HDR Brachytherapy Package
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Written & reviewed by Vikram Kashyap, Medical Consultant, Satyug Healthcare
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| Surgery Name | Cost | Room | Hospitalization |
|---|---|---|---|
| HDR Brachytherapy Package | USD 1800 - USD 2800 | Day-care (no overnight stay in most cases); hotel or guest house near hospital | Day-care - 3 to 4 sessions (2 to 5 possible), usually 1 to 2 per week; stay in India 2 to 3 weeks for HDR alone |
✓ Inclusion
- ✔Consultation and examination by a senior radiation oncologist
- ✔Review of biopsy, scans and previous radiotherapy records
- ✔Applicator / catheter placement for each session
- ✔Routine spinal anaesthesia, sedation or local anaesthesia as needed
- ✔CT-based imaging with applicator in place at each session
- ✔Contouring and HDR treatment planning by medical physicists
- ✔Full course of HDR brachytherapy (3–4 sessions, day-care)
- ✔Day-care bed and observation after each session
- ✔Routine medicines during the sessions
- ✔Treatment summary and follow-up plan at completion
- ✔Free: airport pick-up & drop, visa invitation letter, interpreter & coordinator (Satyug Healthcare)
✗ Exclusion
- ✖External beam radiotherapy (IMRT/IGRT) if needed
- ✖Chemotherapy drugs and day-care
- ✖MRI-based planning, PET-CT or diagnostic scans
- ✖Interstitial needle implants or hybrid applicators (extra cost)
- ✖Additional HDR sessions beyond the planned course
- ✖Overnight admission or treatment of complications
- ✖Hotel/guest house stay, food and local transport
- ✖International flights, visa fees and travel insurance
Know More About Procedure & Surgery
🇮🇳 CANCER CARE PACKAGE — INDIA
HDR Brachytherapy (Internal Radiation) in India
High dose rate brachytherapy places a tiny radioactive source inside or beside the tumour for a few minutes – for cancers of the cervix, uterus, prostate, breast, head and neck and more – planned by senior radiation oncologists at leading Indian cancer centres, at a fraction of the cost abroad.
✅ Free Medical Opinion in 48–72 h☢️ CT/MRI Image-Guided Planning💰 Starting USD 1,800✈️ Visa & Airport Support🗣️ Interpreter Available
⏱️
10–20 min
Radiation per session
🏥
Day-care
No overnight stay
📅
3–4
Sessions (2–5)
✈️
2–3 weeks
Stay in India
📖 What is HDR Brachytherapy?
Brachytherapy means 'short-distance' radiation therapy. Instead of beaming radiation from outside the body, the radiation source is placed right inside or next to the tumour. This gives a very high dose to the cancer, while the dose falls off quickly so the bladder, bowel and other nearby organs receive much less. It is an essential part of curing cervical cancer and is widely used for uterine, prostate, breast and head and neck cancers.
In High Dose Rate (HDR) brachytherapy, thin tubes or applicators are placed in the treatment area, and a remote-controlled machine (afterloader) sends a tiny Iridium-192 or Cobalt-60 source through them for about 10–20 minutes. The source then returns to the machine – no radioactivity remains in your body, so you can go home the same day and be close to family and children. A CT or MRI with the applicator in place lets the team shape the dose exactly to the tumour each time (image-guided brachytherapy). HDR can be given alone or as a boost after external beam radiotherapy.
🖼️ Understand It in Pictures
💡 In simple words
Brachytherapy is radiotherapy given from inside the body: a radioactive source is placed in or next to the tumour. In HDR (high dose rate) brachytherapy, a strong source is placed for a few minutes through thin tubes, then removed, so no radioactivity stays in you.
How brachytherapy works
👀 Symptoms in Pictures
🩻 Scans & Tests — What Doctors See
🎬 The Treatment Journey in Pictures
📅 Recovery at a Glance
Drawings: Satyug Healthcare (simplified, not to scale). Photos: Wikimedia Commons; author and licence under each photo.
🩺 Cancers Treated
🌸
Cervical cancer
Essential part of cure: chemoradiation followed by 3–4 HDR sessions (intracavitary ± interstitial).
🩷
Uterine (endometrial) cancer
Vaginal cuff brachytherapy after hysterectomy to prevent the cancer returning.
