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CION Cancer Clinics
SDHx testing cost in Hyderabad: what families actually pay | CION Cancer Clinics
The first SDHx test in a family costs the most, because it searches several genes for an unknown fault. Relatives tested afterwards pay far less, because the lab looks for one known change. This page gives indicative price ranges in Hyderabad, explains why quotes differ, and shows what regular hormone tests and scans add for a carrier over the years. At CION Cancer Clinics, our oncologists explain what a gene result means for you and your family, and plan the checks that follow.
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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 SDHx testing cost in Hyderabad?
- What do the main pieces usually cost?
- Why do two labs quote such different prices?
- How do you arrange SDHx testing without paying twice?
- A full panel and a known-fault test, compared
- What can this page not tell you?
- What do families get wrong about the cost?
- Common questions about SDHx testing costs
The short answer
How much does SDHx testing cost in Hyderabad?
It depends on who is being tested. The first test in a family, done on the person who had a paraganglioma or phaeochromocytoma, reads a panel of genes and costs the most. Once a fault is found, each relative is tested for that one change only, which costs far less.
Two very different tests
The first test reads all five SDHx genes, and usually other genes linked to these tumours such as VHL, RET, NF1, MAX and TMEM127. The laboratory is searching for a fault it has never seen before. The second test knows exactly where to look. It checks one spelling change in one gene, which is quicker and cheaper.
The test is not the biggest cost
For a carrier, the larger spend comes later. Hormone tests are repeated regularly and MRI scans every few years, often for life. A family that plans for these from the start is rarely caught out. Knowing who does not carry the fault also saves the cost of checks they will never need.
Counselling before and after the test is part of the real cost. Ask whether it is included before you pay.Indicative cost
What do the main pieces usually cost?
These are broad ranges seen across laboratories and hospitals in Hyderabad, not quotes. Your own figure depends on the lab, the panel and your cover.
₹12,000 – ₹30,000
Panel including the SDHx genes
For the person who had one of these tumours. Larger panels, and those that also check for missing pieces of genes, sit higher.
₹3,000 – ₹8,000
Testing a relative for the known fault
Looks for the one change already found in the family, so it costs much less per person.
₹3,000 – ₹7,000
A hormone blood test
Plasma metanephrines, the main hormone check for carriers. It is repeated regularly as part of long-term checks.
₹15,000 – ₹35,000
A whole-body or multi-region MRI
The main scan for carriers. The price depends on the areas covered and whether contrast dye is used.
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, while treatment of a tumour more often is. Call the helpline for an estimate against your own cover.
Why quotes differ
Why do two labs quote such different prices?
A higher price does not always mean a better test. These are the four things that move the figure.
How many genes are read
A test of one gene is the smallest. Most people with one of these tumours are offered a panel, because the tumour alone rarely points to a single gene with certainty.
Who gives the sample
The first person tested carries the full cost. Relatives tested for a fault already found pay far less. The order of testing matters more to the family budget than the choice of lab.
Whether counselling is included
Some packages include a session before the test and another to explain the report. Others sell the test alone. A cheaper test with no one to explain it is not a saving.
What the report covers
Ask these before you pay.
- Does the lab check for large missing pieces of each gene?
- Will an uncertain result be reviewed later, free of charge?
- Can the result be used to test relatives?
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Getting it done
How do you arrange SDHx testing without paying twice?
Start with the family tree
List who had a paraganglioma, a phaeochromocytoma, a neck lump that was operated on, or very high blood pressure at a young age. Old discharge papers are useful.
Test the person who had the tumour
A blood sample goes to the lab for a panel. If the tumour was stained for the SDH machine, bring that pathology report, because it helps focus the search.
Hear the result from a counsellor
The report is explained in person or by video. You learn whether a fault was found, which gene it is in, and who else in the family should now be offered a test.
Test relatives for the known fault
Brothers, sisters, parents and children each give a sample for the smaller test. Only carriers go on to regular checks, which is where most long-term cost sits.
