ICMR’s National Cancer Registry estimates 15.7 lakh new cancer cases in 2025. For patients, timely treatment often comes at a steep price, with out-of-pocket expenditure frequently running into ₹20-30 lakh or more over the course of treatment.
| Photo Credit:
istock.com
Cancer treatment now accounts for between 17-25 per cent of hospital revenue at India’s largest private healthcare chains, reflecting how the country’s rising cancer burden has shifted from overstretched government hospitals to the private sector.
With the ICMR’s National Cancer Registry Programme estimating 15.7 lakh new cancer cases in 2025, rising to 22.2 lakh by 2040, Delhi-NCR has emerged as the country’s biggest oncology hub as a significant share of cancer burden falls on northern States like Uttar Pradesh which is estimated to record 2,10,958 new cancer cases, while Bihar is expected to report 1,09,274 cases. As patients from these and adjoining States travel to Delhi-NCR for treatment, the region is the biggest hub for cancer care.
Pricey care
Smaller private hospitals have rushed to add oncology departments. For patients, timely treatment comes at a steep price, with one chemotherapy cycle in a private hospital costing ₹30,000 to over ₹2 lakh, radiation therapy ₹2-5 lakh, cancer surgery ₹3-10 lakh, targeted therapies and immunotherapy ₹1-4 lakh per cycle, and bone marrow transplants ₹15-40 lakh. Even with insurance, families often end up paying several lakh rupees from their own pockets.
An AIIMS Delhi oncologist said public institutions are “overwhelmed and under-resourced”, with “too few surgeons, medical oncologists and functional radiotherapy machines”, leading to “long waits which can critically affect patient outcomes”. Lady Hardinge Medical College, TSCI and Maulana Azad Medical College face similar shortages, he said.
Private hospital chains have capitalised on the demand. According to Max Healthcare’s Q3 FY26 earnings update, oncology contributed 25.1 per cent of inpatient revenue, generating an estimated ₹1,560 crore in the first nine months of FY26. “Oncology contributes over 25 per cent of our overall revenues, reflecting both strong demand and the growing complexity of cancer care,” said Group Medical Director Dr Sandeep Budhiraja.
Revenue mix
Apollo Hospitals’ FY25 annual report shows oncology accounted for 17 per cent of its inpatient specialty revenue mix, translating into an estimated ₹1,900 crore from cancer care. Medanta’s FY25 disclosures show oncology-related specialties contributed 14 per cent of revenue. Fortis Healthcare CEO, in its Q1 FY26 earnings call, said oncology has overtaken cardiology as its largest therapeutic segment, contributing 16.4 per cent of hospital revenue and 19-20 per cent after including cancer-related procedures.
Smaller hospitals are also moving aggressively into oncology. Sir Ganga Ram Hospital has opened a multidisciplinary cancer centre, Yatharth Super Speciality Hospital has launched a Centre for Cancer and Radiation Oncology in Greater Noida, Everhope Oncology has raised $10 million to build cancer centres in Delhi and Mumbai, M|O|C Cancer Care has opened centres in Delhi and Gurugram, while Fortis plans a comprehensive cancer centre at Manesar.
According to Dr SVS Deo, Oncology Lead and Senior Consultant at Max Healthcare, “30-40 per cent of future growth in the sector will come from cancer care.”
Dr Pragya Shukla, Radiation Oncologist at Delhi State Cancer Institute, said cancer should be made a notifiable disease so that resources can be allocated more efficiently.
Published on July 12, 2026
