DM · DrNB
50 DM Medical Oncology Thesis Topics
Academic session 2026-2027 · 50 topics
This page lists 50 medical oncology thesis topics for DM and DrNB candidates in India for the 2026-2027 academic session. Oncology research within a residency has a specific shape: survival endpoints are out of reach, but treatment toxicity, response at defined imaging intervals, supportive care and quality of life all declare themselves within the study window.
The medical oncology thesis topics below are built on those. They cover chemotherapy toxicity and dose modification, response assessment by established criteria, supportive care and febrile neutropenia, site-wise clinicopathological profiles, biomarker and receptor status, treatment adherence and abandonment, and quality of life during treatment.
Click any topic to open it in the protocol generator with the title already filled in.
- A cross-sectional study of the clinicopathological profile and stage at presentation of patients with carcinoma of the breastGet protocol
- An observational study of hormone receptor and human epidermal growth factor receptor two status in breast carcinomaGet protocol
- A study of treatment response assessed by established criteria following neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast carcinomaGet protocol
- A cross-sectional study of the clinicopathological profile of patients with carcinoma of the lungGet protocol
- An observational study of the histological and molecular profile of patients with non-small cell lung carcinomaGet protocol
- A cross-sectional study of the stage at presentation and treatment pattern in gastrointestinal malignancyGet protocol
- An observational study of the clinicopathological profile of patients with colorectal carcinomaGet protocol
- A study of the clinical profile and treatment pattern of patients with carcinoma of the stomachGet protocol
- A cross-sectional study of the clinicopathological profile of patients with head and neck malignancyGet protocol
- An observational study of the presentation and treatment pattern in gynaecological malignancyGet protocol
- A study of the clinical profile of patients presenting with carcinoma of unknown primaryGet protocol
- A cross-sectional study of the profile of patients presenting with genitourinary malignancyGet protocol
- A cross-sectional study of the pattern and severity of chemotherapy induced toxicity graded by established criteriaGet protocol
- An observational study of haematological toxicity and its determinants during chemotherapyGet protocol
- A study of chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy and its clinical assessmentGet protocol
- An observational study of dose modification and treatment delay during chemotherapy cyclesGet protocol
- A study of the relative dose intensity delivered against the planned regimenGet protocol
- A cross-sectional study of chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting and its controlGet protocol
- An observational study of mucositis and its severity in patients receiving chemotherapyGet protocol
- A study of cardiotoxicity assessed by echocardiography in patients receiving anthracycline therapyGet protocol
- An observational study of nephrotoxicity in patients receiving platinum based chemotherapyGet protocol
- A cross-sectional study of the incidence and profile of febrile neutropenia among patients on chemotherapyGet protocol
- An observational study of the microbiological profile of infections in neutropenic patientsGet protocol
- A study of the outcome and predictors of mortality in patients admitted with febrile neutropeniaGet protocol
- An observational study of the use and outcome of granulocyte colony stimulating factor supportGet protocol
- A cross-sectional study of anaemia and transfusion requirement in patients receiving chemotherapyGet protocol
- A study of venous thromboembolism and its determinants in patients with malignancyGet protocol
- An observational study of nutritional status and its change during chemotherapyGet protocol
- A cross-sectional study of pain prevalence and management in patients with malignancyGet protocol
- A cross-sectional study of treatment response assessed by established imaging criteria in solid tumoursGet protocol
- An observational study of the interobserver agreement in radiological response assessmentGet protocol
- A study of the correlation between biochemical tumour markers and radiological responseGet protocol
- An observational study of the pathological response in patients receiving neoadjuvant therapyGet protocol
- A cross-sectional study of treatment abandonment and its determinants among patients with malignancyGet protocol
- An observational study of the time from diagnosis to treatment initiation and its determinantsGet protocol
- A study of the out of pocket expenditure incurred by patients undergoing cancer treatmentGet protocol
- A cross-sectional study of treatment adherence among patients on oral anticancer therapyGet protocol
- An observational study of the reasons for treatment refusal among newly diagnosed patientsGet protocol
- A study of the distance travelled and its association with treatment completionGet protocol
- A cross-sectional study of quality of life among patients receiving chemotherapy assessed by a validated instrumentGet protocol
- An observational study of psychological distress among patients undergoing cancer treatmentGet protocol
- A study of fatigue and its determinants in patients receiving chemotherapyGet protocol
- A cross-sectional study of patient awareness of diagnosis and treatment intentGet protocol
- An observational study of caregiver burden among family members of patients with malignancyGet protocol
- A cross-sectional study of the utilisation of supportive and palliative care services by oncology patientsGet protocol
- An observational study of the immunohistochemical profile and its influence on treatment decisionsGet protocol
- A study of the concordance between biopsy and resection specimen findings in solid tumoursGet protocol
- A cross-sectional study of the pattern of molecular testing requested in a medical oncology serviceGet protocol
- An observational study of the clinical profile and outcome of patients receiving immunotherapyGet protocol
- A study of the pattern and management of immune related adverse events during checkpoint inhibitor therapyGet protocol
Reached the end of the list?
