Affordability

What cancer treatment actually costs in India — and in Lucknow.

It is the question every family asks first and almost no hospital answers in public. Here are honest, indicative figures — and the fact that changes them for most families who come to us: where eligibility, an approved package and pre-authorisation all line up under Ayushman PM-JAY, most of this table becomes ₹0.

Indicative costs at a glance

Ranges below are this practice's indicative planning estimates for private treatment at good tier-2 city hospitals including Lucknow, reviewed 26 August 2026. They cover the surgery, the hospital stay and routine post-operative care; they exclude radiotherapy, implants and any treatment for complications, each of which is quoted separately. They are not prices, and your written quote for your specific case is the only number that counts.

Treatment	Private hospitals (UP standard)*	What moves it	Government schemes**
Oral cancer surgery	₹1.5 – 4 lakh	With free-flap reconstruction: ₹2.5 – 6 lakh	₹0 (covered)
Tongue cancer surgery	₹1.5 – 4.5 lakh	Glossectomy with flap reconstruction at the upper end	₹0 (covered)
Head & neck cancer surgery	₹1.5 – 5 lakh	Thyroidectomy at the lower end; laryngectomy at the upper	₹0 (covered)
Breast cancer surgery	₹1 – 2.5 lakh	Chemotherapy and targeted therapy costed separately below	₹0 (covered)
Gastrointestinal cancer surgery	₹1.5 – 4 lakh	Colectomy, gastrectomy and rectal surgery	₹0 (covered)
Lung cancer surgery	₹2 – 4.5 lakh	Molecular testing of the biopsy: ₹15,000 – 30,000	₹0 (covered)
Gynaecological cancer surgery	₹1.2 – 3 lakh	Radical hysterectomy; ovarian debulking at the upper end	₹0 (covered)
Urological cancer surgery	₹0.6 – 4 lakh	Bladder tumour resection lower; partial nephrectomy higher	₹0 (covered)
Bone / soft-tissue sarcoma surgery	₹2 – 6 lakh	The implant for limb-salvage surgery drives the range	₹0 (covered)
Chemotherapy (per cycle)	₹15,000 – 1.2 lakh	Generic regimens lower; newer drugs higher; 4–8 cycles typical	₹0 (covered)
Targeted therapy (per month)	₹10,000 – 1 lakh+	Drug-specific; access programmes cut several substantially	Case-by-case
Immunotherapy (per cycle)	₹1 – 3.5 lakh	Selected patients only; access programmes apply	Case-by-case

* Indicative ranges for private-sector treatment at Uttar Pradesh standards, for planning, not quotations — stage, reconstruction, ICU days and implants change every case. ** For PM-JAY-eligible families at empanelled hospitals, within official package terms and the ₹5 lakh/family/year cover; exact package rates are published by the National Health Authority and our counsellor maps your case against them before admission.

What actually decides your bill

01Stage at diagnosisEarly cancer needs less treatment — the cheapest rupee in oncology is the one spent on an early check
02Surgery alone vs. surgery-plusMany early cases need only the operation; others add chemotherapy or radiotherapy
03Reconstruction and implantsRebuilding jaw or tongue, or a limb-salvage implant, is often the largest single line
04Where you are treatedCosts differ substantially between cities and between hospitals in the same city; ask any centre for its written estimate
05Your scheme coverThe biggest factor of all — eligible vs. not-eligible can be the difference between ₹0 and ₹5 lakh

The rule we work by

Every CoreOnco patient receives the complete cost of their written treatment plan — surgery, admission, expected cycles — before consenting to anything, with scheme eligibility checked first. No estimates that grow at discharge. If any hospital, ours included, will not put the number in writing, do not sign.

Cost questions, answered honestly

How much does cancer treatment cost in India?

For surgery alone, most common cancer operations at private tier-2 city hospitals fall between ₹1 and ₹5 lakh, with chemotherapy adding ₹15,000 to ₹1.2 lakh per cycle across 4–8 cycles. The single biggest factor is not the tumour — it is your scheme cover. For families eligible under Ayushman PM-JAY, surgery, chemotherapy and admission that fall inside an approved package are treated cashless at an empanelled hospital, once pre-authorisation has been granted. Those three conditions — eligibility, an approved package, pre-authorisation — are what our counsellor confirms before admission, and anything outside them is quoted to you in writing first.

How much does cancer treatment cost in Lucknow?

Lucknow private costs sit meaningfully below Delhi and Mumbai for the same procedures — typically ₹1–5 lakh for major cancer surgery. At CoreOnco's network hospitals, PM-JAY-eligible families pay nothing for covered treatment, and every patient receives the full cost for their specific case in writing before consenting.

Is cancer treatment really free with an Ayushman card?

For an eligible family, at an empanelled hospital, for a procedure inside an approved package, with pre-authorisation granted — yes: surgery, chemotherapy, admission and ICU care are cashless up to ₹5 lakh per family per year. Each of those four conditions has to hold, which is why we check them before admission rather than after. A specific implant or drug does sometimes fall outside a package; if that applies to your case you are told the exact amount in writing before treatment, never after.

Why do cost estimates vary so much between hospitals?

Because "the operation" is not one thing: stage, reconstruction, ICU days, implants and after-treatment differ per patient — and some hospitals quote low to admit, then grow the bill. Protect yourself with one rule: no consent without the full cost in writing. Any hospital that resists that rule has answered your real question.

What if I am not eligible for Ayushman PM-JAY?

UP state employees and pensioners (Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay cashless scheme) and teachers (Mukhyamantri Shikshak cashless scheme) have their own cashless cover. The CM Relief Fund, CGHS and ECHS for government and defence families, and private insurance cover other situations. Our counsellor checks every route you might qualify for at the first visit, free — start with the eligibility conversation, not the price list.

Next step

Send us the biopsy report. We will tell you where you stand.

A second opinion costs you nothing and often changes the plan. Share your reports on WhatsApp and a surgical oncologist will review them before your first visit.

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