Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
Genetic counselling from Vijayawada and Guntur: when to make the trip | CION Cancer Clinics
Families from Vijayawada and Guntur can usually start genetic counselling by video, in Telugu, without crossing the state border. A visit to Hyderabad helps most when the relative with cancer is already being treated here. This page explains when the journey is worth it, what changes when you come from Andhra Pradesh, which papers to bring, and what to ask before you book a ticket. 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
- Is it worth coming to Hyderabad from Vijayawada or Guntur for genetic counselling?
- What changes when you come from Andhra Pradesh?
- How does a plan split between two cities work?
- Which papers from home actually matter?
- What should you ask before you travel?
- What this page cannot tell you
- Four things families from coastal Andhra tell us
- Common questions from Vijayawada and Guntur families
The short answer
Is it worth coming to Hyderabad from Vijayawada or Guntur for genetic counselling?
Only when the trip saves effort rather than adding it. Genetic counselling can start by video from Vijayawada, Guntur, Tenali or Machilipatnam, in Telugu. The test is a blood or saliva sample, and the laboratory that runs it may be in another city whichever way you go. A visit makes sense when the relative with cancer is already being treated in Hyderabad.
When Hyderabad genuinely helps
Many families from Krishna and Guntur already have a son or daughter working in Hyderabad, or a parent having treatment here. In that case, one appointment can bring the patient, the person paying and the counsellor into one room. A visit also helps when the family history is long and confusing, and a face-to-face session will untangle it faster.
Who this does not apply to
Most families with a single relative diagnosed later in life do not need a genetic test. If there are no young diagnoses, no rare cancers and no clear pattern on one side, a counsellor may tell you that ordinary screening is enough. You can hear that on a phone call without crossing the state border.
Two states, one family
What changes when you come from Andhra Pradesh?
The medicine is the same on both sides of the border. The paperwork is not, and it is worth sorting before you travel.
Your state scheme card
Andhra Pradesh runs its own state health scheme, separate from Telangana's Aarogyasri. Whether it can be used at a Hyderabad centre depends on its rules at the time. Ask our desk to check your card before you book a ticket.
Ayushman Bharat
The national scheme is designed to work across states. Like the state schemes, it is built around treatment, so a standalone inherited gene test is often not covered.
Ask what a scheme covers before the sample, not after.Reports from Andhra hospitals
Pathology and scan reports from any recognised hospital are used as they are. Nothing needs to be repeated simply because it was done in another state.
Bring originals and copies of
- The biopsy or surgery pathology report
- Any tumour gene test already done
- The latest discharge summary
Follow-up closer to home
If a fault is found, some screening can often be arranged back in Vijayawada or Guntur. The plan travels with you as a written letter any doctor can follow.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistHow it usually runs
How does a plan split between two cities work?
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A call from home
You describe who had cancer, with what, and at what age. The helpline sets up a first appointment by video or in person, whichever suits the family.
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Counselling, usually by video
The counsellor builds the family tree with you, looks at photographed reports, and explains whether a test would help. Relatives in Hyderabad or abroad can join the same call.
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One visit, if a sample is needed
If the relative with cancer is coming to Hyderabad anyway, the blood sample is taken then. The highway from Vijayawada enters the city at L.B. Nagar, where CION has a branch.
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The result, back at home
The laboratory takes some time. The counsellor explains the result on a video call or at a later visit, and a written report follows.
In your folder
Which papers from home actually matter?
- Pathology report
- The report on the biopsy or operation tissue. It gives the exact type of cancer, which often matters more than the organ.
- Receptor or marker report
- Extra stains done on the tumour, common in breast cancer. Some patterns make an inherited fault more likely.
- Tumour gene report
- A somatic test looks only at the tumour, to guide treatment. It is not the same as an inherited test, but it can hint that one is worth doing.
- Tissue block details
- The name of the hospital that did the surgery. It keeps the tissue as a small wax block, which can sometimes be tested later.
- Records of relatives who have died
- Any old report, prescription or discharge paper. Even a photograph of one helps confirm what the illness really was.
- The family tree
- Both sides, back to grandparents if you can, including relatives who never had cancer.
Leave a number, we will call you
One field. No form to fill in, and no charge for the call.
