A study conducted by ImpactGuru.com, India’s leading medical fundraising platform, has revealed that over 3,500 cancer patients across India fundraised more than INR 60 crore through crowdfunding with the support of a two lakh-strong donor community in 2022.
Cancer is a significant disease that requires high financial assistance in India. The burden of disease in India is complex and diverse, and it requires a multifaceted approach to improve healthcare and reduce the financial burden on patients and their families. Last year, a report by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry and Ernst & Young revealed that about 19 to 20 lakh cancer cases were detected in India last year. These findings corroborate several other studies that warn against the growing incidence of cancer in India.
Below are the Impact Guru’s study findings
- Of the 3,500 beneficiaries, 49% of the cancer fundraiser beneficiaries belonged to the age group of 36 to 60, followed by 20% in the age group of 20 to 35.
- About 18.5% of the total beneficiaries belonged to Maharashtra, the most among Indian states. Karnataka distantly followed Maharashtra with 8% beneficiaries while 7.5% belonged to West Bengal.
- Over 900 blood cancer patients benefited through crowdfunding solutions in 2022, treatment cost for which is reported to fall approximately between INR 5 lakh to INR 15 lakh in private hospitals.
- Over 400 patients suffering from breast cancer raised funds. It’s also observed that the average treatment cost is estimated between INR 5 lakh to INR 10 lakh for treatment procedures such as surgeries and chemotherapy.
- More than 300 campaigners fundraised for oral cancer treatment in 2022. The average treatment cost for oral cancer is between INR 3 lakh to INR 10 lakh.
- Besides, cancer of the lungs, bone, and brain were also reported as the prominent sub-categories among patients seeking fundraising support.
- A patient suffering from blood cancer was able to raise over INR 1 crore for his treatment, the highest recorded on the platform last year.
- Several patients suffering from rare types of cancer such as Ewing’s sarcoma, chronic myeloid leukemia, and hepatoblastoma have raised funds through crowdfunding solutions. This can be corroborated further by an NCBI report that suggests that Ewing sarcoma comprised around 15 % of all bone malignancies.
Speaking on the same, Piyush Jain, Co-Founder and CEO, and Khushboo Jain, Co-founder and COO of ImpactGuru.com said, “Even as new cutting-edge cancer treatments are being developed and early detection is being promoted, there’s a long way to go to ensure that cancer patients are able to receive the affordable and accessible care. In the study, we observed that patients lacked the required funds for treatment and chose medical crowdfunding as a viable financing alternative. Impact Guru remains the platform of choice for cancer patients to raise funds for their treatment. The organization has partnerships with leading hospitals across the country to provide access to quality healthcare. While Impact Guru’s two lakh strong donor community was able to help over 3,500 cancer patients last year, together we look to create a larger impact in 2023.”
The success rate of cancer treatment is dependent on early diagnosis followed by quick treatment procedures. Similarly, initiating fundraising campaigns is important to avoid missing out on instant treatment due to a lack of funds.
