Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
Who does what: hepatologist, interventional radiologist, oncologist and surgeon | CION Cancer Clinics
Liver cancer needs several specialists because both the tumour and the liver itself need care. The hepatologist looks after the liver, the radiologist reads the scan, the interventional radiologist treats through a catheter or needle, the surgeon removes tumours, and the oncologist leads medicines. This page explains each role, the usual order, and who to ask what. At CION Cancer Clinics, our team supports patients and families through symptoms, follow-up and life during and after treatment.
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Medically reviewed by Dr. Muralidhar MuddusettyConsultant Surgical Oncologist · MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery, AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh) · last reviewed October 2026, next review due October 2027
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On this page
- Why are so many different doctors involved in liver cancer?
- What does each liver cancer specialist actually do?
- In what order will I see these doctors?
- Which doctor should answer my question?
- What if two doctors tell me different things?
- What this page cannot tell you
- Common questions about the liver cancer team
The short answer
Why are so many different doctors involved in liver cancer?
Liver cancer usually grows inside a liver that is already damaged, so two problems need looking after at once: the tumour and the liver itself. No single specialist covers both, which is why you may meet a hepatologist, a radiologist, an interventional radiologist, an oncologist and a surgeon within a few weeks.
Each one answers a different question
The hepatologist asks how well the liver is working and whether it can take treatment. The radiologist asks what the scan shows. The interventional radiologist asks whether the tumour can be treated through a needle or a catheter. The surgeon asks whether it can be removed. The oncologist asks which medicines might help and keeps the whole plan in view. A transplant surgeon joins only when a new liver is being considered.
This page is about cancer that started in the liver
If your scan shows cancer that spread to the liver from the bowel, breast or elsewhere, the lead doctor is usually the specialist for the original cancer. The case for a team rather than one doctor applies to both kinds.
Each handover between doctors is where time is lost. Knowing who does what helps you ask the right person the right question.The people you may meet
What does each liver cancer specialist actually do?
Titles vary between hospitals. What matters is the job each person does for you.
Hepatologist
A liver specialist, often trained first in gastroenterology. They judge how much reserve your liver has, treat cirrhosis, ascites and varices, and manage hepatitis B or C with antiviral tablets.
Ask them about
- Child-Pugh and MELD scores
- Antiviral treatment
- Whether the liver can cope with treatment
Radiologist
Reads the triple-phase CT or MRI, a scan taken at timed moments after a dye injection. For many liver cancers the scan pattern alone confirms the diagnosis, so this report carries real weight.
Interventional radiologist
Treats the tumour from inside a blood vessel or through the skin, guided by scans. TACE, TARE and ablation sit here. At CION these are coordinated through accredited partner hospitals.
Surgical oncologist
Decides whether part of the liver can be safely removed, and plans the operation. Your team will tell you where the operation takes place.
Medical oncologist
Leads treatment with medicines such as immunotherapy and targeted therapy, and often holds the overall plan together across every stage.
Transplant surgeon and pathologist
The transplant surgeon works at a licensed transplant centre and assesses whether a new liver is an option. The pathologist reads any biopsy tissue under the microscope.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistHow your case moves
In what order will I see these doctors?
The first doctor finds something
Usually a physician or gastroenterologist, after an ultrasound or a blood test. Their job is to send you on quickly, with the scan and the report in hand.
The scan is repeated or upgraded
A triple-phase CT or MRI is arranged and read by a radiologist. This is the scan every later doctor will rely on, so keep the images, not only the report.
The liver is assessed
Blood tests, sometimes an endoscopy and an elastography scan, show how much the liver can take. The hepatologist leads this part.
The team meets together
At a tumour board, the specialists look at the same scan and the same blood results in one discussion, and agree a plan.
One person leads treatment
Depending on the plan, that may be the surgeon, the interventional radiologist or the oncologist. Ask who your main contact is from now on.
Who to ask what
Which doctor should answer my question?
- "Can the tumour be removed?"
- The surgical oncologist, after the tumour board has seen the scan. More on liver resection.
- "Can it be treated without an operation?"
- The interventional radiologist, for TACE, TARE or ablation. See TACE and TARE.
- "Is my liver strong enough for treatment?"
- The hepatologist. Their answer often decides which options are on the table at all.
- "Should I start tablets or a drip?"
- The medical oncologist, who also explains side effects and how response is checked.
- "Should I continue my hepatitis B medicine?"
- The hepatologist or physician who prescribed it. Do not stop it because cancer treatment has started.
- "Am I a transplant candidate?"
