Thyroid Cancer Treatment Cost in India

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Bone Cancer
  • The thyroid, a tiny gland at the base of your neck shaped like a butterfly, is where thyroid cancer begins to grow. This gland secretes hormones that control your metabolism (the way the body uses energy). Additionally, thyroid hormones regulate the heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature.
  • Endocrine cancers include thyroid cancer, which is typically very treatable and has a good prognosis.
  • Thyroid cancer is three times more common in women and those assigned female at birth (AFAB) than in men and those assigned male at birth (AMAB). Men and people AMAB in their 60s and 70s, as well as women and people AFAB in their 40s and 50s, are most frequently diagnosed with the disease. The illness can strike children as well.
  • The type and stage of thyroid cancer will determine which treatments one requires. Among the medical professionals treating that cancer could be a surgeon, who performs surgery to treat conditions like cancer, a physician/endocrinologist who treats disorders of the glands that secrete hormones, a radiation oncologist who treats cancer with radiation, and an oncologist who treats cancer with chemotherapy and other medications.
  • It is critical to discuss all of the possible treatments, as well as their potential side effects, with the family and treatment team to make the best decision for what is required.
  • Certain thyroid cancer treatments may impact the ability to become a parent later in life. Before deciding on a course of treatment, discuss any concerns one may have with the doctor about this.
  • Whenever possible, it’s a good idea to get a second opinion. Getting a second opinion can help one feel more confident about the treatment plan one has opted for by providing additional information.

Thyroid Cancer Symptoms and Indications

Any of these indications or symptoms could be a sign of thyroid cancer:

  • A lump in the neck that can occasionally grow rapidly
  • Neck swelling
  • Discomfort in the front of the neck, occasionally extending to the ears
  • Any persistent voice changes, such as hoarseness
  • Difficulty swallowing
  • Breathing difficulties
  • A persistent cough not brought on by a cold

See a doctor as soon as possible for those who experience any of these symptoms or indicators.

Numerous conditions other than cancer that affect the neck region can also be the cause of many of these symptoms. Thyroid lumps are common and typically harmless.

Nonetheless, it’s crucial to visit a doctor if one experiences any of these symptoms so the underlying cause can be identified and, if necessary, treated.

Causes of Thyroid Cancer

Thyroid cancer risk can be increased by the following factors:

  • Exposed to a high radiation dose.
  • Thyroid cancer risk is raised by head and neck radiation therapy.
  • Specific genetic syndromes that are inherited.

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Types of Thyroid Cancer

The type of cell that the cancer begins in determines the type of thyroid cancer one has. Thyroid cancer is classified into several types, including

Papillary thyroid cancer

  • Papillary thyroid cancers make up to 80% of all cases. This particular cancer type grows more slowly.
  • Papillary thyroid cancer often spreads to neck lymph nodes, but treatment is highly effective and rarely fatal.
  • The prognosis is usually good for this type of thyroid cancer, which is the most prevalent kind.
  • The main course of treatment is thyroidectomy or surgical removal of the thyroid gland.
  • Thyroidectomy costs in India can vary based on the hospital and the experience of the surgeon performing the procedure.
  • Follow-up consultations and post-surgery medication may incur additional costs.

Follicular thyroid cancer

  • Up to 15% of thyroid cancer cases are diagnosed as follicular thyroid cancer. It is more likely for this cancer to spread to the organs, including the lungs and bones.
  • Treatment for metastatic cancer, or cancer that spreads, could be more difficult.
  • Usually, radioactive iodine therapy and thyroidectomy are used as treatments for follicular thyroid cancer.

Oncolytic cell (Hurthle cell) thyroid cancer

  • Hurthle cell carcinoma is a rare cancer of the thyroid gland. It is sometimes referred to as oxyphilic cell carcinoma or Hurthle cell carcinoma.
  • Compared to other forms of thyroid cancer, this one may be more aggressive. The most typical course of treatment involves thyroid gland removal via surgery.
  • The 2017 WHO classification of endocrine tumors reclassified Hürthle cell carcinoma as a separate entity, despite its previous classification as a less aggressive variant of follicular cell neoplasms.

