“I was scared before I left. Not about the surgery, about everything around it. Would I be looked after? Would someone actually be there if something went wrong in India? Michael answered every question I had, even the ones I didn’t know I should be asking. When I arrived, the Apollo team made me feel like they already knew me, because they did. They had everything. I never felt alone in that hospital. I felt looked after. My 1Health kept checking on us every single day, and that meant everything when you are far from home and recovering from surgery. I am grateful beyond what I can say.”

Adunni, 43, Lagos, Nigeria

Adunni had already done her research. She knew her diagnosis, she knew she needed to leave Lagos to get the best possible care, and she had one clear instinct: India.

What she did not yet know was which hospital, what it would cost beyond the procedure itself, or whether the entire process of getting there would feel manageable for a 43-year-old woman travelling abroad for cancer treatment with her spouse.

6 weeks later, she was recovering in a hotel room close to Apollo Hospital Navi Mumbai, with clear post-operative reports in hand and a treatment plan she fully understood.

This is her story, told here with her permission, using an alias to protect her privacy. My 1Health coordinated every step of her journey, from hospital matching to her flight home.

What Stage 3 Breast Cancer Means and Why She Chose India

Adunni was 43 when her oncologist in Lagos confirmed stage 3 breast cancer.

By that stage, the cancer had spread beyond the breast tissue to nearby lymph nodes, which meant her treatment would be intensive.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy to shrink the tumour before surgery, followed by a modified radical mastectomy to remove the affected breast tissue and lymph nodes, and radiation therapy afterwards.

Her doctors were skilled. But the facilities available for this level of oncological care locally were limited, and she knew it.

We see this pattern regularly. West African patients, Nigerian women in particular, are some of the most informed patients we work with.

They research thoroughly, they ask precise questions, and when they decide to travel, they do so having already thought carefully about what they need. Adunni was no different.

She had been reading about breast cancer treatment options for weeks before her diagnosis was confirmed.

One article, the My 1Health guide on Top 5 Breast Cancer Hospitals in India, answered the question she had been circling: where in India, specifically, and which hospitals were actually built for cases like hers?

She sent an inquiry via WhatsApp.

What Happens When You First Contact My 1Health

Within hours, Michael, a dedicated Patient Support Specialist at My 1Health, responded. Rather than send a generic information pack, he called her.

The goal of that first call was not to pitch India or close a deal. It was to understand her situation properly.

• What stage was she at?
• Did she already have a biopsy report and medical records?
• What did she know about the treatment protocol her Lagos oncologist had recommended?
• What was her budget, and how was she thinking about the trip?
• Was a companion travelling with her?

Adunni appreciated the specificity. “He asked real questions,” she told us afterwards.

Michael explained what the costs beyond the hospital bill look like for a Nigerian patient travelling to Mumbai:

• Accommodation, which My 1Health would assist in booking close to the hospital
• Daily food
• Local transport
• Practical costs of having a companion for several weeks

He also explained how Indian visa applications work for patients, what documentation the hospital would provide, and, critically, that My 1Health’s facilitation service costs her nothing.

My 1Health exists to help patients from around the world access specialised care they cannot access at home, and that service is entirely free to them.

He was straightforward about one more thing. Mumbai is genuinely welcoming to West African patients. The culture is warm and family-oriented.

How We Selected the Right Hospital for Her Case

My 1Health sent Adunni’s full medical records, biopsy results, imaging reports, and oncologist notes to 4 of India’s best cancer hospitals simultaneously.

All 4 were selected based on their oncology track record, their experience with Nigerian and West African patients, and their capacity to manage stage 3 breast cancer cases of this complexity.

Within 1 - 3 working days, all 4 hospitals came back with tailored treatment plans and cost estimates. This is not a generic quote.

Each hospital reviewed her specific case, her biopsy pathology, and her records, and proposed a treatment protocol accordingly.

Adunni sat with those treatment plans. She discussed them with her family. She went back to her local oncologist in Lagos, who reviewed the plans and gave her his input. She compared them carefully.

She chose Apollo Hospital Navi Mumbai.

Apollo’s oncology programme for breast cancer is one of the most established in India, with a multidisciplinary tumour board and a dedicated breast cancer team, including surgical, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and breast care nurses.

Apollo Cancer Centres have treated patients from 147 countries, and their international patient department is experienced at managing exactly this type of cross-border care.

The treatment plan Apollo proposed matched the protocol her Lagos oncologist had recommended, with the addition of surgical technology and post-operative monitoring that was not available in Nigeria.

To read more about Apollo Hospital Navi Mumbai, including accreditations and specialist departments, visit the My 1Health hospital profile.

Indian Medical Visa for Nigerian Breast Cancer Patients: What to Expect

Once Adunni confirmed her hospital choice, Apollo’s international patient department issued a formal invitation letter.

This document, addressed to the Nigerian embassy, confirmed her appointment dates and treatment schedule at the hospital. It materially accelerated her visa application.