Side by side
A full panel and a known-fault test, compared
Full panel
Known-fault test
For the first person tested in the family
For relatives once a fault has been found
Reads all five SDHx genes and several others
Checks one change in one gene
Costs the most of any testing step
Costs a fraction of the panel
Can return an uncertain result
Gives a clear yes or no for that change
Being straight with you
What can this page not tell you?
It cannot quote your price. The figure depends on the panel your counsellor recommends, the laboratory used and whether your cover pays for any part of it. The ranges above help you plan. They are not a bill.
It cannot read your report
An SDHx result can show a clearly harmful fault, no fault, or a change the lab cannot yet classify. Each leads somewhere different, with very different long-term costs. What your specific variant means is a question for the counsellor who ordered the test.
Who this does not apply to
Most people with high blood pressure do not need this test. It is meant for people who had one of these tumours, or whose relative carries a known fault. Testing a tumour to choose a treatment is a different test with a different price, and belongs under targeted therapy.
If you are unsure whether your family pattern counts, describe it to the helpline before paying for any test.Commonly believed
What do families get wrong about the cost?
"The costliest lab must give the most accurate answer."
Price reflects panel size, speed and what is bundled. Accuracy depends on the lab's methods and accreditation. Ask your counsellor which labs they trust rather than choosing by price.
"To save money, test the youngest well relative first."
A negative result in a well person means little if nobody knows what fault to look for. Testing the person who had the tumour first usually saves money across the whole family.
"A yearly CT scan is cheaper than MRI, so it is better."
CT may cost less per scan, but repeated scans add radiation over a lifetime. For carriers, MRI is usually preferred, and it is not needed every year.
"The test is the only cost."
For a carrier, regular hormone tests and scans cost more over the years than the test itself. Knowing this early helps a family plan and check what their cover pays for.
Questions we are asked
Common questions about SDHx testing costs
Does Aarogyasri or Ayushman Bharat cover SDHx testing?
Stand-alone genetic tests are usually not included in these schemes. Treatment of a tumour, including surgery, may be covered. Scheme packages change, so ask the helpline or the scheme desk to check your own eligibility before you pay for anything yourself.
Why does my brother's test cost less than mine did?
Your test searched several genes for an unknown fault. His only checks the one change already found in your result. That is much less work for the lab, so it costs far less. This is the main saving of testing in the right order.
How long does the result take?
A full panel usually takes a few weeks. A test for a known family fault is often quicker. Faster reporting sometimes costs extra. If the result will change an operation plan soon, tell the counsellor so the sample goes to a lab that can meet that timing.
Can the tumour itself be tested to save money?
A stain on the removed tumour can show whether the SDH machine is missing, and hospitals often do it anyway. It points towards the SDHx genes, but it cannot prove an inherited fault. A blood test is still needed for the family.
Is genetic counselling charged separately?
It depends on the package. Some tests include a session before and after. Others do not. Always ask what happens if the result is positive or uncertain, and whether the follow-up conversation is part of the price you are paying.
What will a positive result cost us later?
Regular hormone blood tests, MRI scans every few years, and specialist visits, usually for life. Children who carry the fault may start these young. Your team can help you plan and check what your insurance or scheme will pay for.
We live in a district. Must we travel to Hyderabad?
The counselling conversation matters most, and it can sometimes be done by video. The sample is a simple blood draw. Ask the helpline how to combine visits so the family makes as few trips to the city as possible.
Is a cheaper online test just as good?
Some direct-to-consumer tests check only a few common changes and do not read the SDHx genes fully. A clinical test ordered through a counsellor does. For a family with a real concern, the cheaper test can give false reassurance.
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
- MedlinePlus Genetics — What is the cost of genetic testing, and how long does it take to get the results?
- GeneReviews (NCBI) — Hereditary Paraganglioma-Pheochromocytoma Syndromes
- National Cancer Institute — Genetic Testing for Inherited Cancer Susceptibility Syndromes
- MedlinePlus Genetics — Hereditary paraganglioma-pheochromocytoma
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
Talk to us
Want an estimate before you commit to a test?
Tell us who in your family had a paraganglioma or phaeochromocytoma and what cover you have. We will explain which test fits and what it is likely to cost. One helpline serves every CION centre.