Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
Genetic counselling in Hyderabad: where to start | CION Cancer Clinics
Start with the relative who has had cancer, or with your own oncologist if that is you. Ask for a genetic counsellor before anyone orders a test. In Hyderabad, counselling is offered at cancer centres including CION, at medical genetics departments in large hospitals, and by some laboratories. This page explains which door to use, what to bring, and what happens first. 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
- Where do you start with genetic counselling in Hyderabad?
- Which door should you use?
- What should you do before you walk in?
- What do the words you will hear actually mean?
- Counselling first or test first: what differs?
- What this page cannot tell you
- Four things families tell us about starting, and what is true
- Common questions about starting genetic counselling
The short answer
Where do you start with genetic counselling in Hyderabad?
Start with a conversation, not a test. If someone in your family has cancer now, ask their oncologist whether a genetic referral makes sense. If you are well and worried, book a counselling session and bring a written family history. Either way, the counsellor decides with you whether testing is worth doing, and who should be tested first.
Why the order matters
The most useful test is usually on the relative who already has cancer. Their result tells the family whether there is a fault to look for at all. Testing a well person first can give a clear-looking result that means very little. Families who start at the laboratory counter often end up paying twice.
What a first session looks like
The counsellor draws your family tree, asks who had cancer and at what age, and explains what a test could and could not show. Nothing is decided in a hurry, and no sample is taken unless you agree. At CION, a session can be held in Telugu, Hindi or English. Ask whether a video session is possible if travel from the district is hard.
You do not need a referral letter to call the CION helpline and ask whether counselling is worth it.Four ways in
Which door should you use?
There are four common routes into genetic counselling in Hyderabad. The right one depends mostly on whether someone in the family has cancer now.
Through your oncologist
If you are being treated for cancer, this is usually the fastest route. The genetics question can be folded into your treatment plan, and the result may change that plan.
Best when
- You have cancer now
- Treatment decisions are still being made
A cancer centre's genetics clinic
Cancer centres such as CION offer counselling for families with a cancer history, including relatives who are well. The team works alongside oncologists, so surveillance or treatment can follow directly from the result.
A hospital medical genetics department
Some large hospitals, including government teaching hospitals, have a medical genetics department led by clinical geneticists. They see a wide range of inherited conditions, including childhood ones. Waiting lists can be long.
A laboratory's own counsellor
Some testing laboratories offer counselling before and after their test. It can be helpful, but it is linked to a company selling that test. It is fair to ask for an independent counsellor as well.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistBefore the first appointment
What should you do before you walk in?
Write down the family history
Both sides, three generations if you can. Note who had cancer, what type, and roughly how old they were at diagnosis. Include the relatives who never had cancer too.
Gather the reports
Any biopsy or pathology report from the relative with cancer, and any genetic report anyone in the family has had. A clear photo is better than nothing.
Decide who comes
If the relative with cancer is well enough, bring them. Their story and their reports are the heart of the session.
Think about cost and cover
Counselling and testing are usually billed separately. Ask for a written estimate before any sample is taken, and check what your scheme or insurer will pay.
When you book
What do the words you will hear actually mean?
- Genetic counsellor
- A trained professional who explains inherited risk, helps you decide about testing, and supports you through the result.
- Clinical geneticist
- A doctor who specialises in inherited conditions. They may examine you and order tests, often in more complex or rare cases.
- Pedigree
- The family tree the counsellor draws, showing relatives and their illnesses. It is the main tool for judging inherited risk.
- Index case
- The first person in the family to be tested, usually the relative with cancer. Some reports call this person the proband.
- Panel test
- One test that looks at many cancer-related genes at once, from a single blood or saliva sample.
- Cascade testing
- Testing relatives, one by one, for a fault already found in the family. It is quicker and cheaper than the first test.
Leave a number, we will call you
One field. No form to fill in, and no charge for the call.
Side by side
Counselling first or test first: what differs?
Counselling before the test
Test first, questions later
The right person in the family is tested first
A well relative is often tested, and learns little
You know in advance what a result could mean
A surprise result arrives with nobody to explain it
Insurance is thought about before a sample is taken
Insurance questions come after the result exists
The test is chosen to fit the family's pattern
A generic panel may be too narrow, or far wider than needed
A plan for relatives is written down
Relatives are left to work it out alone
Being straight with you
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot tell you whether your family needs testing. That depends on who was diagnosed, with what, and at what age, which only a counsellor can weigh properly. It cannot interpret a report you already hold. What your specific variant means is a question for the counsellor who ordered the test.