Michael guided her through every step of the process:

• What documentation to prepare
• How to present her medical case at the embassy
• What supporting paperwork would strengthen the application

She applied in person at the Indian High Commission in Abuja. The medical visa was approved in 14 working days.

There are no direct non-stop flights from Lagos to Mumbai. All Nigerian patients connect, and the most reliable options in 2026 are Ethiopian Airlines via Addis Ababa, Qatar Airways via Doha, and Emirates via Dubai.

My 1Health assisted with booking the flights for both Adunni and her husband, who was travelling as her companion and care support.

Hotel accommodation close to Apollo Hospital, Navi Mumbai, was booked before their departure.

My 1Health coordinated this directly, selecting a property within walking distance of the hospital so that daily trips for consultations, tests, and treatment would not require a car journey.

Arriving at Apollo Hospital, Mumbai, as an International Patient

They landed at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport at 8 pm on a Tuesday.

A representative from Apollo Hospital Navi Mumbai’s international patient department was waiting at arrivals with a placard bearing Adunni’s name.

Both she and her husband were received warmly, directed to the hospital vehicle, and taken to the hotel Michael had booked for them to rest.

The next morning, the same Apollo representative came to collect them.

Adunni had her medical records. She had her biopsy slides. She had the treatment plan. Apollo had all of it already.

We had shared everything digitally with the international patient team before she arrived.

Because she had the full documentation, there were no delays. No queues, no waiting weeks for a new biopsy.

Within the same day, her oncology team at Apollo had completed their clinical evaluation. She was scheduled for surgery on day three.

Stage 3 Breast Cancer Surgery: What Does the Treatment Involve

Stage 3 breast cancer treatment follows a specific protocol.

In Adunni’s case, as is standard for locally advanced disease, she had already received neoadjuvant chemotherapy in Lagos to reduce the tumour burden before surgery.

At Apollo, the surgical team performed a modified radical mastectomy: removal of the entire breast tissue along with axillary lymph node dissection to clear the affected nodes.

The operation took place under general anaesthesia. Her surgical oncologist and the entire breast cancer team were thorough in explaining what the procedure involved, what she would experience during recovery, and what signs to watch for.

The nursing staff at Apollo were, by Adunni’s account, genuinely kind. Not routinely professional. Kind.

My 1Health checked in with her throughout, with Adunni directly and separately with her husband, to confirm that the care she was receiving matched what had been agreed and that both of them were managing well.

Our team does this for every patient we coordinate. Genuine checks because we know that having someone on the other end of a phone who knows your name and your situation makes the experience feel entirely different.

She was hospitalised for 7 days post-surgery while her team monitored her recovery, managed her pain, and ensured there were no post-operative complications.

Hospital stays following a modified radical mastectomy for stage 3 disease range from 5 to 10 days, depending on the patient’s condition and the surgical team’s assessment.

In our experience coordinating oncology cases to India, the post-surgical monitoring at Apollo is among the most attentive we’ve seen.

Nursing staff-to-patient ratios in the recovery ward are higher than at most hospitals we’ve worked with, and families often tell us this is the detail they remember most.

Recovery in India After Breast Cancer Surgery: What the First Week Looks Like

On the 7th day, Adunni moved back to the hotel near the hospital. She did not fly home immediately.

The hospital suggested a post-discharge observation period in-country, allowing the treating team to monitor early recovery and respond quickly if any complications arise.

For 1 week, My 1Health contacted her at least twice daily. These were not procedural check-ins. They were genuine checks: How is her drain site? Any fever? Is she eating? How is her husband managing? Is she sleeping?

In our experience, the week after discharge is the period patients find most unsettling.

They are no longer in the hospital with nurses nearby, but they are not yet home. Our twice-daily contact during this window is deliberate.

It catches early signs of complications before they escalate and ensures patients know they are not managing the post-operative period alone.

With Adunni, as with most patients we support, we could hear the difference in her voice by day 4: steadier, more confident, already talking about going home.

She was recovering well.

On the agreed return date, an Apollo vehicle collected both of them from the hotel and drove them to the airport.

She left India with 6 months of post-operative medication, a full set of treatment reports in physical and digital form, and a recovery plan that her Lagos oncologist could follow up on.

My 1Health had already shared her discharge documentation digitally with her local doctor so that continuity of care began before she landed.

Key Details: Adunni’s Journey at a Glance

Adunni Is Returning: What Comes Next

Adunni is returning to Apollo Hospital, Navi Mumbai, this August for oncoplasty, breast reconstruction surgery following her mastectomy.

She has already contacted My 1Health and asked for the same support she received the first time. Same hospital. Same team. Same level of care.

That tells you everything you need to know about how the experience felt for her.

Ready to find out what breast cancer treatment in India would look like for your case?

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WhatsApp: +1 718 550 0880

Related reading:

Top 5 Breast Cancer Hospitals in India for International Patients

15 Best Cancer Treatment Hospitals in The World 2026

Medical Tourism in India: A Step-by-Step Guide for International Patients