Medullary thyroid cancer

  • Medullary thyroid cancer accounts for 2% of cases. A family history of medullary thyroid cancer affects 25% of patients with the condition. A faulty gene (genetic mutation) could be to blame.
  • Since this kind of thyroid cancer is less common, a more thorough approach is needed.
  • Common treatments include targeted drug therapies, radiation therapy, and surgery.

Anaplastic thyroid cancer

  • The most difficult type of thyroid cancer to treat is this aggressive one. It frequently spreads into nearby tissue and other body parts and grows swiftly.
  • Roughly 2% of thyroid cancer cases are diagnosed with this uncommon form of the disease.
  • Chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery are among the intensive multimodal treatments required for this aggressive form of thyroid cancer.

Other rare forms

  • The thyroid gland can become the site of a lymphoma. A primary thyroid lymphoma is a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and treatment is similar to that of a lymphoma.
  • Sarcoma of the thyroid gland is another uncommon form of thyroid cancer. Radiation, chemotherapy, or surgery could be used to treat this.

Papillary thyroid cancer is the most common type.

Thyroid Cancer Diagnoses

The doctor may request one or more of the following tests for those who have an enlarged thyroid nodule or other indicators of thyroid cancer:

  • Medical history and physical exam
  • Blood examinations: A thyroid blood test determines the thyroid’s health by measuring hormone levels.
  • Biopsy
  • Radioiodine scan
  • Imaging tests
  • Ultrasound
  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan

Cost of Thyroid Cancer Treatment in India

The price of surgery for thyroid cancer typically varies depending on the location and hospital that is selected. The patient’s age and the severity of their illness determine how much the procedure will cost.

Depending on the procedure, thyroid cancer surgery in India can cost anywhere from 1,000 USD to more than 50,000 USD per surgery.

Factors influencing the cost of treatment for thyroid cancer in India

Treatment for thyroid cancer in India may also be contingent upon several factors, including

  • The subject matter expertise and experience of the doctor.
  • Type of Treatment: The treatment option selected is a major factor in determining costs. Treatment expenses can vary and are influenced by surgical procedures such as thyroidectomy or lymph node dissection, radioactive iodine therapy, external beam radiation, and targeted therapy.
  • Stage of Cancer: The cost of treatment is greatly impacted by the stage at which thyroid cancer is discovered. Cancer in its early stages may require less aggressive treatments, which would save costs; cancer in its advanced stages, on the other hand, may require more extensive surgeries, radiation, and chemotherapy, which would increase costs overall.
  • The patient’s condition: the nature of the illness and whether further modalities are needed for an all-encompassing course of care.
  • The cost of treatment packages for thyroid cancer in India may vary based on the hospital’s preferences.
  • Diagnostic Tests: Biopsies, ultrasounds, CT scans, and MRIs are among the tests required to diagnose thyroid cancer. The total cost may increase due to the frequency and complexity of these exams.
  • Medication and Supportive Care: Since they have a substantial impact on the overall cost of treatment, the cost of medications, pain relievers, and supportive care must also be taken into account.
  • Length of stay in the nation and hospitalization.
  • Post-operative care is required.
  • Classification of hospital rooms.
  • Insurance Coverage: A substantial financial burden can be mitigated by the extent of insurance coverage. Patients may pay less out of pocket if they have comprehensive health insurance.

Cost-Related to Therapies

Thyroid cancer requires comprehensive care in India, with various customized treatment options available to patients. However, treatment costs may vary depending on different factors.

Surgery: To remove the cancerous thyroid gland, a thyroidectomy is a common surgical procedure. The hospital, the surgeon’s experience level, and the complexity of the surgery all affect the final cost.

