Best Lung Cancer Doctors in Hyderabad — CION's Dedicated Lung Cancer Panel

The best doctor for lung cancer is a medical oncologist current with molecular testing-driven treatment, paired with a radiation oncologist (for stage III concurrent chemoradiation and SBRT) and a thoracic surgeon (for resectable early-stage disease). At CION, every lung cancer case is reviewed by a multidisciplinary tumour board, with medical oncology led by Dr. Naresh Gundu (DM Medical Oncology) and radiation oncology by Dr. Kirti Ranjan Mohanty (MD Radiation Oncology, MNJ Institute). Thoracic surgery is coordinated through accredited partner thoracic surgical centres in Hyderabad.

For advanced NSCLC, comprehensive molecular testing is the standard of care — current NCCN guidelines recommend testing for EGFR, ALK, ROS1, BRAF, KRAS, MET exon 14, RET, NTRK, HER2, and PD-L1 IHC at minimum. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) panels test all these simultaneously. Indian patients have particularly high rates of EGFR mutations (30–40% of NSCLC, vs 10–15% in Western populations). The molecular results guide first-line treatment — targeted therapy for actionable mutations (often substantially better than chemotherapy), or immunotherapy ± chemotherapy without driver mutations. Liquid biopsy (ctDNA from blood) is an option when tissue is insufficient.

No. Treatment is determined by tumour biology — not by smoking history. Non-smokers get lung cancer too, particularly EGFR-positive adenocarcinoma which is common in Indian women who have never smoked. Smokers deserve the same quality of care as non-smokers — past smoking is medical history, not a moral judgement. Our consultations are explicitly non-judgemental. Smoking cessation is supported where applicable (for ongoing smokers) because it improves treatment tolerance and reduces second cancer risk — but it does not change which treatment you receive.

EGFR (Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor) mutations occur in 30–40% of NSCLC in Indian/Asian patients, particularly adenocarcinoma and particularly in non-smokers and women. EGFR-mutant NSCLC responds dramatically to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) — first-line osimertinib (Tagrisso) has transformed outcomes with median progression-free survival around 18 months and substantially better CNS penetration than older TKIs. Osimertinib is oral, taken once daily, well-tolerated. CION's medical oncology team delivers osimertinib first-line for EGFR-mutant NSCLC per current NCCN guidelines.

ALK rearrangements occur in about 5% of NSCLC — more commonly in non-smokers and younger patients. ALK-positive NSCLC responds excellently to ALK inhibitors: alectinib is the preferred first-line agent with median progression-free survival exceeding 30 months. Brigatinib, lorlatinib, and ceritinib are second-line options for alectinib-resistant disease. CION's medical oncology team delivers ALK-directed therapy per current NCCN guidelines.

Immunotherapy uses drugs that help your immune system recognise and attack cancer cells — pembrolizumab (Keytruda), atezolizumab (Tecentriq), nivolumab (Opdivo), durvalumab (Imfinzi), cemiplimab. For advanced NSCLC without driver mutations, immunotherapy alone (high PD-L1 expression) or combined with chemotherapy (lower PD-L1) is the standard first-line. For Stage III NSCLC, durvalumab consolidation after chemoradiation (PACIFIC regimen) is standard. For SCLC, atezolizumab or durvalumab is added to chemotherapy. PD-L1 testing helps guide selection. Eligibility considers performance status, autoimmune history, and disease characteristics.

Lung cancer surgery (lobectomy, segmentectomy, pneumonectomy) is performed by thoracic surgeons — a subspecialty distinct from general surgical oncology, requiring specific training in thoracic anatomy and post-surgical management. CION coordinates thoracic surgery through accredited partner thoracic surgical centres in Hyderabad, with the surgical plan reviewed and integrated through our multidisciplinary tumour board. Pre-operative pulmonary function tests, post-operative chemotherapy or radiation, and long-term follow-up are managed by CION's medical and radiation oncology team. This is the same model used by most cancer centres in India for thoracic surgery integration.

Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) delivers very high precise radiation doses in 3–5 sessions — used most often for early-stage NSCLC (Stage I) in patients who cannot tolerate surgery due to poor lung function or other medical conditions. SBRT achieves local control rates approaching surgery for selected small peripheral tumours. It is also used for oligometastatic disease (limited lung or other site metastases). CION's radiation oncology pathway includes SBRT at our equipped partner locations.

A second opinion is especially valuable for lung cancer — particularly if comprehensive molecular testing has not been done, or if you have been told there is no treatment option without first checking for targetable mutations. At CION the second opinion is free, written, and yours to keep — our multidisciplinary tumour board reviews your biopsy, molecular testing, imaging, and existing recommendation and provides a documented opinion you can take anywhere.

Costs vary widely by stage and treatment. Comprehensive molecular testing (NGS panel) ranges ₹25,000 to ₹60,000. Lobectomy by thoracic surgery (via partner centre) ranges ₹3,00,000 to ₹6,00,000+. Concurrent chemoradiation for Stage III NSCLC ranges ₹4,00,000 to ₹8,00,000. Targeted therapy varies widely: osimertinib (Tagrisso) is expensive at brand price (~₹1,50,000–₹2,00,000/month) but generic versions and access programmes may reduce cost. Immunotherapy (pembrolizumab, atezolizumab, nivolumab) ranges ₹1,50,000–₹2,50,000 per cycle (every 3 weeks). For a detailed cost breakdown, see our lung cancer treatment in Hyderabad page. Every CION patient receives a written, itemised cost estimate. Aarogyasri, EMI, and cashless insurance accepted.