DM
40 DM Onco-Anaesthesia Thesis Topics
Academic session 2026-2027 · 40 topics
This page lists 40 onco-anaesthesia thesis topics for DM candidates in India for the 2026-2027 academic session. Onco-anaesthesia sits at the interface of anaesthesia and oncology, and its distinctive territory is the perioperative management of cancer surgery — which is usually longer, more physiologically demanding, and more immunologically significant than routine elective surgery.
The onco-anaesthesia thesis topics below cover anaesthetic technique for major cancer operations, regional anaesthesia and its role in cancer surgery, haemodynamic and fluid management in oncology patients, postoperative pain and opioid management, perioperative immunological effects of anaesthetic agents, and the palliative dimension. Forty rather than fifty, reflecting a small specialty.
Click any topic to open it in the protocol generator with the title already filled in.
- A cross-sectional study of the preoperative risk profile and comorbidity in patients undergoing major cancer surgeryGet protocol
- An observational study of the haemodynamic response to anaesthetic induction in patients with nutritional depletionGet protocol
- A study of blood loss and transfusion requirement in patients undergoing major surgical resection for malignancyGet protocol
- An observational study of goal directed haemodynamic therapy and its association with outcome in cancer surgeryGet protocol
- A comparative study of two fluid management strategies in patients undergoing major abdominal oncological surgeryGet protocol
- An observational study of postoperative pulmonary complications in patients undergoing thoracic oncological surgeryGet protocol
- A cross-sectional study of the analgesic efficacy of thoracic epidural analgesia following oesophageal and gastric surgeryGet protocol
- An observational study of paravertebral block analgesia in patients undergoing breast cancer surgeryGet protocol
- A comparative study of regional versus general anaesthesia on postoperative pain scores in cancer surgeryGet protocol
- An observational study of transversus abdominis plane block for postoperative analgesia in colonic resectionGet protocol
- A study of the analgesic effect of wound infiltration with local anaesthetic in patients undergoing head and neck surgeryGet protocol
- An observational study of opioid consumption and its determinants in the first forty-eight hours after cancer surgeryGet protocol
- A cross-sectional study of perioperative blood pressure variability and its association with outcome in cancer surgeryGet protocol
- An observational study of intraoperative hypotension and its management in patients undergoing major oncological proceduresGet protocol
- A study of the effect of anaesthetic technique on natural killer cell activity in the perioperative periodGet protocol
- An observational study of serum cortisol and inflammatory markers at defined perioperative intervalsGet protocol
- A cross-sectional study of the immunological profile of patients with malignancy undergoing elective surgeryGet protocol
- An observational study of hypothermia incidence and its prevention in patients undergoing prolonged cancer surgeryGet protocol
- A comparative study of two anaesthetic maintenance agents on postoperative nausea and vomiting after oncological surgeryGet protocol
- An observational study of emergence and extubation characteristics after head and neck cancer surgeryGet protocol
- A study of the duration of mechanical ventilation and its determinants after oesophageal surgeryGet protocol
- An observational study of the intensive care course following major hepatic or pancreatic resection for malignancyGet protocol
- A cross-sectional study of the preoperative nutritional status and its association with postoperative outcomeGet protocol
- An observational study of postoperative ileus and its determinants following colorectal cancer surgeryGet protocol
- A study of enhanced recovery protocol implementation and outcomes in cancer surgeryGet protocol
- An observational study of the adequacy of preoperative anaesthetic assessment in cancer surgery patientsGet protocol
- A cross-sectional study of the anaesthetic management of patients on concurrent chemotherapyGet protocol
- An observational study of the perioperative management of cancer patients on targeted therapyGet protocol
- A study of the anaesthetic implications of superior vena cava syndrome in cancer patientsGet protocol
- An observational study of the haemodynamic management during anaesthesia for anterior mediastinal massesGet protocol
- A cross-sectional study of pain assessment and management in patients with advanced cancer at a palliative care unitGet protocol
- An observational study of opioid dose escalation and its determinants in cancer pain managementGet protocol
- A study of breakthrough cancer pain and its management in an oncology settingGet protocol
- An observational study of the adequacy of pain control in patients receiving palliative radiotherapyGet protocol
- A cross-sectional study of the clinical profile of patients referred for interventional pain proceduresGet protocol
- An observational study of the outcome of coeliac plexus block for pancreatic cancer painGet protocol
- A study of palliative sedation practice and its indications in patients with refractory symptomsGet protocol
- An observational study of end of life pain management and symptom controlGet protocol
- A cross-sectional study of the training and confidence of oncology nurses in pain assessmentGet protocol
- An observational study of patient and caregiver knowledge regarding pain management in cancerGet protocol
Choosing a DM Onco-Anaesthesia thesis topic
What makes onco-anaesthesia research distinct from general anaesthesia?
The intersection with cancer biology. Regional versus general anaesthesia may influence recurrence through effects on the neuroendocrine stress response and immune function, prolonged cancer operations present specific haemodynamic and fluid challenges, and opioid management in cancer pain has distinct goals. Topics that explore these dimensions are clearly within the superspecialty scope.
Can the immunological effects of anaesthesia be studied in a residency?
The clinical and laboratory correlates can. Natural killer cell activity, cortisol levels, and inflammatory markers measured at defined perioperative time points are feasible where a laboratory is willing to run the assays. Tumour recurrence as an endpoint is not reachable within a residency, so the protocol must be framed around the immunological mechanism rather than the oncological outcome.
Why forty topics rather than fifty?
Onco-anaesthesia is a small subspecialty offered at a limited number of cancer centres in India. Forty distinct feasible questions covering perioperative anaesthetic management, pain, regional techniques and the palliative interface is more honest than fifty with repetition.
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.