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Medical Thesis Topics

MD · DNB

50 Radiation Oncology Thesis Topics

Academic session 2026-2027  · 50 topics

This page lists 50 radiation oncology thesis topics for MD and DNB candidates in India for the 2026-2027 academic session. Radiotherapy has an advantage for postgraduate research that few specialties share: treatment is delivered over a defined number of fractions, and acute toxicity declares itself within weeks, so a genuine treatment-related outcome fits inside a residency.

The radiation oncology thesis topics below use that window. They cover the sites an Indian department treats in volume — cervix, breast, head and neck, lung and gastrointestinal malignancy — along with brachytherapy, treatment planning and dosimetry, acute toxicity grading, palliative radiotherapy and quality of life. Each is framed as a working title with the design and population stated.

Click any topic to open it in the protocol generator with the title already filled in.

  1. A cross-sectional study of the stage at presentation and treatment pattern in patients with carcinoma of the cervixGet protocol
  2. An observational study of acute toxicity during concurrent chemoradiation for carcinoma of the cervixGet protocol
  3. A comparative study of dosimetric parameters between two brachytherapy applicator techniques in cervical carcinomaGet protocol
  4. A study of treatment interruption and its causes in patients receiving radical radiotherapy for cervical carcinomaGet protocol
  5. An observational study of the clinical response assessed at first follow-up following radical radiotherapy for cervical carcinomaGet protocol
  6. A cross-sectional study of the clinicopathological profile of patients receiving adjuvant radiotherapy for carcinoma of the breastGet protocol
  7. A comparative study of acute skin toxicity between two fractionation schedules in breast radiotherapyGet protocol
  8. An observational study of dosimetric parameters to the heart and lung in patients undergoing left sided breast radiotherapyGet protocol
  9. A study of arm and shoulder function following adjuvant radiotherapy for carcinoma of the breastGet protocol
  10. A cross-sectional study of quality of life in patients completing adjuvant breast radiotherapyGet protocol
  11. A cross-sectional study of the stage and site distribution of head and neck malignancy at a radiation oncology departmentGet protocol
  12. An observational study of acute mucositis and its severity during radical radiotherapy for head and neck malignancyGet protocol
  13. A study of weight loss and nutritional status during chemoradiation for head and neck malignancyGet protocol
  14. A comparative study of dosimetric parameters to the parotid glands between two planning techniques in head and neck radiotherapyGet protocol
  15. An observational study of treatment completion rates and their determinants in head and neck radiotherapyGet protocol
  16. A study of trismus and its progression during radiotherapy for oral cavity malignancyGet protocol
  17. A cross-sectional study of the clinical profile of patients receiving thoracic radiotherapy for lung malignancyGet protocol
  18. An observational study of acute oesophagitis during radiotherapy for thoracic malignancyGet protocol
  19. A comparative study of dosimetric parameters between two planning approaches in thoracic radiotherapyGet protocol
  20. A study of symptom response following palliative thoracic radiotherapy in advanced lung malignancyGet protocol
  21. A cross-sectional study of the clinical profile of patients receiving neoadjuvant chemoradiation for rectal carcinomaGet protocol
  22. An observational study of acute gastrointestinal toxicity during pelvic radiotherapyGet protocol
  23. A study of dosimetric parameters to the small bowel in patients undergoing pelvic radiotherapyGet protocol
  24. An observational study of the clinical profile and treatment pattern of patients with carcinoma of the oesophagusGet protocol
  25. A cross-sectional study of the clinical and radiological profile of patients receiving cranial radiotherapyGet protocol
  26. An observational study of acute neurological toxicity during radiotherapy for central nervous system malignancyGet protocol
  27. A study of the treatment pattern and outcome at first follow-up in patients receiving whole brain radiotherapyGet protocol
  28. A comparative study of dosimetric parameters between two techniques for cranial irradiationGet protocol
  29. A cross-sectional study of the site distribution and treatment approach in paediatric malignancy requiring radiotherapyGet protocol
  30. An observational study of anaesthesia and immobilisation requirements in paediatric radiotherapyGet protocol
  31. A study of acute toxicity in children receiving radiotherapy assessed by an established scaleGet protocol
  32. An observational study of symptom relief following palliative radiotherapy for bone metastasesGet protocol
  33. A study of pain response assessed by a validated scale following single fraction palliative radiotherapyGet protocol
  34. A cross-sectional study of the indications and fractionation schedules used for palliative radiotherapyGet protocol
  35. An observational study of haemostatic response following palliative radiotherapy for bleeding tumoursGet protocol
  36. A comparative study of target volume coverage between two contouring approaches in a defined siteGet protocol
  37. An observational study of interobserver variation in target volume delineation among radiation oncologistsGet protocol
  38. A study of setup errors measured by portal imaging in patients undergoing pelvic radiotherapyGet protocol
  39. A cross-sectional study of the dosimetric quality indices of treatment plans generated at a radiotherapy departmentGet protocol
  40. An observational study of the time from simulation to treatment initiation and its determinantsGet protocol
  41. A comparative study of organ at risk doses between two dose fractionation schedulesGet protocol
  42. A study of quality assurance findings in treatment planning at a radiation oncology departmentGet protocol
  43. A cross-sectional study of the pattern and grading of acute radiation toxicity across treatment sitesGet protocol
  44. An observational study of haematological toxicity during concurrent chemoradiationGet protocol
  45. A study of the incidence and management of radiation dermatitis in patients receiving external beam radiotherapyGet protocol
  46. A cross-sectional study of quality of life in patients undergoing radical radiotherapy assessed by a validated instrumentGet protocol
  47. An observational study of psychological distress among patients receiving radiotherapy for malignancyGet protocol
  48. A study of the awareness and understanding of radiotherapy among patients commencing treatmentGet protocol
  49. A cross-sectional study of the waiting time for radiotherapy initiation and its determinantsGet protocol
  50. An observational study of treatment default and its causes among patients advised radical radiotherapyGet protocol

Choosing a Radiation Oncology thesis topic

What outcomes can a radiation oncology thesis realistically measure?

Acute toxicity graded on an established scale during and shortly after treatment, treatment completion and interruption rates, dosimetric parameters from the planning system, symptom response after palliative radiotherapy, and quality of life scored before and after. All of these occur within weeks to a few months. Local control, disease free survival and late toxicity need years and do not fit a three-year programme.

Which toxicity scoring system should be used?

Name it explicitly in the protocol rather than describing severity in your own words. The Radiation Therapy Oncology Group acute morbidity criteria and the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events are both standard, freely available and accepted by examiners. State the grading intervals as well, since toxicity recorded at inconsistent time points cannot be pooled or compared.

Can dosimetric and planning studies form a thesis?

Yes, and they are among the most practical choices available. Comparing two planning techniques on target coverage and organ at risk doses uses plans generated on the department's own treatment planning system, requires no additional patient exposure, and can be done retrospectively on existing datasets. Ethics approval is still needed for the use of patient data even where no new treatment is delivered.

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.

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