📍 Whitefield, Bengaluru
HOD & Senior Consultant · Surgical Oncology
Consultation by Appointment
Full question-and-answer guides: PIPAC (42) | HIPEC (30) | Robotic Cancer Surgery (43) | Organ Preservation (39) | Breast Conservation and Oncoplasty (15)
Many patients with rectal cancer can now have organ-preserving surgery, where the bowel is rejoined and normal bowel function is kept. Whether this is possible depends on how close the tumour is to the anal sphincter, how it responds to treatment before surgery, and your pelvic anatomy. Sometimes a temporary stoma is made to protect the join while it heals; this is usually reversed after a few months. Read about organ preservation surgery →
Not always. Many women with early breast cancer are suitable for breast-conserving surgery followed by radiotherapy, which gives outcomes comparable to mastectomy in suitable patients. Oncoplastic techniques can remove larger tumours while preserving the shape of the breast. Tumour size, location, the number of tumours and genetic factors all guide the choice. Read about oncoplastic breast surgery →
Robotic surgery uses small incisions and magnified 3D vision, which can mean less blood loss, less pain and a quicker return to normal activity for suitable patients. The cancer operation itself follows the same principles as open surgery. Not every cancer or every patient is suitable; this is assessed individually. Read about robotic cancer surgery →
Treatment before surgery (neoadjuvant therapy) can shrink the tumour, make the operation safer or less extensive, treat microscopic spread early, and show how the cancer responds to treatment. It is standard for several cancers, including many stomach, oesophageal, rectal and some breast cancers.
HIPEC (heated chemotherapy washed through the abdomen during surgery) is combined with cytoreductive surgery for selected patients whose cancer has spread only to the lining of the abdomen (peritoneum), for example from ovarian, colorectal or appendiceal cancer, or pseudomyxoma peritonei. Careful selection is essential. PIPAC is a separate keyhole option for some patients who are not suitable for major surgery. Read about HIPEC & PIPAC →
A second opinion is reasonable, especially for complex or rare cancers or when major surgery is proposed. Good doctors expect and welcome it. Bring all your reports, scan images and pathology slides or blocks if requested, so the review is complete. Request a second opinion →
The risk of recurrence depends on the cancer type and stage, the grade, surgical margins, lymph node involvement and the tumour’s biology. Your follow-up plan of visits, scans and blood tests is designed around this risk. Tell your team about any new or persistent symptoms between visits.
Tiredness, some pain and changes in appetite or bowel habit are common in the first weeks, depending on the operation. Most improve steadily. Your team will explain the specific effects of your surgery and how they are managed, and when to call them.
It varies with the operation and your general health. After minimally invasive surgery many people resume light daily activities within a few weeks; after major open or multivisceral surgery recovery takes longer. Heavy lifting is usually avoided for several weeks. Your surgeon will give you a personal timeline.
A balanced cancer diet with adequate protein, whole grains, fruit, vegetables and healthy fats supports strength, immunity and treatment tolerance — there is no single “cancer-fighting food.”
Prioritise:
An oncology dietitian can build a personalised cancer diet plan around your specific treatment and side effects.
All cells in the body, including healthy ones, use glucose for energy — there is no scientific evidence that eating sugar feeds cancer or accelerates tumour growth.
No single diet has been scientifically proven to cure or fight cancer on its own.
No — complete sugar avoidance is not medically necessary or supported by evidence.
No — no diet has been shown to cure or shrink cancer on its own.
Certain foods carry a higher infection or symptom risk during chemotherapy and are generally best limited.
Your oncology team can tailor this to your blood counts and treatment phase.
Small, frequent, calorie- and protein-dense meals are usually easier to manage than three large meals when appetite is low.
Unintentional weight loss during treatment should always be reported to your care team promptly.
Cancer patients generally need more protein than usual — often 1 to 1.5 grams per kilogram of body weight daily — to support tissue repair and recovery.
In the days before surgery, a protein- and nutrient-rich diet helps your body tolerate the procedure and heal faster afterward.
Diet after surgery is typically reintroduced gradually — clear liquids first, then soft foods, before returning to a normal diet.
Not automatically — some vitamins and supplements can interfere with chemotherapy or radiation, so none should be started without checking with your oncologist first.
No — turmeric and other herbal remedies have not been shown to cure or prevent cancer in humans.
Ketogenic diets are not a standard or proven cancer treatment, though they are being studied for specific situations under medical supervision.
No — cancer does not spread from person to person through contact, air, or bodily fluids the way an infection does.
No — there is no strong scientific evidence that psychological stress directly causes cancer.
No — cancer is not always fatal, and survival rates vary enormously by cancer type, stage and how early it’s caught.
No — current surgical evidence does not support the idea that properly performed cancer surgery causes cancer to spread faster.
No — current medical evidence does not support the idea that a properly performed biopsy causes cancer to spread.
No — chemotherapy is not automatically required after every cancer surgery.
