Beyond the waitlist: a guide to cancer treatment in India for international patients

In this guide

1. Start here
2. Waiting times at home
3. Why some patients look at India
4. Treatment options in India
5. What it costs
6. How long treatment takes
7. How we help
8. Questions to ask
9. Is it right for you?

There are few words harder to hear after a cancer diagnosis than "wait". When an oncologist gives you the news, every instinct says act now. You want the tumour removed, the treatment started, a plan in place. Time stops being an abstract idea and becomes the thing you think about most.

For many people in the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, cancer care moves quickly. For others, a scan, a specialist appointment or a treatment slot takes longer than they hoped, and the uncertainty is its own kind of suffering.

This guide is for patients and families who want to understand every option. It explains what waiting times at home really look like, why some people consider India, what treatment there involves and costs, and how to explore it carefully, alongside the care you already have.

Start here: keep your care at home moving

A second opinion and a cost estimate from India can usually be arranged from home in days, without travelling. That lets you compare options with full information, and with your own specialist's view, before you change anything.

Waiting times at home

Most public health systems prioritise cancer over other planned treatment. Even so, performance varies:

• England: the NHS aims to start treatment within 62 days of an urgent referral for 85% of patients. In May 2026, 69.6% were treated within that time. The target has not been met since 2015.¹
• Canada: once you are referred, cancer treatment usually starts sooner than other specialist care. The median wait was 4.5 weeks for radiation oncology and 4.7 weeks for medical oncology in 2024. Waits for diagnostic scans and specialist appointments beforehand can add to that.²
• Australia: public hospitals report cancer surgery separately, and it is generally scheduled faster than other planned surgery.³

For patients paying privately, the bigger issue is often cost. Private cancer care in the UK can run to tens of thousands of pounds, and in Australia, newer drugs and private surgery can leave large out-of-pocket bills.

Why some patients look at India

Over the past two decades, India's private hospital sector has built large cancer centres that treat patients from across the world. People usually look at India for one of three reasons:

• A second opinion. Major cancer centres in India review cases through multidisciplinary tumour boards, where surgical, medical and radiation oncologists, radiologists and pathologists agree a plan together. Your scans, biopsy reports and history can be reviewed remotely.
• Timing. Private hospitals in India can often schedule scans, consultations and treatment quickly once you decide to go ahead. Exact timing depends on the hospital and your case.
• Cost. For patients paying privately, the same type of treatment often costs a fraction of private prices at home.

Reputable cancer centres base their treatment plans on international guidelines, such as those from NCCN and ESMO. It's worth asking which guidelines your proposed plan follows, and how it compares with what your oncologist at home has suggested.

A second opinion can be arranged from home, without travelling. You can compare options with full information before you change anything.

Treatment options in India

Cancer surgery

For many solid tumours, surgery is a central part of treatment. Larger hospitals in India offer open, keyhole (laparoscopic) and robotic-assisted surgery. For some operations, such as removing the prostate, robotic surgery is widely used because it can mean smaller incisions, less blood loss and a shorter hospital stay. Which approach is right depends on your cancer and your surgeon's experience, so ask why a particular approach is recommended for you.

Chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy

Hospitals in India use internationally approved cancer medicines, and many standard chemotherapy drugs are also made in India, which keeps their cost down. Major centres offer genomic testing of tumours, which can show whether a targeted therapy is likely to help. Immunotherapy drugs are expensive everywhere, including in India, although the overall cost of treatment is usually lower. Ask exactly which medicines are in your plan, and whether any are biosimilar or generic versions.

Radiotherapy

Modern radiotherapy techniques, such as intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT), are widely available in India's larger cancer centres. These shape the radiation dose closely to the tumour to protect healthy tissue nearby. Some centres also offer stereotactic radiosurgery, which delivers very precise, high doses over a few sessions, for example for some brain and spine tumours.

Proton beam therapy is available at a small number of centres in India. It is mainly used for certain childhood cancers and tumours near critical structures. Patients in the UK can be referred to the two NHS proton beam therapy centres, which opened in 2018 and 2021, so ask your oncologist whether you would be eligible at home first.⁴

What it costs

Costs depend heavily on the type and stage of cancer and the treatment plan. These published ranges give a rough idea:

The lower prices in India come mainly from lower running costs, such as salaries, buildings and day-to-day overheads, favourable exchange rates, and India's large production of generic medicines. They don't come from using different treatment standards.

