Affordable Cancer Care in India: Strategies to Reduce Cost Without Compromising Quality

In a country where cancer treatment can wipe out a family’s lifetime savings, the conversation around “affordable cancer care” is not academic — it’s moral. India faces the dual challenge of a growing cancer burden and limited resources. Yet, affordability must not mean inferior care. The true art lies in delivering value-based oncology — maximizing outcomes while minimizing waste.

The Economics of Cancer in India

India adds over 14 lakh new cancer cases each year, but only a fraction can afford evidence-based treatment. Many patients discontinue therapy midway due to financial exhaustion. Expensive drugs, frequent hospital visits, and lack of insurance coverage contribute to a system that unintentionally rewards high-cost interventions over high-impact ones.

Dr. Bishal Gyawali often reminds us that the goal of cancer care is not just to extend survival by a few months, but to extend it meaningfully — with dignity and financial prudence. In LMICs like India, every rupee spent should buy not just medicine, but meaningful survival.

Smarter, Not Costlier: Practical Strategies

Affordability doesn’t always require new funds; it often requires smarter choices.

For example:-

Generic and biosimilar drugs have proven equally effective in many cases, yet are underutilized due to brand bias.

Shorter treatment durations — as seen in de-escalation trials — can deliver comparable outcomes at lower cost.

Oral regimens can reduce hospital stays and travel costs when scientifically appropriate.

Multidisciplinary care prevents duplication of tests and conflicting treatments.

Government initiatives like PM-JAY (Ayushman Bharat) and state oncology networks are beginning to offer structured financial protection.

Technology can also play a quiet role. Tele-oncology platforms, digital follow-ups, and AI-based triage systems can reduce unnecessary hospital visits — a simple but effective way to cut indirect costs without hurting care quality.

Balancing Innovation and Access

There’s a growing tension between innovation and affordability. New immunotherapies and targeted agents arrive with promise — and price tags that defy logic in Indian settings. Rather than importing Western treatment algorithms wholesale, India must focus on contextual oncology: using global evidence, but applying it intelligently based on local realities.

Clinical trials conducted in India should prioritize cost-effectiveness and real-world endpoints like quality of life and financial toxicity. Academic centers must lead this shift — from chasing high-tech prestige to demonstrating high-value care.

The Way Forward

Affordable cancer care does not mean doing less — it means doing what matters most. The oncology community, policymakers, and industry must align around a shared goal: maximizing survival per rupee spent. Transparency in drug pricing, outcome-based reimbursement, and national procurement policies can accelerate this vision.

Ultimately, affordability is not a barrier to quality; it is the foundation of equity. True cancer care is not measured by how advanced our therapies are, but by how many people can access them without losing everything they own.

— Dr. Amol Akhade | Fortis Cancer Institute Mumbai @SuyogCancer