Radioactive Iodine Therapy: After surgery, radioactive iodine therapy targets and eradicates any cancer cells that may still be present. The dose of radioactive iodine and isolation room fees are included in the price.

External Beam Radiation Therapy (EBRT): This treatment kills cancer cells by directing high-energy rays toward the tumor. The quantity of sessions and the equipment used determine the price.

Chemotherapy: For aggressive thyroid cancers, chemotherapy medications may be utilized. The kind and length of chemotherapy required determine the price.

Targeted Therapy: Tyrosine kinase inhibitors are used in targeted therapy for more advanced cases. Because these medications are specialized, the price is somewhat high.

Hormone Replacement Therapy: Patients who have had thyroidectomies require lifetime hormone replacement, which is expensive.

Supportive Care: Taking care of patients after treatment and managing side effects add to overall costs.

When making well-informed treatment decisions, patients must talk through all available options with their doctors and take the long-term advantages into account.

Thyroid cancer stages

The type of cell in which the cancer originated is referred to as the type of thyroid cancer. Thyroid cancer can take many different forms, but papillary thyroid cancer is the most prevalent kind.

A cancer’s stage indicates its extent and whether it has spread. Two distinct staging systems are used by doctors: the TNM system and the number staging system.

  • TNM staging indicates the size of your cancer (T), whether lymph nodes (N) have been affected, and whether other body parts (M) have been affected.

There are four stages of thyroid cancer: I, II, III, and IV.

To put it simply, the higher the number, the more widespread the cancer has become. It’s advisable to speak with the doctor to understand more about cancer staging and how it applies to one’s specific diagnosis.

  • For both follicular and papillary thyroid cancer, the number staging method is the same.
  • The staging system for medullary and anaplastic thyroid cancers differs from this one.
  • Medullary thyroid cancer is classified into 4 stages, each of which indicates the cancer’s size and extent of metastasis.
  • Typically, the number staging system divides cancers into four groups, numbered 1 through 4.
  • At diagnosis, anaplastic thyroid cancers are categorized as stage 4.

The doctor can determine the best course of treatment based on the type and stage of the cancer.

Medical professionals use a staging system to assess the extent of thyroid cancer metastases.

When thyroid cancer cells spread, they usually start by affecting the lymph nodes and surrounding structures.

Following that, the cancer may spread to distant organs, bones, and lymph nodes.

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Best Thyroid Cancer Treatment in India

  • The course of treatment for thyroid cancer is determined by one’s preference, general health, and type stage.
  • The location, degree of metastasis, and stage of thyroid cancer usually determine the course of treatment.

Surgery

Thyroid cancer is treated with the following surgeries:

  • Thyroidectomy is the removal of all or most of the thyroid.
    During a thyroid gland removal procedure, the entire thyroid tissue would be removed (total thyroidectomy).
  • The tumor’s size and rate of growth determine the doctor’s recommendations.
  • Thyroid lobectomy, or partial thyroid gland removal.
  • The surgeon removes half of the thyroid during a thyroid lobectomy. In the case, there are any suspicious nodules in other thyroid areas and you have slow-growing thyroid cancer in the thyroid gland, it might be a good idea.

Thyroid Hormone Therapy

Following a thyroidectomy, levothyroxine thyroid hormone can be taken continuously for the rest of one’s life.

Benefits of hormone therapy

  • It replaces the hormone that the thyroid would normally produce and stops the pituitary gland from producing thyroid hormone stimulant (TSH).
  • High doses of radioactive iodine are used in radioactive iodine therapy.

Radioactive Iodine Therapy

High doses of radioactive iodine are used in radioactive iodine therapy.

