Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
Genetic counselling from Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Bobbili: start from home | CION Cancer Clinics
Families from Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Bobbili rarely need to travel to Hyderabad for genetic counselling. The first conversation can happen by phone or video, in Telugu, and it often shows that no test is needed. When a test would help, a sample can often be arranged without the long journey. This page sets out a phone-first plan and what to ask on the first call. 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
- Do families from Srikakulam and Vizianagaram need to travel to Hyderabad for genetic counselling?
- What makes this harder from here, and what helps?
- How does the process run if you start from home?
- What should you ask on that first call?
- What stays with your local doctor, and what the genetics team handles
- What this page cannot tell you
- Four things families here tell us, and what is true
- Common questions from Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Bobbili
The short answer
Do families from Srikakulam and Vizianagaram need to travel to Hyderabad for genetic counselling?
Rarely. From Srikakulam, Vizianagaram or Bobbili, Hyderabad is a long overnight journey each way, and genetic counselling does not need it. The first conversation can happen on a phone or video call, in Telugu, from home. A sample can often be arranged without that journey. Travel only when treatment or a combined visit already brings the family to Hyderabad.
Start with a phone call, not a ticket
The single most useful thing a counsellor does is decide whether a test would change anything for your family. That needs your family history and the reports, and both can be shared from home. Many families learn on that first call that no test is needed, which saves the fare, the lost wages and the strain on an older parent.
Who this does not apply to
Most families with one relative diagnosed later in life do not need a genetic test. If nobody was diagnosed young, nobody had a rare cancer, and there is no clear pattern on one side, ordinary screening for your age is usually enough. A counsellor will tell you that plainly.
If your oncologist in Visakhapatnam or elsewhere has suggested a gene test, start the conversation with them too.Planning from far away
What makes this harder from here, and what helps?
Distance is only part of it. Families here are often spread across several states, and the person being tested may never have travelled for health care before.
The distance
An overnight train each way, and often a night in the city. That is a real cost in money and in energy for someone who is unwell. A phone call first avoids it wherever possible.
Relatives who work far away
Sons and brothers often work in other states, at sea or in the Gulf. They can join the counselling by phone. If a fault is found, they can usually be tested where they are.
Older parents who have not travelled
A long journey can exhaust an older parent before the appointment even begins. If a visit is needed, plan a rest day and bring one calm companion.
What helps
- An appointment later in the day
- Food and water packed for the journey
- All reports in one folder
One phone in the family
You need only one smartphone, held by whoever is most comfortable with it. Reports can be photographed and shared, and the call can be put on speaker for everyone.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistA phone-first plan
How does the process run if you start from home?
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You call the helpline
Say who in the family had cancer, with what, and where they were treated. A counselling call is arranged in Telugu at a time the family can gather.
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The counsellor listens and draws the tree
Both sides of the family, including relatives who never had cancer. Photographed reports are read before or during the call.
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A decision on testing
Often the answer is that no test is needed. If one would help, the counsellor explains which test, for whom, and roughly what it costs, before anything is agreed.
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The sample, as close to home as possible
Where the laboratory allows it, the sample is collected nearby. If the relative with cancer is travelling to Hyderabad for treatment, it is taken during that visit.
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The result on a call, then a letter
The result is explained on a call. You receive a letter that other relatives can take to their own doctor.
On the first call
What should you ask on that first call?
- Do we need a test at all?
- The most important question. The honest answer is often no.
- Who should be tested first?
- Usually the relative who has had cancer. Their result guides everyone else.
- Can the sample be taken near us?
- It depends on the test and the laboratory. Ask before anyone travels.
- What will it cost, in writing?
- Prices vary with the test. Ask whether any scheme or sponsored programme applies to your situation.
- How will we hear the result?
- A phone or video call spares a second long journey. Ask who will call, and in which language.
- What if my relative is too ill to travel?
- Samples can sometimes be taken where they are being treated, or a stored tissue block used instead.
Leave a number, we will call you
One field. No form to fill in, and no charge for the call.
