This paper attempts to estimate the cost of treatment borne by the cancer patients at an academic tertiary public hospital. An understanding of the out-of-pocket expenditures required for cancer care can improve the healthcare delivery process in India, both for the patients and families on the one side, and the health professionals and administrators on the other. This study estimates the expenditures borne by the surveyed patients for diagnosis and initial cancer-directed treatments as direct and indirect costs. Out of the one million newly diagnosed cancer patients per year in India, nearly 50% are suitable for curative cancer-directed therapy. It will be a highly justifiable approach to make financial provision for those cancer patients who cannot meet treatment costs and may be denied the benefits of cancer care.
