Cancer Treatment in India for Nigerian Patients

Nigeria carries a heavy and rising cancer burden — well over a hundred thousand new cases every year — but specialist capacity has not kept pace. The country has only a handful of working radiotherapy machines for a population of more than 200 million, alongside a shortage of radiation oncologists, medical physicists and dedicated cancer beds. Machine breakdowns, power interruptions and long waiting lists mean many patients face delays at exactly the moment when timing matters most.

India has become the single largest destination for Nigerians seeking care abroad, and cancer is one of the commonest reasons. The pattern is consistent: immediate access to advanced diagnostics and drug therapy, internationally trained specialists, and treatment costs that are typically 60–85% lower than the same care in the UK, USA or the Middle East — often lower than private treatment within Nigeria itself. For families funding treatment out of pocket, that difference can decide whether a full course is completed rather than cut short.

Indian OncoCare is the specialist medical-oncology practice of Dr. Harish Kancharla, delivered through the day-care and inpatient facilities at Yashoda Hospitals, Somajiguda — one of Hyderabad's largest tertiary cancer centres. Your medical-oncology treatment is planned and reviewed by one consultant throughout, rather than passed between hands, while surgery and radiation are coordinated with the hospital's surgical and radiation-oncology teams where needed.

The core drug treatments are all available and matched to your specific diagnosis:

• Chemotherapy — for solid tumours and blood cancers, delivered as day-care chemotherapy wherever possible.
• Immunotherapy — checkpoint inhibitors and antibody therapy, guided by biomarker testing.
• Targeted therapy — mutation-matched tablets and infusions selected from molecular testing.
• Hormonal therapy — for hormone-sensitive breast and prostate cancers.

Treatment choice is driven by your tumour's biology, using precision medicine, molecular oncology and, where tissue is limited, liquid biopsy — the same standard of testing used in leading centres worldwide.

Dr. Kancharla plans and supervises treatment across the common solid tumours and blood cancers, including:

• Breast, lung, colorectal, ovarian, stomach, liver, pancreatic and head & neck cancers
• Blood cancers — leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma, including bone marrow (stem cell) transplant

If you are unsure which service applies to you, our cancer services overview and the patient journey explain how care is organised from first enquiry to follow-up.

The pathway is designed so that the difficult decisions are made before you leave home:

1. Send your reports. Share whatever you have — biopsy/histopathology report, any immunohistochemistry (IHC) or molecular report, recent scans (CT, PET-CT, MRI) and blood tests — through the enquiry form or on WhatsApp. Our guide on what to send for a cancer second opinion lists this in full.

2. Online consultation. Dr. Kancharla reviews your file over video, confirms the diagnosis and stage, identifies any missing tests, and explains the realistic goal of treatment honestly.

3. Written plan and estimate. You receive a clear treatment plan and an indicative cost estimate, so you can arrange funds and travel with confidence.

4. Invitation and visa. Once you decide to proceed, the hospital issues the invitation letter you need for your Indian medical visa.

5. Treatment in Hyderabad. Cycles are scheduled around your travel where possible, and follow-up can continue online after you return to Nigeria. If your plan involves drug therapy, our guide on what to expect during your first chemotherapy cycle walks through a treatment day step by step.

Nigerian nationals need a Medical Visa (MED) to travel to India for treatment, applied for online through the Indian visa portal, with the Indian High Commission in Abuja and the Consulate General in Lagos handling applications. Up to two close relatives can accompany you on Medical Attendant visas.

In practice you will usually need:

• A passport valid for at least six months, with two blank pages
• An invitation / appointment letter from the treating hospital in India — we arrange this once your plan is agreed
• A referral or medical report from a doctor in Nigeria
• Recent passport photographs and the completed online application
• A valid yellow fever certificate, and the polio (OPV/IPV) vaccination required of travellers from Nigeria

Always confirm the current requirements and fees on the official High Commission of India, Abuja and Indian Visa Online pages before applying, as rules can change. Lagos and Abuja both connect to major Indian cities, usually with a single stopover.

