Cancer Treatment in Kenya
Hearing that you have cancer disease can be traumatic and scary. Cancer is a massive challenge to Kenya’s health structure and makes the younger people more into its clutches than anywhere else. It is the third foremost reason for death in Kenya, after infectious diseases and heart conditions. The most reasonable cancer treatment cost in Kenya is around Ksh 500,000. The best cancer treatment in Kenya is available at an affordable price, with all the best medical experts working in the best hospitals in Kenya.
So let’s empower ourselves about first what diagnosis to the recovery process is for cancer treatment and what helps maintain your health. This figure can further increase up to millions in Kenyan shillings in blood cancer if someone diagnoses it. At experchikitsa.com, you can get detailed information about cancer treatments and the cancer treatment price in Kenya. Explore now! Let’s glance at cancer diagnosis and treatment costs in Kenya.
Cancer Treatment Cost in Kenya
The cancer treatment cost in Kenya may vary depending upon the type of cancer, the cancer treatment procedure, the medicines prices, the kind of inpatient charge in the hospital, and the oncologist fees.
The various types of cancer treatment costs in Kenya are given here. The average price of cancer treatment for surgery in Kenya is $4,000, Chemotherapy cancer treatment cost in Kenya is $2,000, and Radiation therapy is around $5,500.
The Bone marrow transplant treatment price in Kenya is about $32,000, Immunotherapy fees in Kenya are $7,500, and Hormone therapy treatment cost is around $6,000 in Kenya.
The targeted drug therapy charge is about $5,500, Cryoablation average price is $8,000, and the Radiofrequency ablation amount is about $6,800 in Kenya.
Types of Cancer Treatment Costs in Kenya
| Cancer Treatment in Kenya | Average Cost in USD | Average Cost in Kenyan Shilling (KES) |
| Surgery | $4,000 | Ksh 468,000 |
| Chemotherapy | $2,000 | Ksh 234,000 |
| Radiation therapy | $5,500 | Ksh 643,500 |
| Bone marrow transplant | $32,000 | Ksh 3,744,000 |
| Immunotherapy | $7,500 | Ksh 877,500 |
| Hormone therapy | $6,000 | Ksh 702,000 |
| Targeted drug therapy | $5,500 | Ksh 643,500 |
| Cryoablation | $8,000 | Ksh 936,000 |
| Radiofrequency ablation | $6,800 | Ksh 795,600 |
The cancer treatment cost in Kenya’s top five cities is listed below.
In Nairobi average cancer treatment cost is $4,000; in Mombasa, the cancer treatment price is $4,400; in Nakuru, the cancer treatment average fee is $4,320, while in Eldoret, cancer treatment charges are $4,480, and in Kisumu cancer treatment cost is $4,520 in top five cities of Kenya.
Cancer Treatment Cost in Different Cities of Kenya
| Cancer Treatment in Kenya | Average Cost in USD | Average Cost in Kenyan Shilling (KES) |
| Nairobi | $4,000 | Ksh 468,000 |
| Mombasa | $4,400 | Ksh 514,800 |
| Nakuru | $4,320 | Ksh 505,440 |
| Eldoret | $4,480 | Ksh 524,160 |
| Kisumu | $4,520 | Ksh 528,840 |
Cancer Treatment Cost in Kenya
| Cancer Treatment in Kenya | Average Cost in USD | Average Cost in Kenyan Shilling (KES) |
| Lung Cancer | $ 4,000.00 | Ksh 468,000 |
| Breast Cancer | $ 4,200.00 | Ksh 491,400 |
| Kidney Cancer | $ 3,800.00 | Ksh 444,600 |
| Liver Cancer | $ 4,500.00 | Ksh 526,500 |
| Cervical Cancer | $ 7,859.00 | Ksh 9,23,432 |
| Prostate Cancer | $ 1,173.00 | Ksh 1,37,886 |
| Esophageal Cancer | $ 1,610.00 | Ksh 1,26,000 |
Lung Cancer treatment cost in Kenya is about 4,000.00 USD. Similarly, the Breast Cancer treatment price in Kenya is 4,200.00 USD. The Kidney Cancer average treatment cost in Kenya is approximately 3,800.00 USD, while Liver cancer treatment costs around 4,500.00 USD. For Cervical Cancer treatment fee is an average of 7,859.00 USD. In Kenya, prostate cancer treatment costs 1,173.00 USD, and the Esophageal Cancer treatment charge is around 1,610.00 USD in Kenya.
What is Cancer, and How is it Caused?
Cancer is the abnormal division of cells in an uncontrolled way in the organ, which later spreads all over the body and abnormal cells form into a lump or tumor.
The foremost cause of Cancer is mutations or alterations in the DNA structure in the cells. However, after birth also, it can occur due to environmental and other external reasons, known as carcinogens which are physical, chemical, and biological factors.
The types of cancer treatments used for:
Primary treatment: The primary focus is to remove Cancer and kill all the cells in your body.
Adjuvant treatment: In adjuvant therapy, after treatment with primary treatment, if any cancer cells remain present in your body, they will be eliminated in this treatment so that they may not recur.
Palliative treatment: This treatment helps in letting go of the side effects of cancer treatment or signs and symptoms. Surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and hormone therapy help cure cancer symptoms. This treatment can be used simultaneously with other cancer treatments.
What are Different Types of Cancer?
The most important types of cancer are carcinoma, sarcoma, melanoma, multiple myeloma, lymphoma, and leukemia.
- Carcinoma Cancer: It is the most commonly diagnosed cancer that produces in the skin, pancreas, lungs, breasts, and in addition to organs and glands.