Before you book a ticket
What should you ask before you travel?
Ask this
Why it matters
Who exactly needs to come?
Often only the relative who had cancer
Can counselling start by video?
It may save the first trip entirely
Does my scheme card apply here?
State rules differ across the border
What will the test cost, in writing?
Prices vary with the test and laboratory
How will the result be given?
A call may spare a second journey
Being straight with you
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot tell you whether your family needs a test. That depends on who was diagnosed, with what, and at what age, and a genetic counsellor works it out with you. Often a short call settles whether the journey is worth making.
It cannot interpret your result
What your specific variant means is a question for the counsellor who ordered the test. The same gene name can mean very different things depending on the exact change found. Please do not act on a variant you have searched online.
It cannot confirm what your scheme will pay
Scheme rules on both sides of the border change, and this page cannot keep up with every revision. The desk can check your card on the day you call. Get the answer before the sample is taken, so there are no surprises later.
If you are unsure whether to travel, call the helpline first and describe your family history.Commonly believed
Four things families from coastal Andhra tell us
"A gene test from Hyderabad will be more accurate than one arranged from home."
Accuracy depends on the laboratory that runs the test and on choosing the right test. Where the blood is drawn makes little difference, as long as it is collected and sent correctly.
"We married within the family, so the cancer must be inherited."
For most inherited cancer genes, marrying a relative does not make a fault more likely. It matters more for some rare conditions seen in childhood. Mention it to the counsellor, who will say whether it is relevant.
"The counsellor will tell our relatives the result."
Your result is confidential. The counsellor helps you decide who should know and can give you a letter to share, but you choose who hears it and when.
"If one sister tests negative, the other one is safe too."
Each person inherits their own copy. One sister's result says nothing certain about another's. Each relative who wants to know needs their own test for the family's fault.
Questions we are asked
Common questions from Vijayawada and Guntur families
Can we do the whole process without coming to Hyderabad?
Sometimes. Counselling and results can often be done by video, and some laboratories arrange sample collection in other cities. Whether it works for your family depends on the test chosen. The counsellor will tell you honestly if a visit would give a clearer answer.
Is the journey manageable in one day?
For many families it is a long day rather than an overnight stay. Trains and buses run between Vijayawada and Hyderabad through the day. If the relative with cancer is frail, ask for an appointment time that lets you travel without rushing.
Will our Andhra Pradesh scheme card work at CION?
It depends on the scheme's current rules and on what is being paid for. Genetic tests are often not covered by any scheme, while treatment may be. Call the helpline with the card number and the desk will check before you travel.
Can counselling be in Telugu?
Yes. Counselling can be arranged in Telugu, Hindi or English. Ask for Telugu when you book so that parents and older relatives can follow everything. The written report will usually be in English, and the counsellor goes through it with you.
My mother was treated in Guntur. Do her tests need repeating?
Usually not. Reports from any recognised hospital are used as they are. Bring the originals and copies. If an inherited gene test is advised, that is a new test, but her pathology and scan reports do not need to be done again.
A relative who had cancer has died. Can we still find out?
Sometimes. The hospital that did the surgery may still hold a tissue block that can be tested. If not, a living relative can be tested instead, though the answer is less complete. The counsellor will explain which route suits your family.
Does a result affect insurance?
India has no dedicated law on genetic discrimination in insurance. It is a fair question to raise with the counsellor before testing, not afterwards. Some families choose to arrange health cover first, and the counsellor can talk through what to consider.
How do we begin from Vijayawada?
Call the CION helpline. Describe who had cancer, at what age, and where they were treated. Someone will tell you whether a video call is enough to start and help you plan any visit around appointments the family already has.
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 — What is genetic counseling?
- 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
Online genetic counselling from a districtHow to begin by video without travellingCarrying your genetic records between centresKeep reports usable across two cities and two statesGetting surveillance scans closer to homeWhich follow-up checks can happen back in AndhraFrom Khammam and SuryapetPlanning for families on the same highway corridor
Talk to us
Coming from Andhra Pradesh and unsure where to start?
Tell us who in the family had cancer and where they were treated. We will check whether a video call is enough to begin and what your scheme card covers before you travel. One helpline serves every CION centre.