Cancer Treatment in Armenia

Where to Start

First, define the purpose of your trip: to get a second opinion, clarify a diagnosis, or discuss having a specific stage of treatment. In your initial inquiry, describe the tests you have already had, the treatment proposed, and the question you want to address. If treatment has started, include the regimen and dates.

Discuss with your treating oncologist how much time is available for an additional consultation and whether you can travel now. Do not cancel prescribed treatment or reschedule it on your own for an appointment abroad. When to start treatment is one of the questions the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) suggests discussing with your doctor.

Before buying tickets, obtain confirmation of your appointment and a list of materials needed for the consultation. Ask separately who will review your records and in what language you will receive a response. Arrange in advance if you need to communicate in Russian and receive a written opinion in Russian.

What a Second Opinion Can Offer

A second opinion is a review of your case by another specialist. They may agree with the original plan, suggest changes, or propose a different approach. To do this, they need your medical records and test results. This process is described in the NCI guide to finding cancer care.

Prepare your questions in advance: Is the diagnosis confirmed? Have enough tests been done? What treatment options are being considered, and why was the proposed option chosen? If the recommendations differ, ask for an explanation: which results do the doctors interpret differently, and what additional information is needed?

Ask whether a preliminary review of your records is possible without traveling and what its cost includes. Request a written opinion listing the materials reviewed and any unresolved questions. Then discuss it with your treating doctor to determine the next step.

Which Medical Records to Prepare

Collect your records in one folder and arrange them by date. The following is a working list to confirm with the receiving facility, rather than a required set of tests.

Materials	What to Include
Discharge summaries and medical history	Established diagnosis, appointment dates, and information about surgeries and hospital stays
Pathology report	Full text and addenda, and results of tumor tissue tests, if performed
Images and reports	Existing CT, MRI, and other studies; confirm the format for transferring the original images
Treatment received	Drug names, doses, and administration dates; information about surgery and radiation therapy
Laboratory tests	Existing results with dates
Current condition	Symptoms, other medical conditions, current medications, and known allergies

Information about treatment received, pathology, and tests is included in the list of medical records provided by NCI.

Give files clear names: date, type of test, and patient’s last name. Check that links open and that the clinic has received the complete set. Confirm whether translations are needed and into which language before ordering them. Discuss any new tests with the doctor: ask what question each test will answer.

Pathology: Reports, Slides, and Paraffin Blocks

A pathology review may require the tissue material itself. A paraffin block contains a prepared tissue sample; thin sections from it are placed on glass slides for examination under a microscope. The report describes the findings.

According to NCI information on pathology reports, obtaining a second opinion on tissue material involves requesting slides and/or a paraffin block from the facility that examined the sample or performed the biopsy or surgery.

First, confirm the following with the receiving laboratory:

• whether it accepts material from another facility;
• exactly which slides, blocks, and accompanying documents are needed;
• what instructions apply to packaging and transfer;
• how much the review costs and when the report is expected;
• how receipt and return of the material are documented.

Do not send samples without agreed instructions. Keep an inventory and confirmation of transfer. If additional tissue tests or a repeat biopsy are proposed, ask the doctor to explain the reason and the process.

The State Oncology Center

The V. A. Fanarjyan National Center of Oncology operates in Yerevan under Armenia’s Ministry of Health. The center’s description on its official website lists consultations, diagnostics, surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy, as well as follow-up and palliative care.

When contacting the center, frame your request around a specific need. Ask whether the relevant department accepts patients with your diagnosis, whether a consultation based on medical records is possible, and how a review of your case by several specialists is organized.

If a treatment regimen has already been proposed, request confirmation that the center can provide that specific regimen. Ask which stages are performed at the facility, whether visits to other organizations will be needed, and who will coordinate treatment orders. Use the list of services on the website as a starting point for these questions.

How Much Time to Allow for the Trip

There is no single timeframe for a consultation, diagnostic clarification, and treatment. Ask for a preliminary schedule with separate stages: the appointment, obtaining missing results, discussing the plan, treatment, and a checkup before departure. The doctor determines the plan and medical timing.

For a second opinion, ask how soon you can expect a response after the complete set of records is received. If tissue material needs to be reviewed, ask separately about delivery time and laboratory processing time. For treatment, ask about the number of visits, whether hospitalization is needed, and the expected length of stay. Questions about the duration and number of procedures are included in the NCI guide to questions before treatment.

Discuss with the doctor whether you can fly and whether someone needs to accompany you. When choosing accommodations and a return ticket, consider the terms for changing bookings. Agree on what to do if the plan changes after the in-person appointment or you need to stay longer.

The practical steps are covered in the guide to arranging treatment in Armenia.

What Affects the Cost

Our editorial team collects price lists to compare services. We do not provide a single price for a course of treatment: an estimate requires agreement on the scope of care for your case.

The Fanarjyan center’s website publishes a price list with separate rates for Armenian citizens and foreign citizens. When requesting an estimate, state your citizenship and ask for written confirmation of the applicable rate.

Ask for the estimate to account separately for:

• consultations and case discussions;
• pathology review and additional tests;
• the scope of surgery, anesthesia, and hospital stay;
• drug names, doses, and number of administrations;
• radiation therapy planning and delivery;
• follow-up tests and prescribed supportive care.

Clarify which items are charged separately, how additional expenses are approved, and the terms for refunding an advance payment. List accommodation, travel, accompaniment, and document translation in a separate part of your budget. When comparing estimates, check that they cover the same services.

How to Arrange Follow-Up Care After Returning Home

Before leaving, obtain a discharge summary describing the treatment received, test results, and written treatment instructions. After completing treatment, ask for a follow-up plan: which examinations and tests are needed and who will order them. The importance of this plan and of transferring records between doctors is explained in NCI information on follow-up care.

Agree in advance with your local oncologist on how to transfer your records and continue care. If treatment is ongoing, clarify who is responsible for treatment orders between trips and where the necessary procedures will be performed.

Keep the medical team’s contact information and find out how to reach them with questions or if your condition worsens. Ask the doctor to provide written instructions on symptoms that require urgent care and what to do in that situation. Clarify which questions can be addressed remotely and which require an in-person visit.