- Sarcoma Cancer: This cancer is very rare and originates from the bone, fat, blood vessels, cartilage muscle, and soft or connective tissues of the body.
- Melanoma: This type of cancer arises from the skin cell that makes pigments on the skin.
- Lymphoma: These are cancers of the body’s lymphocytes or white blood cells.
- Leukemia: Cancer of the blood and does not form solid tumors in the body.
- Multiple Myeloma or Plasma Cell Myeloma and Kahler Disease: This cancer originates in the plasma cells, a type of immune cell.
- Central nervous system cancers: This kind of cancer develops in the brain and spinal cord.
What are the Four Stages of Cancer?
The cancer-specific stage factors are the size and location of the tumor.
- Stage I: The cancer is confined to a minor area and hasn’t spread to lymph nodes or other cells.
- Stage II: If cancer has grown but has not spread to the other tissues.
- Stage III: Cancer has mainly developed in size and might grow to lymph nodes or other tissues.
- Stage IV: This stage of cancer, also known as metastatic or advanced cancer, where cancer has increased to other organs and areas of the body.
What are the Common Symptoms of Cancer?
General symptoms of cancer are as follows:
- Pain and fatigue in the body
- Swelling or lump formation felt under the skin.
- Changes in body weight like excess weight or loss.
- Change in the color of the skin, such as yellowing, darkening, or redness in the skin, existing skin moles, and wounds that are not healing.
- If someone has a are sudden changes in the bowel or bladder habits in the body.
- The problem in breathing is due to persistent cough and hoarseness in the voice.
- Swallowing the food is very difficult.
- Persistent indigestion or discomfort after eating
- Unexplained continuous muscle or joint pain.
- Fever for too long and night sweats.
- Uncommon bleeding or bruising for no reason
What are Different Kinds of Cancer Treatment?
The different kind of cancer treatment includes :
- Surgery: Surgery eliminates most cancerous cells as possible. It is combined with other therapy that removes all cancer cells. In addition to this surgery, oncologist also uses Laser surgery (which is a light beam), Electrosurgery (surgery done by electric currents), and Cryosurgery (where freezing temperatures are offered to freeze cancer cells).
- Chemotherapy: It is a type of cancer treatment; chemo drugs are used to kill cancer cells. In this, patients get treated in two ways Traditional Chemotherapy, where chemo medicines are provided via injection into the vein, and Oral Chemotherapy, where chemo medications are given by mouth.
- Radiation Therapy: Radiation therapy is used to kill cancer cells with x-rays, high-energy particles, or waves to prevent cancer cells from spreading in the body. Sometimes radiation and chemotherapy are both given simultaneously.
- Bone Marrow Transplant: A bone marrow transplant treated for leukemia, whereas oncologists use higher chemotherapy doses to treat cancer.
- Immunotherapy or Biological Therapy: Immunotherapy is a procedure where our body’s immune mechanism attacks cancer cells, and this therapy helps our antibodies to spot cancer. The antibodies use the body’s natural defense mechanism to remove cancer cells.
- Hormone Therapy: It is used to treat certain types of breast cancer and prostate cancer. Treatment is done to eliminate or block hormones that fuel-specific cancer cells to stop them from growing further.
- Targeted Drug Therapy: For this therapy, you have to undergo a genetic test. Here drugs inhibit specific molecules that help cancer cells produce and survive.
- Cryoablation: Also known as Cryosurgery or cryotherapy. It is used to kill cancer cells with extreme cold or freeze. When we cannot perform surgery, then cryoablation is occasionally used. Use for bone, liver, eye, kidney cancers, etc.
- Radiofrequency Ablation: This cancer treatment is used to treat cancer and is a minimally invasive process that uses electrical energy and high temperature to remove cancer cells from the body. It is treated for cancer of the Adrenal gland, Breast, Bone, Kidney, Liver, etc.
What are the Possible Side Effects of Cancer Treatment?
There are many side effects of cancer treatments are:
- The Chemotherapy side effect is hair fall, body fatigue, nausea, and vomiting.
- Side effects of radiation are fatigue, falling of hair, and skin problems.
- The surgery’s possible risks are pain, body weakness, infection, clotting of the blood, and sometimes allergy to anesthesia.
- In Hormone therapy, the risks include tiredness in the body, water retention (bloating), hot flashes with sweating, erectile dysfunction, and clotting of the blood.
- The side effects of biological response modifier therapy/immunotherapy are body fever, anxieties, muscle pain, skin rash, inflammation, bruising, or bleeding under the skin.
Summary of Cancer Treatment in Kenya
If any individual is diagnosed with deadly cancer, they may feel sad, scared, and develop anxieties. But the good news is that many options and advanced treatments available to cope with cancer.
Undertaking cancer treatment can be a traumatic journey, but the healthcare team support in Kenya can give you the resources to focus on healing and treatment from cancer.
FAQ about Cancer Treatment in Kenya
How to prevent the risk of cancer?
- It can stop it not smoking and using tobacco products.
- Be physically active
- Eat a healthy and balanced diet.
- Get vaccinated
- Use proper sun protection in your skin to reduce any chances of skin cancer.
- After taking chemotherapy, how many days take to feel better?
- It takes 6 to 12 months once you finish your chemotherapy.
- How much time does a chemotherapy session take?
- It may take about three or four hours, whereas some may take a half-hour only.
- How much time does it take to grow your hair back after chemotherapy?
- It might take 4-6 weeks to grow your hair properly.
- How many sessions of chemotherapy must for a patient?
- In the chemotherapy course of cancer treatment, one should have around 4 to 8 cycles. After each cancer treatment session, one should have a break so that your body may recover.
