Kathmandu
Cancer Center
Kathmandu
Cancer Center
Before booking at Rajiv Gandhi, Apollo or Medanta — compare what is actually available in Kathmandu. Same generation LINAC. Same NCCN protocols. Doctors trained at the same Indian institutes. Your family beside you every day.
We know what is happening in your family right now. And we know the question nobody asks out loud.
Someone you love has been diagnosed with cancer. In the hours that follow, a decision gets made — often without being spoken: "We should go to India." A relative mentioned Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute. A friend said Apollo is better. Someone heard AIIMS takes serious cases. It feels like the responsible choice.
We understand this completely. When someone you love has cancer, you do not take chances. That instinct is right.
But here is the question nobody asks: have you actually compared — equipment by equipment, doctor by doctor — what is available in Kathmandu with what is in Delhi? Most families have not. Not because they are careless. Because no one has shown them both sides, honestly, side by side. This page does that. We will not hide our limitations. But we will show you what we have — and for the majority of cancers that Nepali families travel to India to treat, the comparison may genuinely surprise you.
— KCC Medical Team, Kathmandu Cancer Center
The decision is almost never purely medical. Understanding what drives it is the first step to making it rationally.
Families are not asking "what gives the best clinical outcome?" They are asking "what decision can I defend later?" Going to India is a defensive social move, not a medical one. If you stay in Nepal and the outcome is difficult, relatives may ask: "why didn't you take her to India?" That anticipated guilt drives the decision before any medical comparison is made.
High-income Nepali families have been told since childhood that serious treatment happens in India. AIIMS. Rajiv Gandhi. Apollo. These names carry weight — not because anyone compared them to KCC, but because they are famous and familiar. This is not a conclusion families reached. It is a belief they absorbed.
The relative who says "you are not doing enough for him" is the most powerful force in this decision. It weaponises love. Going to India signals effort, sacrifice, devotion. Staying in Nepal is made to look like resignation. This social pressure is real — which is why this page exists: to give families the information and language to explain, confidently, why they made the choice they made.
Patients believe that because Delhi is larger, more complex things must happen there — bigger machines, better protocols. The reality — that KCC operates the same LINAC generation, follows the same protocols, and has doctors from the same training institutes — is simply invisible. Not because it is hidden. Because no one has ever shown it directly. Until now.
We invite this comparison. This applies to the cancers Nepali families most commonly travel to India to treat: breast, rectal, head & neck, and gynaecologic.
| What matters in cancer care | KCC, Kathmandu | RGCI / Apollo / Medanta, Delhi |
|---|---|---|
| Linear Accelerator (LINAC) for radiotherapy | ✓ Same generation technology | ✓ |
| IMRT / VMAT precision radiotherapy | ✓ Fully operational | ✓ |
| Brachytherapy (internal radiotherapy) | ✓ Asia's leading programme — internationally published | ✓ |
| Radiation oncologist trained at AIIMS / PGI | ✓ | ✓ |
| Breast cancer surgery (oncoplastic) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Colorectal cancer surgery incl. HIPEC | ✓ HIPEC available — rare in Nepal | ✓ |
| Head & neck cancer treatment | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cervical & gynaecologic cancer — brachytherapy | ✓ International publications | ✓ |
| Chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy | ✓ | ✓ |
| Consultation in Nepali language | ✓ | ✗ |
| Family present at every session | ✓ 25 min from Ring Road | ✗ Patient typically alone in Delhi |
| Nepal health insurance / Sanchaya Kosh / SSF | ✓ Accepted | ✗ Not accepted abroad |
| Total treatment cost | Significantly lower | High + flights + accommodation |
| Additional cost above hospital bill | None | NPR 4–10 lakh estimated |
This comparison applies to standard oncology for common cancer types. For very rare or ultra-specialised cases, we will always say honestly if referral is the right path. Request a second opinion →
🌏 Nepali community abroad
Many Nepali families based in Singapore, Qatar, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia return to KCC for cancer treatment. The reasons are straightforward: treatment costs are 60–80% lower than private hospitals abroad, protocols are identical (NCCN/ESMO guidelines), and your family is with you — not thousands of miles away.
