Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
Genetic testing laboratories serving Hyderabad: how to judge them | CION Cancer Clinics
Inherited cancer gene tests for Hyderabad patients are run by a small number of specialised laboratories, some in the city and many elsewhere in India. Your sample is taken locally and couriered. The laboratory's accreditation, its test design and how it interprets results matter far more than its address. This page explains the kinds of laboratory you will meet and what to ask each one. 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
- Which laboratories run genetic tests for patients in Hyderabad?
- What kinds of laboratory will you come across?
- How does your sample travel from a Hyderabad clinic to the laboratory?
- What do the words laboratories use actually mean?
- What should you ask, and what does a good answer sound like?
- What this page cannot tell you
- Four things people assume about laboratories
- Common questions about genetic testing laboratories
The short answer
Which laboratories run genetic tests for patients in Hyderabad?
A small number of specialised laboratories, some in Hyderabad and many elsewhere in India. The blood or saliva sample is taken at a clinic or collection point in the city and couriered to the laboratory. What matters most is not the city the laboratory sits in. It is the laboratory's accreditation, how the test is designed, and how carefully the result is interpreted.
Why this page names no laboratories
We do not rank or recommend commercial laboratories here. The right laboratory depends on the test your family needs, and that is decided in counselling. When a test is ordered through CION, ask which laboratory it is going to and why. You are entitled to a clear answer before the sample is taken.
Who this does not apply to
If you have not yet spoken to a genetic counsellor, choosing a laboratory comes too early. Most people do not need an inherited gene test at all. The first question is whether testing would help your family, and only then which test, and only then where it is run.
This page covers inherited, or germline, testing. Tumour testing to guide treatment is covered on our targeted therapy pages.Who runs the test
What kinds of laboratory will you come across?
Hyderabad patients meet four broad kinds. Each can do good work, and each has limits worth knowing.
National genetics laboratories
Specialist laboratories with collection points across India. Most inherited cancer panels ordered in Hyderabad go to one of these. The sample is drawn locally and couriered.
Check
- Accreditation that covers this exact test
- Whether counselling is included
- How unclear results are handled later
Hospital laboratories
Some hospitals run certain gene tests in-house and send others out. Ask which applies to your test, because the report may come from a partner laboratory rather than the hospital itself.
Government and research institutes
Some offer testing for specific conditions, or inside research studies, usually through a doctor's referral. What they offer changes over time, so ask your counsellor what is currently available.
A research result may need confirming in an accredited laboratory before it guides care.Laboratories abroad
Rarely needed. Sending a sample overseas involves extra paperwork and cost. It is usually considered only for a very rare gene or a specialised second look.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistClinic to laboratory
How does your sample travel from a Hyderabad clinic to the laboratory?
Collected and labelled
Blood goes into a specific tube, or saliva into a kit. It is labelled with your details and sent with a request form and your signed consent.
Couriered
The sample travels to the laboratory by courier. Inherited DNA is stable, so a short journey across the country does not spoil a sample packed properly.
Tested and analysed
The laboratory extracts DNA, reads the chosen genes and checks every difference it finds against published evidence. Each one is sorted into a class, from harmless to disease-causing.
Reported and explained
The report goes to the doctor or counsellor who ordered the test. They explain it to you, in Telugu if you wish, and write a letter for relatives if a fault is found.
On a laboratory's website
What do the words laboratories use actually mean?
- NABL accreditation
- India's national accreditation for medical laboratories. It means the laboratory's processes were inspected against an international standard. More on what NABL and CAP check.
- CAP accreditation
- An American accreditation some Indian laboratories also hold. Like NABL, it covers named tests only.
- Scope
- The list of tests an accreditation actually covers. A badge on the website does not mean every test is included.
- Gene panel
- A test that reads a chosen group of genes at once. Bigger is not automatically better.
- Deletion and duplication analysis
- A check for large missing or extra pieces of a gene, which ordinary reading can miss. Ask whether it is included.
- Variant classification
- How the laboratory decides whether a difference is harmless, unclear or disease-causing, following published international guidelines.
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What should you ask, and what does a good answer sound like?
Ask this
A good answer
Is this exact test within your accreditation scope?
