A Clinician’s Guide to Understanding Tumor Markers
A definitive clinical guide to tumor markers. Learn the 4 roles, the ‘trend-over-value’ rule, and the practical, guideline-based use of PSA, CEA, AFP, and more.
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Tumour Nomenclature: A Clinician’s Framework for NExT & NEET-PG
Introduction: The Logic Behind the Language You’ve encountered dozens of tumour names. Some are logical, but many feel like random, contradictory terms. Why is a glandular tumour called an adenoma (benign) but a melanocytic tumour is a melanoma (malignant)? They both end in “-oma”. Why is a mesothelioma always malignant, leaving no room for a…
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Breast Cancer | Breast Cancer Treatment | Cancer Chemotherapy | Cancer Treatment | Immunotherapy for Cancer | Neo-Adjuvant Therapy | Systemic Treatment of Cancer
The Doctor’s Breast Cancer Dilemma: Evidence vs Instincts
A physician’s instinct, based on decades of medical training, is to remove the tumor. But what if the modern, evidence-based approach requires waiting? A paradigm shift in breast cancer treatment now shows that using systemic therapy before surgery can dramatically increase the chances of a cure.
Explore this doctor’s dilemma through a compelling conversation between a family physician facing her own diagnosis and the oncologist who explains the powerful, life-saving reasons behind this new standard of care.
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Cancer Prevention in Your Clinic: A Two-Pronged Approach to Risk
The Conversation After the Consultation A 48-year-old software executive has just finished his consultation for hypertension management. As he’s about to leave, he pauses at the door. “Doctor,” he says, “my uncle was just diagnosed with cancer. Is there anything I should be doing to prevent it?” This question, often asked as an afterthought, is…
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The PREPARE Model: Transforming Difficult Medical Conversations
Picture a typical Tuesday afternoon in your clinic. The waiting room is overflowing, and you’re trying to catch up. Your next patient is Mr. Patil, a 62-year-old you know well, who came in last week with a persistent cough. You ordered a chest X-ray, expecting to find evidence of bronchitis or pneumonia. But the radiologist’s…
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Cancer Genetics | Cancer Prevention | Cancer Screening | Cancers | Early Diagnosis | Oncology in Primary Care | Prostate Cancer
From Test to Talk: Reframing Prostate Cancer Screening in Your Clinic
By Dr. Avinash Deo, Medical Oncologist September 13, 2025 A Story That Changed My Perspective Many years ago, I met a worried friend in the ICU of a prominent Mumbai hospital where I was seeing a patient. On asking why she was there, she told me her father was admitted with septic shock following a…
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A Practical, Risk-Stratified Guide to Colorectal Cancer Screening In India
By Dr. Avinash Deo, Medical Oncologist September 13, 2025 The Conversation in Your Clinic Has Changed For decades, the magic number for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening was 50. But that has changed. A 45-year-old now sitting in your office is a candidate for screening. A 38-year-old who mentions her father had colon cancer at 48…
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Ovarian Cancer: Why We Don’t Screen Everyone and Who We Watch Closely
By Dr. Avinash Deo, Medical Oncologist September 12, 2025 The Difficult Conversation in Your Clinic A 45-year-old woman, prompted by a health article she read online, asks you to order a CA-125 blood test and a pelvic ultrasound “just to be safe.” It’s a reasonable request from a concerned patient. Ovarian cancer is often dubbed…
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Navigating Breast Cancer Risk: A Practical Guide for the Family Physician
By Dr. Avinash Deo, Medical Oncologist September 12, 2025 The Questions We Hear Every Day A 40-year-old woman sits in your clinic and asks, “Doctor, is it time for my first mammogram?” The next patient, a 35-year-old, says, “My mother had breast cancer at 48. What should I be doing?” These are not simple questions….
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“It’s Probably Nothing, But…” – Hear the Whispers, Diagnose Cancer Early
We’ve all seen it…. A 55-year-old you’ve followed for years complains of being “just tired,” or a 62-year-old mentions modest weight loss and blames stress. In a busy clinic it’s tempting to attribute these nonspecific complaints to burnout, viral illness, or musculoskeletal strain. Yet sometimes these are the first whispers of a developing malignancy. The…