परिवारमा कसैलाई क्यान्सर भएको थाहा पाउँदा पहिलो विचार आउँछ — "भारत लैजानुपर्यो।" राजीव गान्धी, अपोलो, वा मेडान्टाको नाम आउँछ। यो प्रेमपूर्ण निर्णय हो — तर के कहिल्यै तुलना गर्नुभएको छ?
KCC मा उही पुस्ताको LINAC मेसिन छ। हाम्रा डाक्टरहरू AIIMS, PGI, राजीव गान्धी क्यान्सर अस्पताल र टाटा मेमोरियलमा तालिम लिनुभएको छ। स्तन क्यान्सर, पाठेघरको क्यान्सर, घाँटीको क्यान्सर, फोक्सोको क्यान्सर — यी सबैको उपचार नेपालमै सम्भव छ।
भारत जाँदा अस्पतालको बिल बाहेक थप रु. ४–१० लाख विमान भाडा, होटल र खाजामा खर्च हुन्छ। सबभन्दा महत्त्वपूर्ण कुरा — उपचारका हरेक दिन परिवार नजिकै रहन पाउनुहुन्छ।
Oncology research consistently shows that patients with strong family support have better treatment adherence, lower anxiety, and stronger recovery. This is not a soft benefit. It affects outcomes.
In Delhi, your mother recovers in a rented room with an unfamiliar caretaker. In Kathmandu, you can be beside her after every session, every result, every moment that matters.
A patient who cannot fully follow what her doctor is explaining cannot fully participate in her own care. At KCC, there is no language barrier. Everything is in Nepali.
Most families calculate the hospital bill. Very few calculate the real total — the complete cost of being in Delhi for 6–8 weeks.
We are not saying India is wrong for every case. We are saying: calculate the complete number first. Then request a free estimate from KCC and compare.
The gap is almost always larger than families expect — before even counting the clinical cost difference.
And if India is genuinely the right answer for your case, we will tell you that directly. That is a commitment from our team.
| Return flights — patient + caretaker (×2–3 trips) | NPR 80K–1.6L |
| Accommodation in Delhi (6–8 weeks) | NPR 2L–4L |
| Food, transport, daily expenses | NPR 60K–1.2L |
| Lost income — caretaker absent from work | NPR 80K–2L |
| Family separation — 6–8 weeks apart | Cannot be calculated |
| Total additional cost above hospital bill | NPR 4–10 lakh+ |
KCC City Clinic is in New Baneshwor — central Kathmandu, accessible from every corner of the valley. See a KCC oncologist before making any decision. No travel to Bhaktapur. No obligation.
Next to Kolkata Sweets, New Baneshwor · WhatsApp: 9763‑490950 · Walk-ins welcome
Our team did not settle for Nepal. They chose it — specifically, deliberately — because they believed Nepal deserved what did not yet exist here.
I trained in New Delhi and completed my fellowship at Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute. I understand how cancer care is delivered in leading centres there, and I also know what we provide here in Kathmandu. For breast, rectal, and head & neck cancer, the treatment principles are the same. The important difference is that patients can receive high-quality care here in Nepal, close to their family.
Dr. Gerim Prasai Fellowship: Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute & Research Centre, New Delhi · View profile →
When patients ask whether they should travel abroad, I explain that for many head and neck cancers — cancers of the mouth, throat, and thyroid — the treatment principles are the same. With experienced surgeons and a multidisciplinary team, patients achieve excellent outcomes here in Nepal, while staying close to their family.
Dr. Deepak Yadav Head & Neck Oncologist · Trained: Tata Memorial, Mumbai · View profile →
Real decisions made by real Kathmandu families. Each had already considered India.
