Medical tourists looking to Cancun for cancer treatments

CANCUN, Q. Roo — Two of every 10 treatments performed by the Oncology Center of Cancun are provided to medical tourists, and this is because prices are up to 40% lower than in other countries.

“When a patient is told a treatment against cancer should be done, they have to stay up to one month in the city, which represents a higher payout, but even so it is cheaper,” explained Alexis Acuña, president of the oncology center.

“We bring in patients from Canada or Belize and the goal is to increase patients from these areas, since the center has state of the art technology,” he said.

In addition to medical tourism, patients are coming from Chiapas, Tabasco and Yucatan to be treated here, since in addition to medical treatment, we provide emotional counseling to the family and patient, palliative care and have a patient coordinator seeking best prices depending on socioeconomic status, and even, in some cases achieve discounts.

“Cancer is a disease that if caught in the first two of the four phases is 80% curable; and does not require aggressive treatment; however, a prevention campaign is still needed,” explained Acuña.

Although there are more than 100 types of cancer, there are five that are the most common: breast, prostate, cervical, lung and colorectal.

One of the advantages to attract more foreign patients is air connectivity boasted by Cancun, in addition to the security of international certifications obtained by the Galenia hospital, where Oncology Center is located.

“Cancun Oncology Center has treated more than a thousand people in less than three years, and is part of a chain of clinics specializing in the treatment of cancer around the world which are in the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Bangladesh and Queretaro,” said the director general.

Also, nearby is the Four Points Hotel, popular with patients.

Source: sipse.com