Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
Genetic counselling in Hyderabad for families from Adilabad and Nirmal | CION Cancer Clinics
Families from Adilabad and Nirmal can have genetic counselling for inherited cancer risk in Hyderabad without making the long journey more than once or twice. The first conversation can often happen by phone or video, and the blood sample and the result can be planned around a single trip. This page explains what needs the city, what can happen nearer home, and how to make the road south worth it. At CION Cancer Clinics in Hyderabad, our oncologists review your family history with you and guide you to the right genetic counselling and testing.
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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
- Do families from Adilabad and Nirmal have to travel to Hyderabad for genetic counselling?
- Who in the family needs to make the trip?
- How can one trip from Adilabad cover the most ground?
- What should you bring from Adilabad or Nirmal?
- What needs Hyderabad, and what can happen nearer home?
- What this page cannot tell you
- Four things families from the north tell us, and what is true
- Common questions from families in Adilabad and Nirmal
The short answer
Do families from Adilabad and Nirmal have to travel to Hyderabad for genetic counselling?
Usually once, sometimes twice, and rarely more. The first conversation about your family tree can often happen by phone or video. The sample is then taken in person, and the result is explained either at a second visit or online. Planned well, the whole process fits into one or two journeys down the highway.
Why genetic counselling is centred in Hyderabad
Genetic counsellors and clinical geneticists are few across Telangana, and most of them work in Hyderabad. The laboratories that read cancer-risk genes also report back to city clinics. That is why counselling sits in the city even when the rest of your care is closer to home.
What makes the journey from the north different
Adilabad is one of the furthest districts from the city. Many families come by overnight bus or train, arrive tired, and want to be home the same evening. Telling the helpline where you are travelling from lets the appointment be timed so nobody is rushed into a decision after a long night on the road.
Come for counselling before a test, not only after one. A test ordered without it is harder to make sense of later.Who travels
Who in the family needs to make the trip?
Not everyone. Bringing the right person first saves the most journeys.
The relative who has had cancer
They are usually the best person to test first, because a result on them answers the question for everyone else. If they are too unwell to travel, say so. The first conversation can often happen without them in the room.
Someone who knows the family history
A relative who remembers who had which cancer, and at roughly what age, on both sides of the family. Often this is an elder, and their memory is worth the journey.
Relatives who want a test later
They only need to come once a fault has been found in the family. Their test looks for one known change, and it may be possible to arrange the sample nearer home.
Can usually wait
- Brothers and sisters
- Adult children
- Cousins on the affected side
Who can stay at home
Young children, relatives with no link to the affected side, and anyone who has not yet decided whether they want to know. Nobody should be brought to a counselling session under pressure.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistPlanning it
How can one trip from Adilabad cover the most ground?
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Call ahead with the family history
Describe who had cancer and at roughly what age. The helpline can tell you whether a referral makes sense before anyone sets out.
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Have the first conversation remotely if you can
The family tree can often be drawn by phone or video. That leaves the trip to Hyderabad for the parts that must happen in person.
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Travel with every report you hold
Biopsy reports, discharge summaries and any old genetic results, from Adilabad, Nirmal, Nagpur or anywhere else. Clear photographs on a phone are better than nothing.
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Give the sample on the day, if you decide to test
It is usually a single blood sample. You do not need to fast for it, and you can start home afterwards.
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Hear the result without another journey if possible
Ask whether the result can be explained by phone or video. If a fault is found, a face-to-face follow-up may still be worth planning, ideally alongside another appointment.
Before you leave
What should you bring from Adilabad or Nirmal?
- Every biopsy and pathology report, including ones from other states
- Discharge summaries from any cancer surgery in the family
- A written list of relatives with cancer and their rough ages
- Any earlier genetic test report, even one for another relative
- Your Aarogyasri card or insurance details, if you have them
- Phone numbers of relatives who could not travel
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Side by side
What needs Hyderabad, and what can happen nearer home?
Usually arranged through Hyderabad
Can often happen nearer home
Counselling before and after the test
Routine blood tests and general check-ups
Choosing and ordering the genetic test
Some screening scans, once a plan is set
Explaining a positive result
Follow-up questions by phone or video
Planning screening for a carrier
Collecting records from local hospitals
Planning tests for relatives
Talking the result over as a family
Being straight with you
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot tell you whether your family needs testing. That is answered by a counsellor who has drawn your family tree, and often the honest answer is no. It also cannot say exactly which scans a carrier could have near Adilabad or Nirmal, because that depends on the plan and on what local services offer at the time.