No — no alternative cancer treatment or herbal remedy has been proven to cure cancer as a replacement for standard medical treatment.
No — Stage IV cancer is advanced, but effective treatment options are almost always still available.
No — a family history of cancer increases your risk but does not guarantee you will develop it.
No — hair loss depends on the specific cancer treatment used, not on having cancer itself.
No — many cancers, especially in early stages, cause no pain at all.
Spontaneous regression of cancer without treatment is extremely rare and should not be relied upon as a treatment strategy.
No — major health bodies have found no consistent evidence that mobile phones or microwave ovens cause cancer.
Cancer screening means testing for cancer in people without symptoms, aiming for early cancer detection at a more treatable stage.
Recommended starting ages vary by cancer type and personal risk factors.
Those with a strong family history or known genetic risk are typically advised to start earlier — discuss a personalised schedule with your doctor.
Established, evidence-based screening programmes exist mainly for breast, cervical, colorectal, and lung cancer (in high-risk smokers).
Some blood tests support cancer detection, but no single blood test reliably screens for all cancers at an early stage.
Routine whole-body scans are generally not recommended for cancer screening in average-risk, symptom-free adults.
Most guidelines recommend a mammogram every one to two years for average-risk women starting around age 40–45.
Any new breast lump should be evaluated by a doctor promptly, even if it seems small or painless.
Most breast lumps turn out to be benign, but only proper evaluation can confirm this.
Average-risk women are generally advised to start regular mammography around age 40 to 45.
Women with a first-degree relative diagnosed with breast cancer, especially young, or a known BRCA mutation, are usually advised to start screening 10 years earlier than their relative’s age at diagnosis, or as early as 25–30 in high-risk cases.
Early colorectal cancer often causes subtle or no symptoms, which is why screening matters even without warning signs.
Symptoms lasting more than two to three weeks should be evaluated promptly.
A colonoscopy examines the entire colon using a flexible camera, allowing doctors to detect and often remove precancerous polyps before they become colon cancer.
Average-risk adults are now generally advised to begin colorectal cancer screening at age 45.
A Pap smear checks cervical cells for precancerous changes and is typically recommended every three years starting around age 21–25.
Lung cancer screening with low-dose CT is generally recommended for current or former heavy smokers within a specific age range, typically 50–80.
There is no standard screening test for pancreatic cancer in the general population.
Warning signs of recurrence vary by cancer type but commonly include new or returning symptoms similar to the original diagnosis.
Report any new or unusual symptom to your oncology team rather than waiting for your next scheduled visit.
Recurrence is confirmed through imaging, blood tests or biopsy — not through symptoms alone.
Recurrence risk depends heavily on your specific cancer type, stage, treatment received and individual biology — there is no single universal number.
Your oncologist can give a personalised estimate based on your pathology report, staging and treatment response, often expressed as a percentage risk over five or ten years.
New, persistent or worsening pain, especially near the original tumour site, should always be evaluated rather than assumed unrelated.
Follow-up testing typically combines physical examination, imaging and blood-based tumour markers, chosen based on your specific cancer type.
The specific combination and frequency are outlined in your personalised follow-up plan.
Scan frequency typically starts more often in the first two to three years after treatment and gradually decreases over time.
Yes — some cancers can recur even after 5 or 10 years, though this becomes progressively less common the longer you remain disease-free.
Recurrence likelihood depends more on stage, grade and treatment response than on cancer type alone, though some cancers are inherently more prone to it.
Not necessarily — treatability depends on where and how the cancer recurs, not simply on the fact that it has returned.
Treatment for recurrent cancer depends on the location, extent and previous treatments received, and may include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, targeted therapy or immunotherapy.
Your team will reassess the cancer’s characteristics, as they may have changed since the original diagnosis, and may recommend genetic or molecular testing to guide targeted treatment choices.
Yes — maintaining a healthy weight, staying physically active, eating a balanced diet, and avoiding tobacco and excess alcohol are associated with lower recurrence risk for several cancer types.
Most recurrences, when they occur, happen within the first two to three years after treatment ends, though timing varies by cancer type.
Symptoms of spread (metastasis) depend on where the cancer travels, commonly bone, liver, lungs, or brain.
Any new, persistent symptom should be discussed promptly with your oncology team.
Fear of recurrence is extremely common among cancer survivors and is a recognised part of survivorship, not a sign of a mental health problem.
Persistent fatigue after treatment ends, known as cancer-related fatigue, is one of the most common survivorship complaints and can last months to over a year in some patients.
Follow-up care typically includes scheduled physical exams, imaging and blood tests at set intervals to monitor for recurrence and manage lingering side effects.
Energy levels typically improve gradually over several months to a year after treatment ends, though timing varies widely between individuals.
Most side effects of chemotherapy and radiation improve after treatment ends, though some can persist long-term or appear later.
A survivorship care plan is a personalised document summarizing your treatment history, follow-up schedule and recommendations for managing long-term effects.
