Surgical Oncology

Introduction:

The Department of Surgical Oncology was established in 2018. It currently includes 2 faculties and 7 Senior Residents. The Department runs one MCh Super speciality Post Graduate Programmes – MCh Surgical Oncology. It is also involved in the teaching of undergraduate (MBBS, BSc Nursing) and other post graduate programmes like MCh Head and Neck Surgery and Oncology, MCh Gynaecological Oncology, MCh Trauma Surgery, MCh Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, MS General Surgery and MS ENT.

Vision statement:

The Department of Surgical Oncology is committed:

To provide evidence-based state-of-the-art care to patients with cancer
To train the surgeons in the comprehensive cancer care
To conduct quality research in various aspects of cancer

Mission statement:

Providing high-quality surgical care to cancer patients at par with the international standards
Collaboration with Radiation Oncology, Medical Oncology, Radiology, Pathology, Nuclear Medicine, Psychiatry, Yoga, and other relevant specialties to provide multidisciplinary care to the cancer patients
Undertaking extra-mural and intramural funded research projects in the field of cancer
Collaboration with National and International Institutions of excellence to promote training and research in the field of cancer

Faculty

Sr. No.	Photo	Name & Qualifications	Designation	Areas of Interest	Email ID / ORCID ID / Research-gate Page
1		Ritu Thakur MS, MCh (Surgical Oncology) ( AIIMS Delhi )	Assistant Professor	Clinical :- Research :-	ritu.sonc@aiimsrishikesh.edu.in
2		Rahul Kumar MS, Mch (Surgical Oncology)	Assistant Professor	Clinical :- Research :-	rahul.sonc@aiimsrishikesh.edu.in

Photo	Name & Qualifications	Designation	Areas of Interest	Email ID / ORCID ID / Research-gate Page

Services

Services Available in the department:

Outpatients department:

- - General OPD: The OPD is located in Level 3, A Block. The department runs OPDs 6 days a week (Monday-Saturday)
  - Specialty Clinics/ services (Diagnostic and/or Therapeutic)

In-patients department:

The Surgical Oncology Ward consists of 12 beds and is located in Level 4, B Block. The ward includes a post-operative HDU which well equipped with state of art patient care monitors and ventilators and Minor OT/Dressing OT manned by dedicated nursing officers.

Procedures (Diagnostic and/or Therapeutic) offered by the department:

All the surgical procedures related to cancers occurring in various organs – Head and Neck Oncology, Thoracic Oncology, Gastrointestinal Oncology, Hepatobiliary-pancreatic Oncology, Gynecological Oncology, Urogenital Oncology, Soft Tissue Sarcomas
The department offers the following diagnostic procedures as an Out-patient/Day care Procedure:
- Nasal Endoscopy
- Pharyngolaryngoscopy
- UGI Endoscopy
- Colonoscopy
- Bronchoscopy

Statistics

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Courses & Short term Trainings

Name of the course	Curriculum	Duration of course	Present number of students	Objectives/ brief description of the course
M.Ch. (Surgical Oncology)		3 Years	4	The objectives of the course are – To train in the basic principles of general oncology To make them technically proficient in the art, science and principles of surgical oncology procedures

Name of the course

Curriculum

Duration of course

Present number of students

Objectives/ brief description of the course

M.Ch. (Surgical Oncology)

3 Years

The objectives of the course are –

To train in the basic principles of general oncology
To make them technically proficient in the art, science and principles of surgical oncology procedures

Research

Projects

Title	Co-PI	Principal Investigator	Collaboration, if any (Department and institute)	Funding Agency	Projects Status
Development of Cancer Registries in Urban Populations along the river course of Ganga under National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research, Bangaluru		Dr Pankaj Kumar Garg	Department of Radiation Oncology, Pathology, Community and Family Medicine, AIIMS Rishikesh; Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, Dehradun		Ongoing
Pattern of microbial dysbiosis in gastric cancer -A multicentric study		Dr. KS Rajkumar	AIIMS Rishikesh,AIIMS Bhuvaneshwar,JIPMER Puducherry.Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai.NEIGRIHMS, Shillong,State Cancer Institute, Aizwal		Ongoing

Projects

Title	Co-PI	Principal Investigator	Collaboration, if any (Department and institute)	Funding Agency	Projects Status

Collaboration

Collaboration for	Collaboration with Department and institute	Services offered/ work undergoing in collaboration
Cancer Camp	Ramakrishna Mission Sevashrama, Kankhal, Haridwar	Cancer screening and awareness camp at every 1st Saturday of the month

Collaboration for	Collaboration with Department and institute	Services offered/ work undergoing in collaboration

Expansion plan

Expansion planned for the future:

Clinical Services:
- The department plans to start the following services in the future:
  - Peritoneal Oncology Service and Clinic
  - Sarcoma Clinic
  - Microscopic/endoscopic endo laryngeal surgery
- The department is rapidly expanding and we have proposed the procurement of the following new equipment:
  - HIPEC/HITOC Machine
  - Laparoscopy and Thoracoscopy sets
  - State of art surgical instruments and sets
  - Endoscopy Suite – including Upper GI endoscopy, colonoscopy and flexible bronchoscopy
- The department has also proposed a dedicated Oncology ICU in association with the Department of Anaesthesia

Academics and teaching:
- No. of MCh Surgical Oncology seats sanctioned and recognized by MCI/year = 26
Research:

1. - No. of Extramural Projects planned:4
  - No. of Intramural Projects planned:10

News Letter

The Department of Surgical Oncology at AIIMS Rishikesh organized a comprehensive Cancer Awareness Program on 7 November 2025 to mark National Cancer Awareness Day. The event focused on educating the public about cancer, promoting early detection, and clearing widespread myths and doubts that often lead to fear or delay in seeking proper treatment. Faculty members, residents,nurses, students, and community participants actively took part in the program, making it an engaging and informative event.
The session began with expert talks by surgical oncologists, who explained the importance of recognizing early warning signs, the role of regular screening, and the benefits of adopting healthy lifestyle habits such as tobacco cessation and balanced nutrition. They emphasized that cancer is not always fatal, and outcomes are significantly better when the disease is detected early. A major highlight of the event was an interactive Myth vs. Facts segment, where specialists addressed common misconceptions. Concerns such as “cancer spreads during surgery” and “biopsy causes cancer to grow” were clarified with scientific evidence, reassuring the audience that modern cancer treatments are safe, effective, and carefully planned. The team also explained that not all cancers require chemotherapy and that treatments today are more personalized and less toxic than in the past. Participants were encouraged to ask questions, helping reduce anxiety and build trust in medical care. Survivor stories added hope and motivation to the program. By the end of the event, attendees expressed confidence and appreciation for the clarity they received. The Department reaffirmed its commitment to ongoing cancer education and compassionate patient care.