Yes, with the scope document to show it
Which genes are included, and why?
A list matched to the family's cancers
Do you check for large deletions?
Yes, or a clear plan if not
What happens if a result is reclassified?
The ordering doctor is told, and so are you
What happens to my sample and data?
Stated in the consent form, with research use only by consent
Being straight with you
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot tell you which laboratory to use. That depends on the test your family needs, which a genetic counsellor works out with you. We will tell you plainly which laboratory a test ordered through CION goes to, and why.
It cannot compare prices
Prices differ with the genes included, whether deletion analysis is part of it, and whether counselling and later reanalysis are included. Ask for a written quote that lists all of these, so two quotes can be compared fairly.
It cannot read a report from any laboratory
What your specific variant means is a question for the counsellor who ordered the test. If you already hold a report from another laboratory, share it with someone qualified to read it, rather than searching the variant online.
Commonly believed
Four things people assume about laboratories
"A laboratory in Hyderabad must be better than one far away."
Location says nothing about quality. A well-packed sample travels safely across the country. Accreditation, test design and careful interpretation are what count.
"The test with the most genes is the best test."
A very large panel finds more unclear results that nobody can act on yet. The right test is the one chosen for your family's pattern of cancer.
"An ancestry kit bought online tells me my cancer risk."
Consumer ancestry tests are not designed to rule out inherited cancer faults. They check only a few spots and can miss most faults. A clear consumer result is not reassurance.
"An accredited laboratory can never get it wrong."
Accreditation means good processes, which makes errors rare. Results that change major decisions are sometimes confirmed a second way before anyone acts on them.
Questions we are asked
Common questions about genetic testing laboratories
Which laboratory does CION send samples to?
It depends on the test your family needs. The counsellor chooses a laboratory whose accreditation covers that test and tells you its name before the sample is taken. If you have a preference or a quote from elsewhere, say so, and it will be discussed openly.
Can I choose my own laboratory?
Usually, yes. What matters is that the test ordered is the right one for your family and that the laboratory is accredited for it. Bring the laboratory's details and test name to counselling, and the counsellor will tell you whether it fits.
Can my relative's result from one laboratory be used at another?
Usually, yes. A second laboratory can test you for the exact fault found in your relative, using a copy of their report. Keep that report safe, because relatives across the family will need it for their own tests.
Can the sample be collected at home in Hyderabad?
Some laboratories arrange home collection in the city. The tube or kit must match the test ordered, and the consent form must be signed first. Never give a sample before a counsellor has confirmed which test is being done.
Is my sample used for research?
It should be used for research only if you agree. Read the consent form, and ask how long the laboratory keeps the sample and your data. You can say yes to the test and no to research. Your counsellor can help you read the form.
What if the laboratory later changes its view of my result?
Classifications can change as evidence grows, most often for unclear results. Good laboratories tell the ordering doctor when this happens. Ask how you will be told, and keep your contact details up to date with the clinic.
Does a laboratory's result need a doctor to explain it?
Yes. Genetic reports are written for the doctor who ordered them. The same gene name can mean very different things depending on the exact change. A counsellor explains what it means for you and for your relatives.
Who can help me compare two laboratories?
Call the CION helpline. Say which test and which laboratories you have been offered. Someone will help you check the accreditation scope, what each quote includes, and whether the test suits your family before you decide.
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
- National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories — NABL
- College of American Pathologists — Laboratory Accreditation Program
- Genetics in Medicine (ACMG/AMP) — Standards and guidelines for the interpretation of sequence variants
- MedlinePlus Genetics — What is direct-to-consumer genetic testing?
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
What a genetic counselling appointment costs in HyderabadWhat you pay for counselling, separate from the laboratorySample collection without travelling to HyderabadHow a sample reaches the laboratory from a districtSecond opinion on a genetic result in HyderabadIf a report from another laboratory needs explainingCarrying your genetic records between centresKeep one laboratory's report usable at the next
Talk to us
Offered a test and not sure about the laboratory?
Tell us which test and which laboratory you have been offered. We will help you check its accreditation scope and whether the test suits your family. One helpline serves every CION centre.