Medical Oncologist
Treatment Decisions Explained
How Doctors Choose Between — Surgery, Radiation and Immunotherapy
Your tumour board weighs several factors before recommending surgery, radiation or immunotherapy for your skin cancer, and explains that reasoning to you and your family before anything is booked.
- Tumour type — changes which treatments even apply
- Depth and location — shape how urgent surgery becomes
- Your fitness — decides whether surgery is safe for you
- Your preferences — are weighed alongside medical judgement
17+
Cancer Specialists
on Panel
on Panel
96.9%
Breast Cancer
Survival Rate*
Survival Rate*
15,000+
Patients
Treated
Treated
4.8★
Google Rating
(800+ reviews)
(800+ reviews)
CION's tumour board doctors decide between surgery, radiation and immunotherapy by weighing your skin cancer's type, depth, and location, whether it has spread, and your fitness for surgery. No option is automatically best — the right choice depends on your specific case, and is explained to you and your family before any treatment is booked.
How do surgery, radiation and immunotherapy compare on the factors that matter?
| Question your tumour board asks | Surgery | Radiation | Immunotherapy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Can it remove the tumour directly? | Yes, this is its main role | No, it treats rather than removes | No, it works with your immune system instead |
| Suited to a tricky spot, such as near the eye, nose or ear? | Sometimes limited by how much tissue can be removed safely | Often better suited here | Not usually chosen for location alone |
| Considered if the cancer has spread beyond the skin? | Rarely enough on its own | Sometimes, alongside other treatment | Often central to the plan |
| Depends on you being fit enough for anaesthesia and healing? | Yes, this matters most here | Usually not a barrier | Usually not a barrier |
| Can it be combined with the other two? | Yes, often followed by radiation | Yes, often paired with surgery | Yes, sometimes used alongside either |
What factors does CION's tumour board weigh before recommending a treatment?
Your tumour board starts with the exact type of skin cancer you have, since some types grow slowly and stay local, while others spread more readily. Next comes how deep the tumour has grown into the skin and the tissue below it, and where on your body it sits — a tumour near your eye, nose or ear needs a different approach than one on your back or arm, because removing it must also protect how that area looks and functions.
The board also checks whether the cancer has spread beyond the original site, and whether you are fit enough for surgery and the anaesthesia it needs — your age, other health conditions and general strength all matter here. Finally, your own preferences are discussed openly. No single factor above always outweighs the rest; sometimes location decides the plan, sometimes spread does, and sometimes your fitness for an operation rules certain options out. This is why the same set of factors can point to different treatments for different people.
Why do two patients with the same skin cancer get different treatment plans?
A diagnosis on paper can look identical for two patients and still lead to different plans. The type of skin cancer named on a biopsy report is only the starting point — how deep it has grown, exactly where it sits, and whether it has spread are unique to each person, even within the same broad diagnosis.
One patient's tumour might sit somewhere surgery can remove cleanly with little visible change, while another's sits close to the eye or ear, where radiation or immunotherapy may protect appearance and function better. Fitness for surgery differs too — a healthy patient and an older patient with other conditions are not offered identical plans. Your tumour board reviews all of this for your case specifically, which is why comparing your plan to another patient's is rarely useful.
What happens during your 45-minute consultation, before anything is booked?
- The reasoning is explainedYour tumour board's recommendation is explained in plain language, not just handed to you as a final decision.
- Your family is includedFamily members are welcome in the consultation and can ask questions alongside you.
- You can question the planYou are encouraged to ask why this option was chosen over the others, and what each would mean for you.
- A second opinion is your rightYou can take the recommendation elsewhere before deciding, with no pressure to commit on the spot.
- Nothing is booked without youSurgery, radiation or immunotherapy is scheduled only once you agree to the plan.
Where to find us
Our centres in and around Hyderabad
Addressed by landmark, because that is how this city navigates. Each centre also names the areas it serves, so you can place it without a map. Consultation and day-care Chemotherapy run at every one of them.
Warangal
Vizag
Meet the Specialists
17+ senior cancer specialists. One panel for your case.
Trained at AIIMS, Tata Memorial, and leading international centres. Combined 150+ years of experience. Every complex case is reviewed by 3+ of them — together.
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
Surgical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Vinay Mamidala
MBBS, MS(General Surgery), M.Ch(Surgical Oncology), FMAS, FARIS(Ongoing)
Surgical Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Hematologist
Interventional Radiologist
Dr. Mohammed Imran
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Vajja Sandeep Kumar
MBBS, MS (General Surgery), DrNB (Surgical Oncology), FALS Oncology
Surgical Oncologist
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Common questions
How Surgery, Radiation and Immunotherapy Are Chosen — your questions answered
Does immunotherapy replace surgery for skin cancer?
Not usually as a first step. Immunotherapy is typically considered when surgery alone will not be enough — for example, if the cancer has spread beyond the skin, or if surgery is not medically safe for you. For many patients whose skin cancer is caught early and sits somewhere surgery can reach easily, surgery remains the main treatment, sometimes followed by other treatment if the tumour board recommends it. Your own tumour board will tell you whether immunotherapy applies to your specific diagnosis, since this depends entirely on your case.
Can I ask for radiation instead of surgery because I am afraid of an operation?
You can raise this with your tumour board, and your fear is a real and valid part of the discussion. But radiation is only offered when it is medically appropriate for your specific tumour — its type, depth and location all matter. If radiation is a reasonable option for your case, your preference is genuinely weighed alongside the medical judgement. If it is not appropriate, your doctors will explain why and talk through what would make surgery more manageable for you.
What if my family disagrees with the tumour board's recommendation?
Your family is welcome in the consultation where the recommendation is explained, and they can ask questions directly. Disagreement usually comes from not understanding the reasoning, so your doctors will walk through why a particular treatment fits your specific diagnosis. You and your family can also seek a second opinion before deciding anything. Nothing is booked without your agreement, so there is time and space to work through concerns together before any treatment begins.
How long do I have to decide on a treatment?
There is no single fixed answer, because skin cancers differ in how urgent they are. Some situations allow time to think, get a second opinion, and discuss with family; others need a faster decision. Your own tumour board will tell you what timeframe applies to your specific diagnosis, rather than a general rule that applies to everyone. Ask them directly how much time you have, and use that answer, not one you find elsewhere, to plan your next steps.
Will I need more than one type of treatment?
Sometimes, yes. Surgery, radiation and immunotherapy are not always either-or choices — your tumour board may recommend surgery followed by radiation, or immunotherapy alongside another treatment, depending on what they find during and after your evaluation. This is decided case by case, based on the same factors used to choose the first treatment: type, depth, location, spread and your fitness. Your team will explain clearly if a combined approach is being recommended for you, and why.
What if I don't agree with the recommended treatment?
You are free to say so, ask questions, or seek a second opinion elsewhere before deciding anything. Your tumour board's role is to lay out the medically appropriate options for your specific case and explain their reasoning, not to make the final decision for you without your agreement. If your concerns are about safety, appearance or recovery, tell your doctors directly — these are exactly the kind of preferences the board considers alongside the medical facts of your case.