Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
How to choose a cancer surgeon | CION Cancer Clinics
Choose a surgeon who operates on your type of cancer regularly, who plans your case with medical and radiation oncologists at a tumour board, and who explains the operation before you sign. Check the qualification, ask how often they do this operation, and ask who is in the hospital overnight. This page gives you the questions and tells you what a good answer sounds like. CION Cancer Clinics’ surgical oncologists in Hyderabad can talk this through with you.
MI
Medically reviewed by Dr. Mohammed ImaduddinConsultant Surgical Oncologist · MBBS, MS (General Surgery), MCh (Surgical Oncology) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
17+specialists on panel
15,000+patients treated
35+centres across Telangana & AP
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On this page
The short answer
How do you choose a cancer surgeon in Hyderabad?
Choose a surgeon who operates on your type of cancer regularly, who works inside a team with medical and radiation oncologists, and who will sit with you and explain the plan before you sign anything. Everything else on this page is a way of checking those three things.
Why the surgeon matters more than the building
A cancer operation is not only about removing a lump. The surgeon decides how much tissue to take, which lymph nodes (the small glands that drain the area) to remove, and how to keep the edges clear. Those decisions are made in the theatre, in the moment, and they depend on how often the surgeon has faced the same situation before.
Why the team around the surgeon matters too
Most cancers are treated with more than one thing. Chemotherapy before surgery, radiotherapy after, or both. A surgeon who plans your operation alone, without discussing it with the other specialists, may operate at the wrong point in the sequence. Ask whether your case will be discussed at a tumour board, which is the meeting where all the specialists look at your scans together before anything is booked.
Bring the adult child or relative who will be helping with decisions. Two sets of ears remember more than one.Four things to check
What should you actually look for?
None of these need a medical background. All of them can be checked in one appointment and one phone call.
Training in cancer surgery
Look for an MCh or DNB in surgical oncology, or a fellowship in cancer surgery of the organ concerned. Cancer surgery follows its own rules about margins and lymph nodes.
How to check
- The hospital's own doctor page
- The Telangana State Medical Council register
- Ask directly. A good surgeon will not mind
How often they do this operation
A surgeon who does your operation every week has seen the complications and knows how to avoid them. One who does it a few times a year may not. Ask plainly.
A vague answer is itself an answer.A team, not a solo practice
Ask who else will be involved. A medical oncologist, a radiation oncologist, a pathologist and an anaesthetist should all be part of the plan. If the surgeon cannot name them, the plan is one opinion.
What happens at night
Ask who is in the hospital after surgery if something goes wrong at two in the morning. A named doctor who can be reached, and an ICU with staff on the floor, matter far more than the size of the building.
Ask specifically
- Is there a doctor resident overnight?
- Is the ICU staffed all night?
- Is there a blood bank on site?
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistA practical order
What is a sensible way to go about it?
Get the diagnosis settled first
You need the biopsy report (the tissue test that confirms cancer) and the scans in your hand before you meet anyone. A surgeon cannot give you a real opinion on a lump that has not been tested. If you have only a scan, ask for the biopsy before you ask for the operation.
Ask your oncologist for names
If a medical oncologist or your family doctor is already involved, ask them who they would send their own family member to. Doctors know who in the city is doing careful work.
Meet the surgeon with your questions written down
Take the reports, the scans and a written list. Ask how often they do this operation, whether your case will go to a tumour board, what the alternatives are and what the recovery looks like. Write the answers down while you are in the room.
Take a second opinion if anything feels rushed
A second opinion is normal in cancer care and no reasonable surgeon is offended by it. Most cancers do not change in the week it takes to see someone else. If you are told there is no time for that, ask why.
Side by side
Which signs are reassuring, and which are not?
A good sign
A reason to ask more
The surgeon asks to see your biopsy and scans before naming an operation
A date is offered before the reports have been read
Your case will go to a tumour board before it is booked
The surgeon decides alone and no other specialist is named
You are told plainly who this operation does not suit
You are told it will definitely work
A second opinion is welcomed
A second opinion is discouraged or called a waste of time
Costs and scheme cover are discussed before admission
Cost is only raised once you are in the ward
Leave a number, we will call you
One field. No form to fill in, and no charge for the call.
Commonly believed
Four things families tell us, and what is actually true
"The most senior surgeon is always the right choice."
Seniority and experience with your particular cancer are not the same thing. A surgeon who has spent thirty years on gall bladders may have done very few cancer operations of the kind you need. Ask about this operation.
"The biggest hospital will have the safest surgeon."
Size tells you about the building. What protects you after an operation is a staffed ICU, a blood bank on site and a doctor in the hospital overnight. Smaller centres often have all three.
"Asking for a second opinion will offend the doctor."
In cancer care a second opinion is routine, and an experienced surgeon expects it. If a doctor reacts badly to being asked, notice that.
"If we wait a week to decide, the cancer will spread."
A short delay to gather reports and take a second opinion rarely changes the outcome. What changes it is the wrong operation, or an operation done at the wrong point in the treatment sequence. Your oncologist will say if your case cannot wait.
