STAR Cancer Centre launches guidance centre for Bangladeshi patients

STAR Cancer Centre, a specialised unit of STAR Hospitals, Hyderabad, India, on Sunday launched a dedicated Free Second Opinion Clinic and Guidance Centre for citizens of Bangladesh, aiming to help cancer patients make informed treatment decisions and access specialised oncology care.

The initiative is designed to provide patients with expert case reviews, treatment-plan assessments and guidance on advanced, organ-specific cancer treatment before they travel to India for medical care.

Cancer remains a major health concern in Bangladesh and across South Asia, with more than 167,000 to 187,000 new cases reportedly diagnosed in Bangladesh each year, said a press release.

As awareness of early diagnosis grows, patients and families are increasingly seeking specialised treatment options for common cancers, including breast, lung, cervical, oesophageal and gastrointestinal cancers, it said.

India has emerged as a major regional destination for advanced medical treatment and receives hundreds of thousands of Bangladeshi patients each year.

Leading Indian hospitals offer access to specialised surgical, medical and radiation oncologists, along with advanced diagnostic and treatment technologies.

These include TrueBeam Linear Accelerators, digital PET-CT imaging, 3T MRI, robotic surgery and multidisciplinary tumour board evaluations.

Under the initiative, Bangladeshi citizens will be able to access free second opinions based on complete medical records and treatment plans, which will be reviewed by senior oncology specialists.

Patients may also receive multidisciplinary tumour board evaluations involving organ-specific medical, surgical and radiation oncology specialists.

The centre will additionally provide end-to-end medical travel assistance, including treatment planning, estimated costs, expected duration of stay and visa-related guidance.