Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
What it costs to test relatives after a positive result | CION Cancer Clinics
Once a fault is found in one person, relatives are tested only for that exact change, which costs far less than the first test. The bigger cost is usually screening for the relatives who carry it. This page explains who is offered testing first, how a relative gets tested from another city, indicative prices, and what each result means for the family's budget. At CION Cancer Clinics in Hyderabad, our oncologists review your family history with you and guide you to the right genetic counselling and testing.
NG
Medically reviewed by Dr. Naresh GunduConsultant Medical Oncologist · MBBS, DNB (Internal Medicine), DM (Medical Oncology, AIIMS) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
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On this page
- How much does it cost to test relatives after a positive result?
- Which relatives are usually offered the test?
- How does a relative actually get tested?
- What does each relative's test usually cost?
- What each result means for the family's costs
- What this page cannot tell you
- Four things families assume about testing relatives
- Common questions about the cost of testing relatives
The short answer
How much does it cost to test relatives after a positive result?
Much less than the first test. Once a fault has been found in one person, relatives are tested only for that exact change, which is quicker and far cheaper for the lab. The larger cost for the family is usually the screening that follows for relatives who turn out to carry it.
Why a relative's test is cheaper
The first test had to search many genes because nobody knew where a fault might be. A relative's test goes straight to one known spot. The lab already knows what it is looking for, so the work is simpler and the answer is usually clear.
Why the order of testing matters
Close relatives are tested first: parents, brothers, sisters and adult children. Their results decide whether aunts, uncles and cousins need testing at all. Testing in that order means the family only pays for the tests that can change something.
What a negative result means for the budget
A relative who does not carry the family fault needs no further genetic test for it, and their children need none either. Their general screening may still depend on the wider family history, which their counsellor will explain.
Who gets tested
Which relatives are usually offered the test?
Testing moves outward from the person who carries the fault, one ring of the family at a time.
Brothers and sisters
Each has a one in two chance of sharing the fault. They are usually the first relatives offered testing, and their results often guide who is tested next.
Adult children
Each child of a carrier also has a one in two chance. For faults that raise risk in adult life, testing usually waits until the child is an adult and can choose.
Parents
Testing a living parent shows which side of the family the fault came from. That tells you which aunts, uncles and cousins may need testing and which do not.
The wider family
Once the side of the family is known, relatives on that side can be offered testing too.
- Aunts and uncles on that side
- Their adult children
- Relatives in other cities or states
Step by step
How does a relative actually get tested?
The carrier shares the report
Relatives need a copy of the original report or a family letter from the counsellor. It names the gene and the exact change, which the lab must have before it can test anyone else.
Each relative sees a counsellor
A short session explains what a positive or negative result would mean for them. Adults decide for themselves whether to test. Nobody should be pressed into it by the family.
A sample is taken near home
A blood or saliva sample can often be collected in the relative's own city and sent to the same lab. Ask whether collection and courier are in the price.
The lab checks one spot
The result says whether that relative carries the family fault or not. Their counsellor explains it and, if they carry it, sets out what screening comes next.
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Indicative cost
What does each relative's test usually cost?
These are broad ranges seen across laboratories and hospitals, not quotes. The figure for your family depends on the lab and what it includes.
₹3,000 – ₹8,000
Known-fault test
Per relative, looking for the one family change.
₹1,000 – ₹5,000
Counselling session
Per relative, sometimes included in the test price.
₹12,000 – ₹30,000
A full panel
Only if a relative's own history points to a different gene.
Indicative only. Some labs offer relatives a reduced price or free testing for a limited period after the first result, and others do not. Stand-alone genetic tests are often not covered by insurance or government schemes. Call the helpline for an estimate against your own family.
Side by side
What each result means for the family's costs
The relative carries the fault
The relative does not carry it
Earlier or extra screening, paid for over many years
Usually routine screening for their age
Their own adult children may be offered testing
Their children need no test for this fault
Preventive options may be discussed
No extra preventive steps for this fault
Insurance questions worth planning for
No further genetic cost for this fault
Being straight with you
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot tell you which of your relatives should be tested, or in what order. That depends on the gene, the family tree and who is alive and willing. A genetic counsellor draws that plan with you, and the plan decides the total cost more than any price list.
It cannot read the original report for you
Relatives sometimes forward a photo of the report and ask what it means for them. The answer depends on the exact variant and how it was classified. What your specific variant means is a question for the counsellor who ordered the test.
Who this does not apply to
If the first test in your family found no fault, or found only a variant of uncertain significance, relatives are not usually offered this kind of test. An uncertain result is not a positive result and should not be used to test the family.