How long treatment takes

This is the most important practical question. Cancer treatment is often a course, not a single event:

• Surgery usually means a hospital stay followed by a period of recovery nearby before you're fit to fly, often 2 to 3 weeks in India in total.
• Radiotherapy is commonly given on weekdays over several weeks.
• Chemotherapy is usually given in cycles every 2 to 3 weeks, often for several months.

That affects cost, family life and continuity of care. Some patients have one part of their treatment in India, such as surgery, and continue the rest at home. Others stay for a full course. Either way, your oncologist at home needs to be involved, and you need to plan for what happens if you have side effects or complications after you return. Chemotherapy can lower your resistance to infection, so ask your doctors about travel timing and precautions, and tell your travel insurer about your diagnosis.

How we help

Facing cancer in another country can feel overwhelming. Our role at New Dawn Life Care is to take the logistics off your shoulders, with one coordinator as your single point of contact, so you can focus on your health.

1. A priority case reviewRequest a case review and tick "My diagnosis is time-sensitive". We review time-sensitive cases first. We'll arrange a secure way to receive your scans, biopsy reports and history. Nothing is shared with a hospital without your consent.
2. Opinions from cancer teams in IndiaWith your consent, we share your records with suitable hospitals. They typically reply within a few days with an opinion from their oncology team and a written estimate. Complex cases can take longer. Many can arrange a video consultation so you and your family can ask questions.
3. Compare and decideWe help you compare the plan with what's been offered at home. You decide, with your own oncologist. There's no pressure to go ahead.
4. Visa and travelIf you go ahead, we help with the hospital's invitation letter and your e-Medical visa, which is often processed in about 3 to 5 business days, and plan flights and accommodation near the hospital for you and a companion.⁹
5. Support during treatmentYou're met on arrival. A local attendant can accompany you to appointments and help with day-to-day needs, and we help with hospital admin and billing.
6. Records and handoverBefore you leave, we collect your discharge summary, operative notes, treatment details and test results, so your oncologist at home can continue your care. Where the hospital offers remote follow-up, we help arrange it.

Questions to ask before you decide

• Has my case been reviewed by a multidisciplinary tumour board? Who was on it?
• Which international guidelines does the proposed plan follow, and how does it differ from what I've been offered at home?
• How many patients with my type of cancer does the team treat each year?
• Which medicines are in the plan, and are any of them biosimilar or generic versions?
• How long will treatment take, and which parts could continue at home?
• What does the estimate include, and what could make it change?
• What happens if I have side effects or complications after I return home?
• Will my oncologist at home receive full records, and can the teams speak to each other?

Is it right for you?

For some patients, especially those facing high private costs or long delays, treatment in India can be a real option. For others, staying with their team at home is the better choice, particularly when treatment is already under way or will last many months. Neither choice is wrong. What matters is making it with clear information and the people who know your case.

A cancer diagnosis turns life upside down. You don't have to work out your options alone. If you'd like to explore India, the first step is a conversation, not a commitment.

Request a priority case review

Tick "My diagnosis is time-sensitive" on the form and we'll review your case first. With your consent, we'll ask cancer teams in India for their opinion and a written estimate, while you keep your care at home moving.

Request a case review

Medical disclaimer. This article is general information, not medical advice. It does not replace advice from your own oncologist, who can assess your individual situation. Do not stop or delay treatment without talking to your doctors. Prices and waiting times are indicative, drawn from the sources below, and can change. Last reviewed 4 October 2026.

Sources

1. Cancer Research UK, Cancer waiting times: latest updates and analysis (July 2026).
2. Fraser Institute, Waiting Your Turn: Wait Times for Health Care in Canada, 2024 Report.
3. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Cancer surgery waiting times.
4. NHS England, Proton beam therapy.
5. Shifam Health, Cancer treatment cost comparison: India vs USA and UK.
6. Marco Scarci, Private cancer treatment cost (UK).
7. Lyfboat, What is the cost of robotic radical prostatectomy in India?
8. Mr Haldar, Robotic prostatectomy cost UK: 2026 private price guide.
9. Government of India, e-Visa (including e-Medical visa); processing times from my1health.