Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
Why do gene panel prices vary so much between labs? | CION Cancer Clinics
Because two panels with the same name are rarely the same test. They can read a different number of genes, check for different kinds of fault and include or leave out counselling. Some prices are lowered by a sponsor. This page explains what moves a price up or down, what a higher quote usually pays for, and how to compare fairly. 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
- Why does the same gene panel cost so differently at two labs?
- What do the common tests usually cost?
- What actually moves the price up or down?
- What a higher price often pays for
- What a lower quote and a higher quote often mean
- What this page cannot tell you
- Four things families assume about test prices
- Common questions about why genetic test prices differ
The short answer
Why does the same gene panel cost so differently at two labs?
Because it is rarely the same test. Two panels with the same name can read a different number of genes, check for different kinds of fault, and include or leave out counselling. Some prices are also lowered by a sponsor, or raised by collection and hospital charges added on top.
What a panel name does not tell you
A hereditary breast cancer panel at one laboratory might read a handful of genes. At another it might read several dozen. Both are called panels, and both can be the right test for someone. The first question is not which is cheaper but which one your counsellor thinks fits your family.
Where the real cost sits
Reading DNA has become cheaper. What has not become cheaper is the skilled review of every change the machine finds, the extra checks for faults that ordinary reading misses, and the people who explain the result to you. Those are the parts that separate a thorough test from a quick one.
Why this matters more in India
Most families here pay for genetic testing themselves. There are many laboratories, from national chains to smaller regional ones, and prices are not regulated. The same panel name can be sold at very different prices in the same city, which makes it more important to ask what each quote includes.
A lower price is not a warning sign on its own. An unclear list of what is included is.Indicative cost
What do the common tests usually cost?
These are broad ranges seen across laboratories, not quotes. The spread inside each range is the subject of this page.
₹3,000 – ₹8,000
A known family fault
Looks for one change already found in a relative. The narrowest and cheapest test.
₹8,000 – ₹20,000
BRCA1 and BRCA2 only
Two genes, read in full. Still offered where the family pattern points clearly at breast and ovarian cancer.
₹12,000 – ₹30,000
A multigene panel
Many genes read at once. The widest price spread, because the gene list differs most between labs.
Indicative only. Prices vary widely between labs and hospitals, and change over time. Stand-alone genetic tests are often not covered by insurance or government schemes. Call the helpline for an estimate against your own situation.
The four big reasons
What actually moves the price up or down?
Almost every difference between two quotes comes back to one of these four things.
How many genes are read
More genes means more reading and, above all, more changes to review. A larger panel is not always better. It also turns up more uncertain results that nobody can act on yet.
Which kinds of fault are checked
Most faults are spelling changes. Some are whole sections of a gene missing or doubled, which need a separate check. Leaving that out makes a test cheaper and less complete.
Who reviews the result
A lab with experienced genetic scientists, and a clear policy on uncertain results, costs more to run. That review is what makes a report safe to act on.
Signs of a careful lab
- Accreditation it can show you
- A published gene list
- A stated policy on reclassification
What is bundled and who pays
Counselling, home collection and hospital charges add to some quotes. A drug maker or a research study pays part of the cost in others, which is why a few tests are offered free. Travel for counselling from a district town is a real cost too, even though it never appears on the quote.
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When a quote is higher
What a higher price often pays for
- A longer gene list, chosen to match wider family patterns
- A separate check for missing or doubled sections of a gene
- Confirmation of any fault found using a second method
- Counselling before the test and again when the result arrives
- A reduced price for relatives tested for the same fault
- Notice from the lab if an uncertain result is later reclassified
Side by side
What a lower quote and a higher quote often mean
A lower quote often means
A higher quote often means
Fewer genes on the list
A broader list for wider family patterns
Counselling left to your hospital
Counselling before and after included
A sponsor or study paying part of it
The family paying the full cost
Collection at the lab itself
Home or district collection added in
Relatives charged separately later
A family price agreed in advance
Being straight with you
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot tell you which quote is right for your family. That depends on the cancers in the family, the ages they were found at and whether the result will change treatment now. A counsellor who has drawn your family tree can say which test fits, and only then does comparing prices make sense.
It cannot vouch for a particular laboratory
Prices, gene lists and policies change, and a lab that was cheapest last year may have changed what it offers. Your oncologist or counsellor can tell you which laboratories they currently trust with their own patients.
Who this does not apply to
Most people with cancer in the family do not need a genetic test. Choosing between two quotes only matters once a counsellor has agreed that testing is worth doing. If you already hold a report, what your specific variant means is a question for the counsellor who ordered the test.
Somatic tests on the tumour itself are a different test with different prices, covered on our targeted therapy pages.Commonly believed
Four things families assume about test prices
"The most expensive test must be the most accurate."
Price often reflects the length of the gene list and what is bundled. Accuracy depends on the lab's methods and review, which you judge from its accreditation and policies, not its price.
"A bigger panel is always the safer choice."
A bigger panel finds more uncertain results, and those can cause worry without changing anything. The right size is the one that matches your family's pattern.
"A free test must have a catch."
Some free tests are paid for by a drug maker or a research study. Read the consent form to see what happens to your sample and data, and ask who receives the result.
"We can save money by testing a well relative first."
Usually the opposite. Testing the relative who already has cancer first tells you whether there is a fault at all. Everyone after that needs only the cheap known-fault test.
Questions we are asked
Common questions about why genetic test prices differ
Why is one BRCA test so much cheaper than another?
The cheaper one may leave out the check for missing sections of the gene, may not include counselling, or may be part-paid by a sponsor. Ask both labs exactly what each price covers. If the inclusions match, the cheaper test may be perfectly good.
Is a cheaper lab less reliable?
Not necessarily. Reliability comes from the lab's methods, its review team and its accreditation. Ask whether it holds NABL or CAP accreditation for genetic testing, and whether it confirms positive results before reporting them.
Why does the hospital charge more than the lab's own price?
The hospital price may include sample collection, transport, counselling and the doctor's time to go through the result with you. Ask for a breakdown. Sometimes the extra is worth it, sometimes you are paying twice for the same thing.
Does paying more get the result back faster?
Some labs offer a faster service for a higher fee. It is worth it only when the result will change a treatment decision that cannot wait. For questions about family risk, the standard timeline is almost always fine.
Why are some tests offered free?
A drug maker may pay for testing because a result can decide whether its medicine is suitable. Research studies sometimes test families as part of their work. Both can be good options. Read the consent form and ask who will receive your result.
Can I negotiate the price?
Sometimes. Labs may offer a family price, or a lower price when several relatives test together. It is fair to ask. What you should not do is choose a narrower test only to save money without checking with your counsellor that it still fits your family.
Do prices differ between Hyderabad and the districts?
The lab price is usually the same, since most samples travel to a central laboratory anyway. What changes is the cost of collection and courier from a district town, and the cost of travelling for counselling if it is not offered by video.
Who can help me decide between two quotes?
Your counsellor or oncologist is the best person, because they know which test fits your family. If you do not have one yet, call the CION helpline with both quotes and someone will go through them with you.
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
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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
- 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
- National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories — NABL: Medical Testing Laboratories
- Cancer Research UK — Inherited cancer genes and increased cancer risk
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.
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