With the rapid expansion of imaging technologies, molecular markers, and onco‑pathological tests, clinicians increasingly face uncertainty about selecting the most appropriate investigations for diagnosing and staging cancer. This lack of clarity often results in under‑ or over‑investigating, leading to delays in initiating timely treatment.

This book provides a structured, subsite‑wise—and in some sections, histology‑wise—overview of the ideal investigations required to diagnose, stage, prognosticate, and predict cancer and its treatment responses. It offers evidence based recommendations  (based on sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value, etc.) and concise guidance that clinicians can readily apply in daily practice. Each chapter outlines the essential investigations needed during post‑treatment follow‑up of cancer patients.

The book serves oncology residents across surgical, medical, and radiation oncology, as well as junior and senior faculty seeking to strengthen their investigative approach and apply evidence‑based practices consistently in clinical settings.

Dr Satyajit Pradhan is currently working as Professor of Radiation Oncology and Institute Director at Tata Memorial Centre, Varanasi, India. He has more than 30 years of experience. He is a medical graduate from SCB Medical college, Cuttack, Odisha and obtained his MD in Radiation Oncology from Banaras Hindu university, Varanasi. He has over 80 publications to his credit. He has been the recipient of commonwealth fellowship tenable at the Royal Marsden Hospital, UK, UICC-ICRETT Fellowship, INSA-Hungarian Academy of Sciences fellowship and DST-SERC visiting fellowship. He is an examiner for radiation oncology under the National Board of Examinations, New Delhi, India.

Dr Ashutosh Mukherji is currently working as Professor and Head of Radiation Oncology, Tata Memorial Centre, Varanasi, India. He is a medical graduate from University College of Medical Sciences, Delhi and obtained his MD Radiation Oncology degree from Safdarjung Hospital under Delhi University. He subsequently worked as faculty for many years in JIPMER and joined as Professor and Head of Radiation Oncology at Tata memorial Centre Varanasi. He has more than 75 publications in various journals and has published more than 15 chapters in 4 books, edited 1 book and authored 1 book. His areas of interest include head and neck cancers, musculoskeletal oncology, pediatric oncology and skin cancers.

Dr Prashanth Giridhar is currently working as Assistant Professor in Department of Radiation Oncology, Tata Memorial Centre, Varanasi, India. He is a medical graduate from JIPMER, Puducherry. He subsequently did his post-graduation and senior residency from AIIMS, New Delhi. He has been awarded Judith Stitt award by American Brachytherapy Society for his work on cervical cancers. He has more than 35 publications to his name in various journals. He has also been a contributing author in multiple books.