Side by side
What stays with your local doctor, and what the genetics team handles
Your doctor near home
The genetics team
Ongoing cancer treatment and check-ups
Deciding whether a gene test is worth doing
Day-to-day symptoms and medicines
Explaining a result to the whole family
Local scans and blood tests
A written screening plan for relatives
A referral letter if one is needed
Counselling in Telugu, by phone or in person
Being straight with you
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot tell you whether your family needs a test. A genetic counsellor decides that with you, after hearing who was diagnosed, with what, and at what age. That conversation can happen from home.
It cannot read your report
What your specific variant means is a question for the counsellor who ordered the test. If you have a report in your hand, share it with someone qualified to read it. Searching the gene name online often frightens families more than it informs them.
It cannot say what a scheme will cover
Andhra Pradesh has its own state health scheme, and Ayushman Bharat is national. Both are built around treatment, and a standalone gene test is often not covered. Rules change, so ask the desk to check your card before any sample is taken.
Commonly believed
Four things families here tell us, and what is true
"Cancer runs in our family, so nothing can be done."
Most family clusters are not caused by one inherited fault. Where one is found, relatives can be tested and watched early, which often means any cancer is found at a more treatable stage.
"We cannot afford a gene test, so there is no point calling."
The first conversation often shows that no test is needed. If one would help, the counsellor explains the cost first and whether any sponsored or subsidised programme might apply.
"Testing our daughter will spoil her marriage."
Testing is voluntary, and an adult daughter decides for herself. A result is private medical information. The counsellor helps the family think through who needs to know, and when.
"Only the women had cancer, so it came from the mother's side."
A fault can pass through either parent, including a father who was never ill. Include the men on both sides when you draw the family tree.
Questions we are asked
Common questions from Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Bobbili
Can we get genetic counselling without leaving Srikakulam?
Yes, for the conversation itself. Counselling can be done by phone or video in Telugu. Whether the sample can also be given nearby depends on the test chosen and the laboratory. The counsellor will tell you before anyone travels.
Is Visakhapatnam a better option than Hyderabad?
For scans and treatment, the nearest reliable centre is often the sensible choice. For genetic counselling, distance matters less, because most of it can happen by phone. Many families combine care close to home with counselling by video.
Our relative with cancer is too weak to travel. What then?
They do not need to travel. A sample can sometimes be taken where they are being treated. If they have died, the hospital that did their surgery may still hold a tissue block that can be tested. The counsellor will explain which route fits.
My brother works in Gujarat. Can he be included?
Yes. He can join the counselling call by phone. If a fault is found in the family, he can usually be tested for that exact fault near where he works, using a copy of the family's report and a referral letter.
Does Ayushman Bharat pay for genetic testing?
Usually not for a standalone inherited gene test, though treatment for a cancer found later may be covered. Scheme rules change, so call the helpline with the card details and the desk will check what applies.
How long does the result take?
It depends on the test and the laboratory. The counsellor gives you an estimate for the test chosen. You do not wait in Hyderabad. The result is explained on a call, and a written report and letter follow.
What if nobody in the family has a smartphone?
An ordinary phone call works for the conversation. Reports can be read out, or a neighbour or relative with a smartphone can send photographs. Ask the helpline what is easiest, and someone will find a way that suits you.
How do we begin from here?
Call the CION helpline. Describe who had cancer, at what age, and where they were treated. Someone will arrange a first call in Telugu, and plan any visit so the family makes as few long journeys as possible.
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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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
- MedlinePlus Genetics — What is genetic counseling?
- National Cancer Institute — Genetic Testing for Inherited Cancer Susceptibility Syndromes
- Cancer Research UK — Inherited cancer genes and increased cancer risk
- National Health Authority, Government of India — Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana
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
From Visakhapatnam and North AndhraHow nearby families plan one combined visitOnline genetic counselling from a districtWhat a phone or video appointment coversSample collection without travelling to HyderabadWhen a sample can be given close to homeGenetic counselling in Telugu in HyderabadMaking sure older relatives can follow every word
Talk to us
Can we start genetic counselling by phone from Srikakulam?
Yes. Tell us who in the family had cancer and we will arrange a first call in Telugu, and say honestly whether a test or a visit would help. One helpline serves every CION centre.