Being straight with you
What this page cannot tell you
This page cannot tell you which surgeon to pick, and it cannot tell you whether you need an operation at all. That depends on the type of cancer, its stage (how far it has spread), your general health and what the tumour board recommends. It can only give you the questions.
Who this advice does not suit
If your cancer is at a stage where surgery is not the first step, the surgeon may not be the person to choose first. Many breast, rectal, stomach and head and neck cancers are treated with chemotherapy or radiotherapy before any operation. In that case the medical oncologist leads, and the surgeon joins the plan later. Ask which specialist should see you first.
Where you are searching from matters
If you are travelling from a district such as Warangal, Nizamabad or Khammam, ask about follow-up before you book. Stitches, drains and the pathology report all need visits after discharge. A centre that can arrange those closer to home saves journeys when travel is hardest.
What to do next
Gather every report you have. Write the questions from this page on your phone. Book the appointment and take someone with you. If you want help working out which specialist to see first, call the helpline.
Nothing here replaces the advice of the team treating you. Use it to ask them better questions.Questions we are asked
Common questions about choosing a cancer surgeon
Is it rude to ask a surgeon how many of these operations they have done?
No. It is one of the most useful questions you can ask, and surgeons who do the operation often are usually glad to answer it. A specific answer is reassuring. A change of subject is worth noticing.
Should I choose the hospital first or the surgeon first?
Start with the surgeon, then check the hospital they operate in. The surgeon makes the decisions that shape the outcome. The hospital provides what keeps you safe afterwards: the ICU, the blood bank and the overnight doctor. You need both.
Can I change surgeons after I have already been given a date?
Yes. A date is not a contract. You are entitled to your reports, slides and scans, and you can take them to anyone you choose. Most cancers are not changed by the week or two this takes, and your oncologist will say if yours is different.
Does a higher fee mean a better surgeon?
No. Fees reflect the hospital's pricing, the room category and sometimes the surgeon's reputation, none of which tell you how carefully the operation will be done. What matters is how often the surgeon does this operation and whether a team plans it with them. Aarogyasri, CGHS, ECHS and EHS cover surgery at many centres, so ask about cover before you compare fees.
What if the surgeon my family doctor recommends is far away?
Ask whether the operation and the first review can happen in Hyderabad and the later follow-up closer to home. Many centres arrange this. Weigh the travel honestly. A patient who cannot get back for a wound check is worse off than one who chose a nearer surgeon with the same training.
How do I check a surgeon's qualifications are real?
The Telangana State Medical Council keeps a public register of doctors and their qualifications. Look for the surgical oncology degree or fellowship listed against the name. If the hospital website and the register disagree, ask the hospital to explain.
What should I bring to the first appointment?
Every report and every scan, including the CD or film, not only the printed summary. The biopsy report and the slide or block are the most important. Bring a list of current medicines, the family member who will be part of the decision, and a written list of questions.
Will CION tell me which surgeon to choose?
We will read your reports with you and tell you which type of specialist should see you first, and what questions to ask whoever you see. We do not rank named surgeons or hospitals. If you choose to be seen at CION, your case goes to the tumour board before anything is booked.
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
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Vajja Sandeep Kumar
MBBS, MS (General Surgery), DrNB (Surgical Oncology), FALS Oncology
Surgical Oncologist
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Patient stories
Hear it from people we have treated
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Accreditation and empanelment
- NABH
- NABL
- ISO 9001:2015
- ArogyaSri empanelled
- CGHS accepted
- ECHS accepted
- EHS accepted
- Major cashless insurers
Paying for it
Insurance, schemes and payment
What you actually pay usually differs a great deal from the sticker figure.
AarogyasriEmpanelled. Bring the card and a referral where you have one.
CGHS / ECHS / EHSAccepted at CION centres for eligible treatment.
Cashless insuranceMost major insurers are empanelled. Pre-authorisation is handled by our desk.
Self-payItemised estimate given before treatment starts. No EMI scheme exists.
Where to find us
Our centres in and around Hyderabad
Addressed by landmark, because that is how this city navigates. A surgical consultation can be booked at any of these centres through one helpline, and your team will tell you where the operation itself takes place.
Warangal
Vizag
Sources
- Cancer Research UK — Surgery for cancer
- Macmillan Cancer Support — Surgery explained
- National Cancer Institute — Surgery to treat cancer
- Cancer.Net (ASCO) — What is cancer surgery?
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 surgeon and hospital volume matterThe evidence behind the 'how often' questionGeneral surgeon or surgical oncologist?What the training difference means for your operationQuestions to ask before booking an operationA printable list to take into the room24-hour cover after surgeryThe overnight question, in detailDeciding on cancer surgeryWhether an operation is the right step at all
Talk to us
Not sure which specialist to see first?
Send us the reports you have. An oncologist will read them with you and tell you which type of specialist should see you first and what to ask. One helpline serves every CION centre.