♂️
Prostate cancer
HDR monotherapy for low/intermediate risk, or a boost with external radiation for high risk.
🎀
Breast cancer
Accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) or a tumour-bed boost after lumpectomy.
👄
Head & neck cancer
Selected tumours of the tongue, lip, floor of mouth and nasopharynx, often as a boost.
🫁
Oesophagus, airway & skin
Intraluminal HDR to relieve swallowing or breathing blockage; surface moulds for skin cancers.
⚠️ When Your Doctor May Advise HDR Brachytherapy
- ➤Cervical cancer after chemoradiation
- ➤Endometrial cancer after hysterectomy
- ➤Localised or high-risk prostate cancer
- ➤Breast cancer after lumpectomy
- ➤Small lip, tongue or mouth cancers
- ➤Difficulty swallowing from oesophageal cancer
- ➤Airway blocked by tumour
- ➤Cancer recurring in a previously treated area
💡 Not every cancer needs brachytherapy. Many cancers are treated with surgery, external radiotherapy (IMRT/IGRT) or drugs alone. Your radiation oncologist decides if HDR brachytherapy adds benefit, based on the tumour type, size, stage and position.
🔬 Tests Before Treatment
| Test | Why it is done |
|---|---|
| Biopsy and histopathology report | Confirms the cancer type and grade. |
| MRI pelvis / PET-CT | Shows tumour size and spread; MRI is key for cervix brachytherapy planning. |
| Clinical / gynaecological examination | Assesses residual tumour after external radiation. |
| Blood tests (CBC, kidney, clotting) | Check fitness for anaesthesia and applicator placement. |
| Planning CT or MRI with applicator | Done at each session to shape the dose to the tumour and protect organs. |
| Previous radiotherapy records | Needed to calculate safe total dose when HDR follows external beam radiation. |
🏥 The Procedure — Step by Step
1
Consultation
The radiation oncologist reviews biopsy, scans and previous radiation, and examines you.
2
Preparation
Fasting for a few hours if anaesthesia or sedation is planned; bowel and bladder preparation.
3
Anaesthesia
Spinal anaesthesia, sedation or local anaesthesia, depending on the site.
4
Applicator placement
Applicators, catheters or needles are placed in or near the tumour (often under ultrasound guidance).
5
Imaging
A CT or MRI is taken with the applicator in place.
6
Treatment planning
The doctor outlines the tumour and organs; physicists optimise the dose plan (about 1–2 hours).
7
Radiation delivery
You lie alone in the shielded room while the afterloader sends the source in for about 10–20 minutes, monitored on camera.
8
Applicator removal
The applicator is removed – no radioactivity remains in the body.
9
Recovery and go home
Short observation, then return to your hotel the same day.
10
Next sessions
Sessions are repeated usually 1–2 times per week until the course (usually 3–4) is complete.
⚖️ Types & Techniques
| Technique | What is done | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Intracavitary (tandem & ovoid/ring) | Applicator placed in the uterus and vagina | Cervical cancer |
| Interstitial brachytherapy | Fine needles placed directly into the tumour | Bulky cervix, prostate, breast, head & neck |
| Vaginal cuff (cylinder) | Cylinder placed in the vagina, no anaesthesia needed | Endometrial cancer after hysterectomy |
| Intraluminal | Catheter passed into the oesophagus or airway | Swallowing or breathing blockage |
| Surface mould | Applicator on the skin surface | Skin cancers, keloids |
📊 In cervical cancer, adding brachytherapy to chemoradiation significantly improves survival, and the EMBRACE I study of MRI-guided brachytherapy (Pötter et al., Lancet Oncol 2021) reported local control of about 92% at 5 years with low severe toxicity.
📅 Your Day-by-Day Plan in India
| Day | What happens |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrival in India, airport pick-up, hotel or guest house check-in |
| Day 2 | Radiation oncologist consultation, examination and review of scans |
| Day 3–4 | MRI/blood tests and preparation |
| Day 5 | HDR session 1 – applicator, imaging, planning, treatment (day-care) |
| Week 2 | HDR sessions 2–3 (1–2 per week) |
| Week 3 | Final HDR session (usually 3–4 in total), summary and follow-up plan |
| End of week 3 | Fly home ✈️ |
🌱 Recovery After Treatment
🏨
Session day
Rest at the hotel after each session; mild cramping or spotting is common for 1–2 days.