It helps you and any future healthcare providers coordinate your ongoing care.
Visit frequency typically starts at every 3 to 6 months in the first few years and gradually decreases to annually over time.
Late effects can emerge months or years after treatment and vary by the specific therapies received.
Your survivorship plan should flag which late effects are relevant to your specific treatment.
“Chemo brain” symptoms — mild memory and concentration difficulties after cancer treatment — are a real, recognised phenomenon that usually improves over time.
If symptoms are severe or worsening, mention this to your doctor to rule out other causes.
Timing varies widely and depends on your job’s physical demands, your recovery pace, and any lingering side effects like fatigue.
Yes — moderate exercise is generally safe and actively encouraged after cancer treatment, once cleared by your care team.
Ongoing worry about recurrence, known as fear of recurrence, is extremely common among survivors and generally eases with time and support.
Sticking to your scheduled follow-up plan, discussing new symptoms directly with your care team rather than assuming the worst, and connecting with survivor support groups or a counsellor can meaningfully reduce this anxiety.
Fertility after chemotherapy depends on the specific drugs used, dosage and your age at treatment — some patients retain fertility, others experience temporary or permanent changes.
Feeling low or even depressed after finishing treatment is a recognised experience, sometimes surprising patients who expected relief instead.
Many hospitals and cancer centres offer survivor support groups, often organised by cancer type, which your care team or social worker can help connect you with.
Most cancers are not directly inherited — only about 5 to 10% result from an inherited gene mutation, with the rest arising from age, environment and random cellular changes.
A strong family history — multiple relatives affected, diagnoses at young ages, or certain cancer combinations — can indicate an inherited pattern worth investigating through genetic counselling.
Not necessarily — having a parent with cancer raises your risk somewhat but does not mean you will develop cancer yourself.
It may be worth considering, particularly if a relative was diagnosed young, multiple relatives share the same or related cancer, or a known hereditary syndrome runs in the family.
A genetic counsellor can assess your specific family history first, since testing without a clear indication can produce results that are difficult to interpret.
A positive BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene test means you carry an inherited breast cancer gene mutation that significantly raises lifetime risk of breast and ovarian cancer, and in men, prostate and breast cancer.
BRCA testing is generally considered for people with a personal or family history suggestive of hereditary breast/ovarian cancer syndrome.
A genetic counsellor can assess eligibility.
No — a positive genetic test means increased risk, not certainty.
Lynch syndrome is an inherited condition caused by mutations in DNA mismatch repair genes that significantly raises the risk of colorectal, endometrial and several other cancers.
People with Lynch syndrome typically need to start colorectal cancer screening earlier and more frequently, often beginning in their 20s or 30s, along with monitoring for other associated cancers.
Multiple affected family members, especially with the same or related cancer types or diagnoses at young ages, can suggest a hereditary cancer syndrome worth investigating.
A hereditary cancer syndrome is an inherited genetic condition that significantly increases the lifetime risk of developing one or more specific types of cancer.
Testing children is generally considered case by case, often delayed until adulthood unless the associated cancer risk begins in childhood.
Since most hereditary cancer syndromes primarily raise adult cancer risk, genetic counsellors typically recommend waiting until the child is old enough to understand and participate in the decision, usually 18 or older.
Genetic counselling is a consultation with a specialist trained to assess your cancer risk, explain what testing can and cannot tell you, and interpret results in context.
It’s generally recommended before testing, as it helps determine which test is appropriate and prepares you for uncertain findings (variants of unknown significance), which are common and require careful interpretation.
Preventive options for hereditary high-risk individuals range from enhanced screening to risk-reducing medication or surgery, depending on the specific syndrome and cancer type.
These decisions are highly individual and made together with a specialist team.
This varies by country and by insurance type, so it’s worth checking local regulations and policies before testing.
Yes — carrying a hereditary cancer gene mutation significantly raises risk, but it does not guarantee that cancer will develop.
Cost varies by cancer type, procedure complexity, length of hospital stay, and robotic vs. open technique.
ICU stay, complications, or combined procedures (e.g. HIPEC) add cost. Request a personalised estimate once your treatment plan is finalised.
Many Indian insurers cover it, but terms vary by policy and provider.
Confirm coverage directly with your insurer and request pre-authorisation before admission.
Bring prior scans, biopsy/pathology reports, treatment summaries, your current medication list, and any specialist referral letters.
The checklist below explains why each one helps.
Yes — a wide range of emotional responses, including sadness, anxiety, anger and shock, is a normal and common reaction to a cancer diagnosis.
Practical help, such as attending appointments, organising information and managing daily tasks, is often as valuable to a patient as emotional support.
Small, consistent gestures often matter more than grand ones.
Fear of recurrence is a normal, well-recognised part of survivorship and tends to ease over time with the right support.
Sticking closely to your scheduled follow-up plan, promptly discussing new symptoms with your care team rather than assuming the worst, and joining survivor support groups or working with a counsellor can all help manage this anxiety.