There is no single price for cancer treatment — it depends on the cancer type, stage, the drugs used, the number of cycles, and whether surgery, radiation or a transplant is involved. What is consistent is that treatment in India costs far less than equivalent care in the UK, USA or the Gulf, while using the same internationally approved drugs and protocols.

Rather than a headline figure, you receive a personalised estimate after your reports are reviewed. For context, read the cost of cancer treatment in India and, for newer treatments, the cost of immunotherapy, CAR-T and ADCs. Our financial guidance page explains estimates, staged payments and how to plan funding from Nigeria.

Travelling for cancer treatment is demanding for the whole family, and practical support matters as much as the medicine. Our international patients service helps with report review, estimates and hospital coordination, while our patient support and patient resources sections help you prepare for each stage. Caregivers travelling with you will find our caregiver guide useful, and common questions are answered in our FAQ and on the blog.

A second opinion before starting is always reasonable — many Nigerian families use an online review simply to confirm that a plan advised elsewhere is complete before committing to months of treatment.

Q1. Can Nigerian patients really get cancer treatment in India?
Yes — routinely. Nigeria sends more patients to India than almost any other country, and cancer is one of the leading reasons. You begin with an online review of your reports, and travel only once a clear plan and estimate are in place.

Q2. Do I have to travel just to get an opinion?
No. Your first consultation is online. Dr. Kancharla reviews your reports over video, so you can understand your options and likely costs from home before deciding to fly.

Q3. How do I get the medical visa?
You apply online for an Indian Medical Visa. You will need an invitation letter from the treating hospital, which we provide once your plan is agreed, along with your passport, a referral from a Nigerian doctor, photographs and the required vaccinations.

Q4. Can a family member travel with me?
Yes. Up to two close relatives can accompany you on Medical Attendant visas, so a caregiver can be with you throughout treatment.

Q5. How much will treatment cost?
There is no single figure — it depends on the cancer, stage and drugs used. Costs are generally far lower than in the UK, USA or the Gulf, and you receive a personalised estimate after your reports are reviewed.

Q6. Which cancers are treated?
The common solid tumours — breast, lung, colorectal, ovarian, stomach, liver, pancreatic and head & neck — and blood cancers such as leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma, including bone marrow transplant.

Q7. Will my treatment continue after I return to Nigeria?
Where appropriate, cycles are scheduled around your travel, and follow-up can continue through online review after you return home, coordinated with your local doctor.

Q8. Who will supervise my treatment?
Dr. Harish Kancharla, DM (Medical Oncology, AIIMS Delhi), MD (Internal Medicine, PGIMER Chandigarh), Senior Consultant – Medical Oncology & Hemato-Oncology at Yashoda Hospitals, Somajiguda, plans and reviews your treatment personally.

Related reading: Chemotherapy · Immunotherapy · Targeted Therapy · Hormonal Therapy · International Patients · Cancer Second Opinion in Hyderabad · Your First Chemotherapy Cycle · Cost of Cancer Treatment in India · Patient Support · Blog

Further reading: World Health Organization — Cancer · National Cancer Institute — Cancer Treatment · American Cancer Society — About Cancer · Union for International Cancer Control — UICC · High Commission of India, Abuja — Medical Visa · Indian Visa Online · International Atomic Energy Agency — Radiotherapy

Medically reviewed by Dr. Harish Kancharla, DM (Medical Oncology, AIIMS Delhi), MD (Internal Medicine, PGIMER Chandigarh), Senior Consultant – Medical Oncology & Hemato-Oncology, Yashoda Hospitals, Somajiguda, Hyderabad. Telangana State Medical Council Registration No. 77186.

Last reviewed: August 2026.

This page is general information for international patients about cancer treatment in India and is not a substitute for personal medical advice. Visa and vaccination requirements can change — confirm current rules with the Indian High Commission before travelling. Treatment decisions must be made with a qualified oncologist who has reviewed your reports.