🚿
During the course
Normal daily activity between sessions; drink plenty of fluids.
🔥
Week 1–3
Mild burning when passing urine or loose stools may occur; medicines help.
🌱
2–6 weeks after
Short-term side effects settle.
💗
After cervix/vaginal HDR
Vaginal dilator use is advised to prevent narrowing; sexual activity usually after 4–6 weeks.
🩻
3 months
First response check (MRI, PSA or examination), then every 3–6 months.
🏆 Success Rate
| Outcome | Result |
|---|---|
| Cervical cancer – local control with image-guided brachytherapy | About 85–95% |
| Endometrial cancer – vaginal recurrence after cuff brachytherapy | Under 5% |
| Prostate cancer – HDR boost/monotherapy biochemical control (5 years) | About 85–95% (low–intermediate risk) |
| Relief of swallowing difficulty (oesophageal HDR) | About 60–80% of patients |
Results depend on the cancer type and stage, response to earlier chemoradiation, applicator technique and image-guided planning. Completing the full course on time is very important.
🩹 Risks & Possible Complications
Because the dose is concentrated in the tumour, side effects are usually mild and short-lived.
- •Mild pain, cramping or spotting after applicator placement – common
- •Urinary burning or frequency – common, short-lived
- •Loose stools or rectal irritation – common during and soon after treatment
- •Vaginal dryness or narrowing (cervix/uterine cases) – common long term without dilator use
- •Late rectal or bladder bleeding – about 2–10% depending on site and dose
- •Uterine perforation by the applicator – uncommon (about 1–3%), usually harmless when recognised
- •Anaesthesia-related problems – rare
💰 Cost of HDR Brachytherapy in India
The cost of HDR brachytherapy in India starts from about USD 1,800 for a full course of 3–4 sessions on a day-care basis. This includes consultation, applicator placement, CT-based planning for each session, the treatment sessions and routine anaesthesia. Interstitial needles, MRI-based planning or extra sessions cost more.
| Option / Hospital tier | Approx. cost (USD) | Hospital stay | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| HDR brachytherapy full course – this package | 1,800 | Day-care, 3–4 sessions | CT-based planning, intracavitary/cylinder |
| Interstitial / hybrid HDR (cervix, prostate) | 2,500 – 4,000 | Day-care or 1–2 nights | Needles under anaesthesia, more planning |
| External radiation (IMRT/IGRT) + HDR course | 5,000 – 7,000 | OPD, 6–7 weeks | Full curative course for cervical cancer |
| Per extra HDR session | 400 – 600 | Day-care | If more sessions are needed |
⚠️ Final cost depends on the cancer site, number of sessions, applicator type (intracavitary, interstitial), MRI-based planning, anaesthesia and the hospital. Quotes are confirmed after the radiation oncologist examines the patient in India.
📋 What the Package Includes
✅ Included
- ✔Radiation oncologist consultation
- ✔Applicator placement per session
- ✔CT-based planning each session
- ✔3–4 HDR treatment sessions
- ✔Routine anaesthesia / sedation
- ✔Day-care observation
- ✔Treatment summary
- ✔Airport pick-up, visa letter & interpreter
❌ Not Included
- ✖External beam radiotherapy
- ✖Chemotherapy
- ✖MRI/PET-CT scans
- ✖Interstitial needle upgrade
- ✖Extra sessions
- ✖Overnight admission if needed
- ✖Hotel stay and local travel
- ✖Flights and visa fees
✈️ Your Medical Travel Process with Satyug Healthcare
| Step | Details |
|---|---|
| 1. Send reports | Biopsy/histopathology report, MRI pelvis or PET-CT, external radiotherapy summary (dose and dates) if already given, chemotherapy details, operation notes (for endometrial/breast), and recent blood tests. |
| 2. Free opinion & quotes | Within 48-72 hours you receive opinions and cost estimates from 3-5 leading hospitals to compare. |
| 3. Choose hospital & doctor | We help you compare doctors, success rates, room options and total budget. |
| 4. Medical visa | The hospital issues a Visa Invitation Letter (VIL) to the Indian Embassy. The patient and up to 2 attendants apply for an e-Medical / Medical Attendant visa. |
| 5. Travel planning | Flight guidance, wheelchair assistance, airport pick-up, hotel or guest house near the hospital. |
| 6. Treatment in India | Your coordinator and interpreter stay with you for admission, treatment, discharge and billing. |
| 7. Return & follow-up | Fit-to-fly letter, medicines, and online follow-up with your doctor after you return home. |
🎒 Travel Checklist
- 📌Valid passport (6+ months) for the patient and attendants, plus 10 passport-size photos each
- 📌Medical visa / e-visa and the hospital’s Visa Invitation Letter
- 📌All biopsy, MRI/PET-CT reports, previous radiotherapy summary, scans on CD / link and prescriptions
- 📌Yellow fever vaccination certificate (mandatory for travellers from African countries)
- 📌Polio vaccination certificate where applicable
- 📌Declare cash above USD 5,000 at the airport; hospitals accept wire transfer and cards
- 📌Foreigners staying longer than permitted must register with the FRRO — our team assists
⭐ Why Choose Satyug Healthcare?