Who this does not apply to
Most people do not need genetic counselling for cancer. One relative diagnosed at an older age, with no pattern of young diagnoses or rare cancers, rarely points to an inherited fault. If your question is about the tumour's own mutations to guide treatment, that is tumour testing, covered on our targeted therapy pages.
What a list of centres cannot show
Services, counsellors and waiting times change. A centre that suits one family may not suit another, especially if a child is involved or a pregnancy is being planned. Your oncologist or the helpline can point you to a service that fits your situation.
If you are unsure whether your family history counts, call the helpline and describe it.Commonly believed
Four things families tell us about starting, and what is true
"I should test first, and see a counsellor only if something is found."
Counselling before testing decides who should be tested and which test to use. It also prepares you for results that come back uncertain. Starting at the laboratory is how families end up paying for the wrong test.
"Genetic counselling is only for people planning a pregnancy."
In cancer care, most counselling is for adults with a family history or a diagnosis. Pregnancy planning is one reason among several, and it has its own specialist services.
"Only big private hospitals in the city offer this."
Cancer centres, government hospitals and some laboratories offer counselling in Hyderabad. Some families from the districts start with a video or phone session, and travel only if a test or scan is needed.
"If I see a counsellor, I will have to take the test."
No test is taken unless you agree. Many people finish counselling and decide not to test, or learn that testing would not help them. That is a good outcome, not a wasted visit.
Questions we are asked
Common questions about starting genetic counselling
Do I need a referral to see a genetic counsellor?
Not always. Some centres accept people who refer themselves, and the CION helpline will talk you through it without a letter. A referral from your oncologist helps, because it summarises the diagnosis and treatment. If you do not have one, bring whatever reports you have and call anyway.
Can I have counselling in Telugu?
Yes, at CION and at many other centres. Tell the helpline which language you prefer when you book. Having the session in the language the family speaks at home matters. It lets parents and elders follow the conversation and ask their own questions.
Who should come to the first appointment?
The person with cancer if they are well enough, and one or two relatives who will help make decisions. Bring someone who knows the history on the other side of the family. Too many people in the room can make it hard to talk, so ask what works best.
How long does the whole process take?
The first session usually happens within days or a few weeks of calling, depending on the centre. If a test is agreed, results then take some weeks. The counsellor gives you a rough timeline and explains how you will receive the result.
Is genetic counselling expensive?
Counselling usually costs much less than the test itself, and most centres bill the two separately. Ask for a written estimate for both before any sample is taken. Our cost page explains how Aarogyasri, Ayushman Bharat and insurance may apply.
What if the relative who had cancer has died?
Counselling can still help. Sometimes a stored tissue block from their surgery or biopsy can be tested. If not, the counsellor may suggest testing you directly, and explain what a negative result would and would not mean. Bring any reports you can find.
Can I start online from a district?
Often yes. A first counselling session can usually be held by video or phone, and a sample can sometimes be collected closer to home. You may only need to travel to Hyderabad if a scan or procedure follows. Ask the helpline what is possible for your district.
Should I think about insurance before starting?
Yes, before any sample is taken rather than after. India has no dedicated law on genetic discrimination, and proposal forms can ask about tests. The counsellor can explain what a result might mean for cover, so you can decide the order of things yourself.
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)
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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?
- MedlinePlus Genetics — How can I find a genetics professional in my area?
- National Cancer Institute — Cancer Genetics Risk Assessment and Counseling (PDQ)
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
Booking genetic counselling at CIONThe call, the questions and what to bringWhat a genetic counselling appointment costs in HyderabadCounselling and test costs, and how schemes applyGenetic counselling in Telugu in HyderabadHaving the conversation in the family's own languageOnline genetic counselling from a districtStarting without a trip to the city
Talk to us
Not sure which door to use?
Describe your family history and we will tell you honestly whether counselling is worth it, and book the right appointment if it is. Sessions can be held in Telugu, Hindi or English. One helpline serves every CION centre.