Benefits

  • Thyroid cancer that returns after treatment or spreads to other body parts can also be treated with radioiodine therapy.
  • The radioactive iodine treatment is administered orally as a capsule or liquid.
  • There is little chance that radioactive iodine will damage other cells in the body because thyroid and thyroid cancer cells absorb the majority of it.
  • Some possible side effects are mouth dryness and oral pain.
  • Taste and smell perception changes due to inflammation in the eyes.
  • Fatigue

External Radiation Therapy

Another way to receive radiation therapy is external, which involves using a device to direct high-energy beams—like protons and X-rays—at particular body locations. One remains motionless on a table as a machine revolves around the patient during processing.

Benefits

  • If surgery is not an option and the cancer does not improve after radiation iodine therapy, then external radiotherapy might be suggested.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is a medication that destroys cancer cells chemically. The body is filled with chemicals that destroy rapidly proliferating cells, including cancerous ones.

Benefits

  • Although it is not frequently used, chemotherapy is occasionally advised for people with anaplastic thyroid cancer. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy can be administered together.

Targeted Drug Therapy

Treatments with targeted medications concentrate on specific anomalies in cancer cells. Targeted medication treatments can kill cancer cells by preventing these abnormalities.

Benefits of targeted medication therapy

  • Thyroid cancer-targeted medication therapy focuses on the signals that instruct cancer cells to proliferate and divide. Usually, advanced thyroid cancer is treated with it.

Injecting Alcohol into Cancers

To ensure accurate injection placement, alcohol is injected into small thyroid cancers using ultrasound imaging during the alcoholic ablation procedure.

Benefits

  • Thyroid cancers shrink as a result of it. If surgery is not an option for small cancer, one may consider alcohol ablation as a possible treatment.
  • It is also occasionally used to treat cancer that, following surgery, returns to the lymph nodes.

Can a Thyroid that has been removed grow back?

  • A recurrent goiter is the term used to describe the regeneration of thyroid tissues following thyroidectomy.
  • This could occur following thyroid surgery for either a benign or malignant disease.
  • While it is usually possible to prevent recurrence after benign surgery, recurrence following malignant disease depends on several factors.

Choosing India to Receive Treatment for Thyroid Cancer

Comprehensive appropriate treatment, such as thorough pre-operative evaluations, minimally invasive surgical options, and post-operative rehabilitation programs, are provided by the best thyroid cancer treatment in India.

At these medical facilities, patients can anticipate compassionate care, tailored attention, and personalized treatment.

Leading international organizations like the Joint Commission International (JCI) and the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH) have accredited the hospitals.

Hospitals in India are among the best for treating thyroid-related ailments for a variety of reasons, including the cost of thyroid cancer treatment being the underlining. These components include:

  • Thyroid cancer treatment in India is less expensive.
  • Quality of preventive, therapeutic, and diagnostic health services
  • Hospitals provide free facilities and services.
  • Combining leisure and procedure is possible.
  • There is no waiting period before surgery.
  • Easy availability of connecting flights,
  • Safe and easy availability of local transportation
  • Overall safety during the stay.
  • Holistic care and wellness.

The Success Rate in India

  • Every year, thyroid cancer claims thousands of lives, making it a persistent global health concern. Thyroid cancer treatment is starting to show signs of hope in India, a country where access to high-quality healthcare has long been a problem.
  • Treatment outcomes have significantly improved as a result of developments in medical technology and an expanding pool of qualified healthcare workers.
  • India’s healthcare system has seen a significant upheaval, with specialty cancer centers providing state-of-the-art therapies and treatment options.
  • Thyroid cancer treatment outcomes have improved dramatically because of early identification, accurate diagnosis, and customized treatment regimens.
  • Additionally, compared to many Western nations, the cost of treating thyroid cancer is lower in India, which draws medical tourists looking for effective and reasonably priced care.
  • However, the quality of care is maintained by this cost-benefit. International protocols are followed by Indian oncologists and hospitals to maintain high standards of care.
  • Initiatives by the Indian government and partnerships with medical institutions have improved patient care and cancer research even more.
  • A supportive environment for healing is also fostered by patient communities and their families.

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