- A transplant surgeon at a licensed transplant centre. Nobody else can give a firm answer.
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Did you know
At CION, liver cancer cases are discussed at a tumour board, where oncologists, surgeons and radiologists review the same scan together. Scans, procedures and hepatology care are coordinated through partner hospitals and specialists, so one plan follows you between them.
Real life is messier
What if two doctors tell me different things?
It happens, and it does not mean one of them is careless. A surgeon tends to see the case through the operation, and a hepatologist through the liver's reserve. Both views are useful. The fix is not to choose the doctor you like better. It is to get both opinions into the same discussion.
How to bring the views together
Ask for the case to go to a tumour board, or ask one doctor to speak directly to the other. Carry the same scan images and blood reports to every visit so nobody is working from an older version. If you still feel unsure, a second opinion on the plan is a reasonable step, not an insult.
Who this does not apply to
If your cancer started in the bowel, breast or lungs and spread to the liver, the team is led by the specialist for that cancer. Children with liver tumours are cared for by a paediatric team. Bile duct and gallbladder cancers involve some of the same doctors in a different order.
Being straight with you
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot tell you which specialist should lead your care. That depends on the size and number of tumours, how well your liver works and your general fitness, and it is decided once the scan and blood tests have been reviewed together.
It cannot replace the conversation
Job titles differ between hospitals, and one doctor may cover two of the roles above. Ask each new doctor, in plain words, what their part in your care is and who you should call between visits. Write the answer down.
If you are unsure who to see next, call the helpline with your latest scan report in hand. Someone will help you work out the next step.Questions we are asked
Common questions about the liver cancer team
Is a hepatologist the same as a gastroenterologist?
Not quite. A gastroenterologist covers the whole digestive system. A hepatologist focuses on the liver, usually after gastroenterology training. In many Indian cities the same doctor does both jobs. What matters is that someone with liver experience judges how much treatment your liver can take.
Do I need an oncologist if surgery is planned?
Usually yes. Even when the tumour is removed, someone needs to plan follow-up scans and decide what to do if the cancer returns. The oncologist also checks whether medicines before or after surgery have any role in your case.
What is an interventional radiologist?
A radiologist who treats as well as reads scans. They pass fine tubes through a blood vessel or a needle through the skin, guided by imaging, to block a tumour's blood supply or heat it. TACE, TARE and ablation are their work. CION coordinates these through accredited partner hospitals.
Who decides between surgery, TACE and medicines?
Ideally the tumour board, not a single doctor. The specialists look at the tumour, the liver's reserve and your fitness together. One of them then explains the recommendation to you and leads that part of treatment.
Who should I call between appointments?
Ask at your first visit who your main contact is and write it down. For treatment side effects it is usually the team giving that treatment. For vomiting blood, black stools or new confusion, do not wait for any doctor's call. Go to hospital today.
Does CION do liver transplants?
No. Transplants happen only at licensed transplant centres. CION's team can help you understand whether assessment is worth asking about and send your records. The transplant centre makes its own decision on eligibility.
Why does every doctor ask for the scan images again?
Because a written report is one person's summary. Liver decisions often turn on fine details, such as how a tumour sits next to a blood vessel, which only the images show. Carry the disc or the download link to every visit.
Can the family speak to the doctors together?
Yes, and it often helps. Many families in Telangana and Andhra decide together. Ask for one meeting where the key relatives can hear the plan at once, rather than each person hearing a different version.
Your Specialists
Meet CION's liver cancer specialists. Bring your scan reports and liver blood tests.
Our medical and surgical oncologists plan liver cancer care together, weighing the tumour and how well your liver works before choosing surgery, a liver-directed procedure or medicines.
Medical Oncologist
Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
Medical Oncologist
Medical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Muralidhar Muddusetty
MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery) (AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh)
Surgical Oncologist
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Sources
- American Cancer Society — Treating Liver Cancer
- Cancer Research UK — Treatment for liver cancer
- NHS — Treatment for liver cancer
- RadiologyInfo.org (RSNA/ACR) — Management of liver cancer (ACR Appropriateness Criteria, patient summary)
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
Keep reading
Related pages
Why liver cancer has so many different doctorsThe reason the pathway is so fragmentedWhere delays happen and how to avoid themThe handovers where weeks are lostWhat a liver tumour board decidesWhere all these doctors meet on your caseWhen two doctors disagree about your treatmentWhat to do with conflicting advice
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Not sure which specialist you should see next?
Share your latest scan and blood reports and we will help you work out the next step and who should lead it. One helpline serves every CION centre.