It cannot interpret a report you already hold
What your specific variant means is a question for the counsellor who ordered the test. If a test was done in Nagpur or anywhere else, bring the full report. It can usually be reviewed rather than repeated.
Who this does not apply to
Most people reading this do not need a genetic test. A single relative diagnosed at an older age, with no pattern of young or rare cancers, rarely justifies the journey. Testing a tumour to choose a medicine is a separate test, covered on the targeted therapy pages.
A counsellor is as willing to tell you a trip is not needed as to recommend one.Commonly believed
Four things families from the north tell us, and what is true
"It is too far. Genetic testing is for city families."
The counselling is in the city, but your family history belongs to you wherever you live. Much of the process can be done by phone, and a well-planned visit keeps the journeys few.
"We already had a test in Nagpur, so we must start again."
Not necessarily. A test from another city or state can usually be reviewed rather than repeated. Bring the full report, not only the summary page, so the counsellor can see exactly what was tested.
"Cancer is common in our village, so it must be in our genes."
Cancer in many households in one place is more often linked to shared habits, such as tobacco, or shared surroundings, than to one inherited fault. The pattern within your own family, not the village, decides whether testing makes sense.
"Only the women need to come, because it is about breast cancer."
Inherited faults travel through men too, and some raise risks only men face, such as prostate cancer. Leaving men out of the family history is one of the most common ways a pattern is missed.
Questions we are asked
Common questions from families in Adilabad and Nirmal
Can the first counselling session happen by phone from Adilabad?
Often, yes. The family tree and the first discussion work well by phone or video, and the helpline will tell you whether that suits your situation. The blood sample still has to be taken in person, so plan one journey to Hyderabad for the point at which you decide to test.
Which CION centre is easiest to reach from the north?
The national highway from Adilabad and Nirmal enters the city near Kompally, where CION has a centre. Tell the helpline where you are travelling from, and they will confirm which centre your appointment is at and whether counselling is held there that day.
Do we need to stay overnight in Hyderabad?
Not always. With an appointment later in the morning, many families can give a sample and start home the same day. If an elder is unwell or worn out by the trip, staying a night is kinder than rushing a difficult conversation.
Can the sample be collected in Adilabad and sent to the lab?
Sometimes. Some laboratories arrange collection in district towns and courier the sample. Whether that works depends on the test and the lab. Ask the helpline before assuming it, because a sample sent the wrong way may have to be taken again.
What if the relative who had cancer has died?
A stored tissue block from their old surgery or biopsy can sometimes be tested. Ask the hospital that did the operation whether they still hold it. If not, a well relative can be tested, though the result is then harder to interpret.
Does Aarogyasri cover the test or the travel?
Aarogyasri is built around treatment, so a stand-alone genetic test is often not covered, and travel is not. Screening and treatment that follow a result may be. Ask the scheme desk before the appointment. The helpline can tell you what currently applies at CION.
We speak Gondi or Marathi at home. Can counselling still help us?
Yes. Counselling can be arranged in Telugu, Hindi or English. Gondi or Marathi may not be available, so say so when you book. A relative who speaks both languages can help, ideally one who is not being tested themselves.
How do we start from Adilabad or Nirmal?
Call the CION helpline and describe who in the family has had cancer, and at roughly what age. Someone will tell you honestly whether a referral is worth making, and help plan the fewest journeys to Hyderabad if it is.
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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Accreditation and empanelment
- NABH
- NABL
- ISO 9001:2015
- ArogyaSri empanelled
- CGHS accepted
- ECHS accepted
- EHS accepted
- Major cashless insurers
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.
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
- National Cancer Institute — Genetic Testing for Inherited Cancer Susceptibility Syndromes
- MedlinePlus Genetics — How is genetic testing done?
- MedlinePlus Genetics — How can I find a genetics professional in my area?
- Government of Telangana — Aarogyasri Health Care Trust
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
Online genetic counselling from a districtStart the conversation without the journeySample collection without travelling to HyderabadWhen the blood sample can be taken nearer homeGetting surveillance scans closer to homeKeeping regular screening close to the districtFrom Nizamabad and KamareddyPlanning notes for the neighbouring districts
Talk to us
Can we do this without too many trips from Adilabad?
Tell us who in the family has had cancer and where you are travelling from. We will help plan the counselling around as few journeys as possible. One helpline serves every CION centre.