I am a doctor myself. I still had the same conditioning as everyone else. When my father was diagnosed I did a proper comparison: equipment, training, tumour board process. KCC was comparable on every clinical measure. What decided it: he could sleep in his own bed every night. For an elderly man on radiotherapy, that matters more than the name on the gate.
Dr. A.K., Bhaktapur Physician · Son of patient · 2024 · Head & Neck Cancer
My husband was diagnosed with rectal cancer. We had already contacted Medanta — our daughter studies in Delhi so it seemed the natural choice. A doctor friend said: see KCC first. I was skeptical. But the treatment plan was identical. We stayed. He is cancer-free fourteen months on. And I was home every evening.
R.S., Lalitpur Wife of patient · 2024 · Rectal Cancer
When I got the diagnosis, my first thought was Apollo Delhi. My brother lives there — it seemed obvious. My husband said: let us see what is here first. When I saw the machine, when the doctor explained the surgery — exactly what Apollo had proposed — I understood. My children were with me every day of treatment. That is not nothing. That is everything.
M.T., Kathmandu Patient · 2023 · Breast Cancer
RGCI Rohini is a respected dedicated cancer centre — which makes it the most direct comparison for KCC, because both are cancer-only institutions. KCC operates the same generation LINAC, follows identical NCCN and WHO protocols, and has radiation oncologists with AIIMS and PGI training comparable to RGCI faculty. For breast, rectal, head & neck, and gynaecologic cancers — the most common reasons Nepali patients travel — KCC offers equivalent clinical capability. The difference: treatment costs significantly less, your family is 25 minutes away rather than in a rented Delhi room, consultations are in Nepali, and Nepal health insurance is accepted.
Breast cancer, colorectal cancer, head & neck cancers, thyroid cancer, gynaecologic cancers (cervical, endometrial), blood cancers (lymphoma, leukaemia, myeloma), lung cancer, brain tumours, liver cancer, and many others. We will always tell you honestly if your specific case requires something we cannot provide.
Yes — and we will tell you when that is the case. Bone marrow transplantation, some complex paediatric cases, and very rare tumour types may require referral. If your case is one of those, we say so directly and help navigate the referral. Our goal is your best outcome, not our patient numbers.
Yes. Send your reports and the proposed treatment plan via WhatsApp. Our oncologists will review it and give you an honest assessment — including whether we can deliver the same treatment here and what it would cost. The initial second opinion review carries no obligation to continue treatment at KCC. The City Clinic in New Baneshwor means you do not need to travel to Bhaktapur for this review.
KCC treatment costs are significantly lower than equivalent treatment at Delhi hospitals. Beyond the medical bill, most Kathmandu families spend an additional NPR 4–10 lakh on flights, accommodation, food, caretaker, and lost income during a Delhi treatment journey. Contact us for a personalised cost estimate — it is free.
Bone marrow transplantation requires referral to a specialised centre — KCC will coordinate this directly and help you navigate the process. For all other blood cancers — leukaemia, lymphoma, myeloma — full chemotherapy and supportive treatment is available at KCC Nepal.
Yes. KCC regularly accepts patients transferring chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or targeted therapy from Indian hospitals. Your cycle count is preserved — you do not restart. Drug availability is confirmed before you travel. Send your treatment summary and documents via WhatsApp and we respond within 24–48 hours. Read the full transfer guide →
Yes. KCC is registered with the National Health Insurance Programme (NHIF), Sanchaya Kosh (EPF), and the Social Security Fund (SSF). Nepal health insurance is not accepted at Indian hospitals — going to India means paying entirely out of pocket, regardless of your coverage in Nepal.
Send us your reports. Tell us your situation. Our oncology team responds with a clear, honest assessment — and if we believe another centre is the right answer for your case, we will tell you that too. If India is right for you, we will say so. That is a promise.
Main Hospital — Tathali, Bhaktapur · City Clinic — New Baneshwor, Kathmandu · Sunday–Friday 9am–5pm
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