to patients or their family members right after they come to our center.

Patients contact HCG through site forms, advertising, international aggregators, and physician referrals. Once a care officer from our international patient care team gets in touch with the patient, necessary information is gathered about the patient’s condition, their needs, and lastly, their preferences. 

Based on this assessment, the care officer will then suggest a suitable specialist. If you have already chosen the specialist you wish to consult, you may let the care officer know about it, and they will help you consult them.

Treatment usually lasts for a certain time, depending on the type of cancer, stage, grade of cancer, the patient’s health, the plan of treatment, and response. Approximate timelines: 

• 5-7 days for evaluation; 
• 2-3 weeks for surgery; 
• Radiotherapy: Varies;
• Systemic therapies: Varies;
• 3-4 months for bone marrow transplant.

Yes. Consultations are initially done by specialists (often virtual). Once you submit past medical reports to them, they will create a tentative treatment plan based on them. Once you reach an HCG unit, additional tests may be conducted, changing the final treatment plan.

At HCG, we can arrange for a female specialist based on the patient's preference. To ensure a smoother treatment experience, we recommend that the patient or their family inform our care officers about this requirement in advance.

Treatment prices can differ depending on cancer type, stage, patient health, treatment plan, duration, intensity, and technologies used. However, our international patient care team will provide an ‘estimated treatment cost,’ which gives you a rough idea of how much your treatment may cost.

HCG offers payment plans for international patients, including cash, debit/credit cards, and wire transfers. The patient can also use their international insurance if it is accepted at our hospitals.

For more information on payment plans or payment methods, please contact our international patient care team.

Here are the documents that you need to bring to India for the treatment: 

• Identity proof
• Valid passport
• Medical visa
• Ticket copies
• Past medical reports
• Prescriptions of current medications
• Passport-sized photograph (both patient and attendee)
• Insurance documents (if any)
• Recommendation from the local doctor
• Relevant vaccination certifications
• Estimated quotation and other documents shared by the HCG team

Once you enter India, complimentary airport transfers and same-day doctor consultations are also available. During treatment, some patients may require allied services, such as psycho-oncology counseling, nutritional counseling, pain management, and more. We have highly experienced specialists to offer these allied or support services that are going to positively impact the treatment response and recovery among patients. 

For more information on the support services we offer at HCG, please connect with our care officers.

Yes. Post-discharge, international patients receive post-treatment guidelines and can contact their dedicated care officer for assistance. Follow-up consultations are available via video conferencing for convenience.

You can keep in touch with your doctor via video-conferencing once you return home.

Once our international patients return to their home countries, we can arrange video consultations for them with their treating doctors at HCG. Our care officers take care of scheduling these routine follow-up appointments.

Yes. HCG assists with language translation for international patients. We can arrange interpreters for Arabic, French, and Bengali.

No. All medical reports shared by HCG will be in the English language.