🏥
Top Accredited Hospitals
Leading radiation oncology centres with HDR afterloaders and image-guided brachytherapy, such as Max Saket, Medanta Gurugram, Fortis Memorial Gurugram, Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute, BLK-Max, Artemis, Apollo, HCG and Tata Memorial–trained teams.
👨⚕️
Senior Specialists
Senior radiation oncologists and medical physicists with large brachytherapy experience, especially in gynaecological cancers.
💵
Transparent Pricing
Multiple written quotes to compare — no hidden charges, no extra fee for our service.
🤝
End-to-End Support
Visa, airport pick-up, accommodation, interpreter and 24/7 coordinator.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
➤ What is the cost of HDR brachytherapy in India?
A full course of 3–4 sessions starts from about USD 1,800. Interstitial brachytherapy or a combined external radiation plus HDR course costs more.
➤ How many sessions will I need?
Usually 3–4 sessions (sometimes 2–5), given 1–2 times a week. The number depends on the cancer type and whether external radiation was given first.
➤ How long should I stay in India?
About 2–3 weeks for HDR alone. If you also need external radiation (IMRT/IGRT), plan for about 7–8 weeks.
➤ Do I need to stay in hospital?
Usually not. HDR is a day-care treatment; you go back to your hotel the same day.
➤ Will I be radioactive after treatment?
No. The source is removed after each session, so it is completely safe to be with family and children.
➤ Is it painful?
Applicators are placed under anaesthesia or sedation where needed. The radiation itself is painless. Mild cramps or discomfort may last a day.
➤ Why is brachytherapy needed for cervical cancer?
External radiation alone cannot safely give the very high dose the tumour needs. Brachytherapy adds this dose from inside and significantly improves the chance of cure.
➤ What is the success rate?
For cervical cancer with modern image-guided brachytherapy, local control is about 85–95%. Results for other cancers depend on stage and type.
➤ Can I get brachytherapy in India after external radiation at home?
Yes. Many patients do this. Send your radiation summary (dose and dates) so the team can plan safely. Brachytherapy should ideally follow external radiation within 1–2 weeks.
➤ What are the side effects?
Mild urinary burning, loose stools and vaginal discharge are common for a short time. Serious late bladder or bowel problems are uncommon.
💬 Get a Free Opinion & Cost Estimate
Send your medical reports today and receive opinions from India’s top specialists within 48-72 hours.
📞 +91-8860606766 | +91-9910655125 | ✉️ query@satyughealthcare.com
Medical disclaimer: This page is for general information and does not replace a consultation with a qualified specialist. Treatment plans and costs are confirmed only after the patient is examined. Sources: NCBI StatPearls: Brachytherapy; NCBI StatPearls: High Dose Rate Brachytherapy; American Brachytherapy Society consensus guidelines (cervix, prostate, breast); GEC-ESTRO recommendations; EMBRACE I study (Pötter et al., Lancet Oncol 2021); NCCN Guidelines: Cervical Cancer; Cancer Research UK – Internal radiotherapy. Infographics: Satyug Healthcare.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is radiation given from inside the body. A thin tube is placed in or near the tumour, a tiny radioactive source is sent through it by a machine for 10 to 20 minutes, and then it is taken back out. Nothing radioactive stays in the body.
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HDR brachytherapy in India from USD 1,800. Image-guided internal radiation for cervix, uterus, prostate & breast cancer, day-care, 3–4 sessions, free opinion.
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