Commonly believed
Four things families assume about testing relatives
"Every relative needs the same full test the patient had."
They need only the known-fault test. Buying the full panel for each relative costs far more and can throw up uncertain findings that cause needless worry.
"Relatives in another state cannot be tested by the same lab."
Samples can usually be collected locally and couriered. If another lab is used, it needs a copy of the original report to know what to look for.
"If my sister is negative, I must be negative too."
Each brother or sister inherits separately. One sibling's result says nothing about another's. Each person needs their own test to know.
"We should test the young children now while we are paying."
For faults that raise risk in adult life, testing usually waits until the child is an adult and can decide. Testing early rarely changes their care and cannot be undone.
Questions we are asked
Common questions about the cost of testing relatives
Do relatives get a discount at the same lab?
Some labs offer relatives a reduced price or free testing for a limited period after the first result. Many do not. Ask the lab when the first result comes back, and get the offer and any time limit in writing.
Can a relative be tested at a different lab?
Yes, as long as the new lab has a copy of the original report naming the exact change. Using the same lab is often simpler because it can look for the change directly and compare results.
Who pays for a relative's test?
Usually the relative or the family pays directly. Stand-alone tests on well people are often not covered by insurance or government schemes. Some families pool the cost, especially when several brothers and sisters test together.
Is counselling needed for a relative's test?
Yes. A relative should understand what a positive or negative result would mean before giving a sample. Some labs and hospitals include this session, and some charge for it. It is not the part to skip.
How long does a relative's result take?
It is usually quicker than the first test, because the lab checks one known spot. Exact timing varies by lab and by how the sample travels. Ask the lab for its expected time when you book the test.
What if a relative refuses to be tested?
That is their right. Adults decide for themselves. Their children can still be offered counselling, and in some families the result of a closer relative answers the question anyway. A counsellor can help with how to raise it gently.
Can relatives abroad be tested?
Yes. They can take the original report to a genetics service where they live and be tested for the same change there. Send a clear copy of the report and the family letter, not a photo of a single page.
How do we plan the family's testing?
Start with the carrier's counsellor, who can draw up an order of testing. Then call the CION helpline with the list of relatives and where they live. Someone will set out the likely costs and how samples can reach the lab.
What moves the figure
What affects the cost
Four things change the total more than anything else.
The technique used
A shaped or image-guided delivery costs more than a conventional one, and is chosen on clinical grounds rather than preference.
How many sessions
The total is driven by the number of sittings or cycles, not by a single per-visit figure.
Supporting tests
Scans, blood work and pathology done alongside treatment are billed separately.
Your cover
Aarogyasri, CGHS, ECHS, EHS or cashless insurance usually change the out-of-pocket figure substantially.
Paying for it
Insurance, schemes and payment
What you actually pay usually differs a great deal from the sticker figure.
AarogyasriEmpanelled. Bring the card and a referral where you have one.
CGHS / ECHS / EHSAccepted at CION centres for eligible treatment.
Cashless insuranceMost major insurers are empanelled. Pre-authorisation is handled by our desk.
Self-payItemised estimate given before treatment starts. No EMI scheme exists.
Accreditation and empanelment
- NABH
- NABL
- ISO 9001:2015
- ArogyaSri empanelled
- CGHS accepted
- ECHS accepted
- EHS accepted
- Major cashless insurers
Your Specialists
Meet CION's oncologists. Bring your family history or genetic report to them.
Our medical oncologists see people with a strong family history of cancer, arrange genetic counselling and testing where it fits, and plan the checks that follow.
Medical Oncologist
Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
Medical Oncologist
Medical Oncologist
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Where to find us
Our centres in and around Hyderabad
Addressed by landmark, because that is how this city navigates. One helpline books a consultation at any of these centres, and your team will tell you where counselling and testing take place.
Warangal
Vizag
Sources
- NHS — Predictive genetic tests for cancer risk genes
- Cancer Research UK — Inherited cancer genes and increased cancer risk
- MedlinePlus Genetics — What is the cost of genetic testing, and how long does it take to get the results?
- National Cancer Institute — Genetic Testing for Inherited Cancer Susceptibility Syndromes
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
Keep reading
Related pages
Genetic testing cost in IndiaThe full picture, from counselling to screeningCost by test typeHow the known-fault test compares with a panelCouriering a sample from a districtHow relatives outside Hyderabad send a sampleBudgeting for testing plus lifelong surveillancePlanning for screening costs after a positive result
Talk to us
Planning tests for several relatives at once?
Tell us who in the family wants testing and where they live. We will set out the likely costs and how samples can reach the lab. One helpline serves every CION centre.