Thousands more Medical Oncology thesis topics, updated through the year.
More Medical Oncology topics on superspecialitythesistopics.comChoosing a DM Medical Oncology thesis topic
Can survival be an endpoint in an oncology thesis?
Not realistically. Overall and disease free survival require years of follow-up and a stable cohort, neither of which a three year programme provides. Response rate at a defined imaging assessment, toxicity graded during treatment, treatment completion and dose intensity delivered, and quality of life measured before and after are all achievable and defensible alternatives.
How should treatment response be assessed?
Using a named standard rather than clinical impression. The Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours is the accepted framework for solid tumours, and disease specific criteria exist for haematological malignancy. State the imaging interval and who will perform the assessment, and consider reporting agreement between two assessors, since response evaluation carries real interobserver variation.
What is treatment abandonment and why is it studied so often in India?
It is the discontinuation of treatment against medical advice before completion, and it is a major determinant of outcome in Indian oncology practice. It is driven by cost, distance, family circumstance and understanding of prognosis rather than by disease biology. Studying its frequency and determinants produces findings that are locally actionable, which is why it appears so frequently in Indian oncology theses.
Thesis and protocol questions
How is a thesis topic different from a thesis protocol?
The topic is the title — the question a study sets out to answer, together with the population and the design. The protocol is the full document built around it: background, review of literature, aims and objectives, inclusion and exclusion criteria, sample size calculation, methodology, statistical plan, ethics considerations, consent documents and references. A topic is agreed with a guide first; the protocol is written afterwards and submitted to the institutional ethics committee.
When does a postgraduate thesis have to be submitted?
For most Indian postgraduate programmes the protocol is submitted within the first six months of joining, and the completed thesis is submitted at least six months before the final examination. Exact deadlines are set by the university, so the departmental circular for the current session takes precedence over any general timeline.
How is sample size decided for a postgraduate thesis?
Sample size follows from the primary objective, not the other way round. A prevalence study is powered from an expected proportion and an acceptable margin of error; a comparative study is powered from the expected difference between groups, the standard deviation, alpha and desired power. The figure should then be checked against the institution's actual case load for the study period, because a statistically ideal sample that cannot be recruited in the time available is not a workable plan.
Does a thesis topic need ethics committee approval?
Yes. Every postgraduate thesis involving human participants, human data or human samples requires clearance from the institutional ethics committee before data collection begins. Approval is granted on the protocol rather than on the title, and the submission usually includes the protocol, the participant information sheet and the consent form in English and in the local language.
What makes a topic realistic for a three-year postgraduate programme?
A workable topic can be completed at a single centre, with equipment and investigations that are already available in routine practice, within roughly eighteen months of data collection. Topics that depend on external funding, specialised assays, multicentre coordination or long follow-up tend to stall. Choosing a condition the department already sees in volume matters more than choosing a novel one.
Can a thesis be published as a research paper afterwards?
Yes, and it is generally expected. A thesis is usually condensed into a paper of around three to four thousand words, restructured into the standard introduction, methods, results and discussion format, with the review of literature shortened considerably. Journals differ in their requirements, and the ethics approval number from the original thesis is normally cited in the methods section.