C.S. Pramesh

Dr. C.S. Pramesh is the Director of the Tata Memorial Hospital and Professor and Head of Thoracic Surgery at the Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai — one of the world’s largest cancer centers and India’s premier cancer institution. He is the Convener of the National Cancer Grid (NCG), a network of more than 370 cancer centers across India whose mandate is to provide uniform standards of cancer care throughout the country. A recipient of the Rachel Pearline Global Cancer Research Humanitarian Award from the National Cancer Institute, USA, Dr. Pramesh serves on the UICC Board of Directors and on the advisory boards of ASCO and ESMO. He is a visiting professor at King’s College London, the Institute of Cancer Policy at King’s Health Partners, and the National Cancer Center Graduate School of Cancer Science and Policy in Korea. His clinical expertise encompasses the treatment of esophageal and lung cancers and minimally invasive surgery, and his research encompasses health services research, value-based cancer care, cancer policy, equitable access, and clinical trial methodology. He has authored more than 300 peer-reviewed publications, abstracts, and book chapters, and is deeply committed to reducing cancer inequities across geographic regions and strata of society.

Current Positions

• Director, Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, December 2018–present
• Professor and Head, Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgical Oncology, Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai, January 2012–present
• Convener, National Cancer Grid (NCG), India, January 2013–present
• Member, Board of Directors, Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), 2020–present
• Visiting Professor, Division of Cancer Studies, King’s College London, UK
• Visiting Professor, Institute of Cancer Policy, King’s Health Partners, London, UK
• Visiting Professor, National Cancer Center Graduate School of Cancer Science and Policy, Korea
• Secretary, Indian Society for Diseases of the Esophagus and Stomach (ISES)

Education

• MS, General Surgery, Seth GS Medical College and KEM Hospital, Mumbai, 1995–1998
• Postgraduate Diploma, Clinical Trials, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London

Professional Experience

• Associate Professor and Head, Thoracic Surgery, Tata Memorial Hospital, January 2007–December 2010
• Professor and Head, Thoracic Surgery, Tata Memorial Centre, January 2012–present
• Director, Tata Memorial Hospital, December 2018–present
• Convener, National Cancer Grid, January 2013–present

Research Activity

• Thoracic oncology: Principal investigator in multiple investigator-initiated randomized trials on surgical techniques, neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatment of thoracic cancers (esophageal and lung cancers), and cancer screening; clinical research on minimally invasive approaches including uniportal VATS and robotic surgery for esophageal and lung cancers
• Esophageal cancer: Research on pulmonary complication risk factors after esophagectomy using a large institutional cohort (Indian Journal of Cancer, 2025); co-author on international multicenter study of body composition and outcomes after esophagectomy (Diseases of the Esophagus, 2026); technical publications on robotic Ivor Lewis esophagectomy with intrathoracic hybrid anastomosis (Multimedia Manual of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, 2026) and uniportal VATS fissureless lobectomy (2025)
• Thoracic surgical oncology: Institutional experience with solitary fibrous tumors of the thorax including role of trans-arterial angioembolization (Indian Journal of Surgical Oncology, 2025); EBUS in distinguishing malignant and benign lymph nodes in a tuberculosis-endemic country; Ewing sarcoma adjuvant radiotherapy outcomes
• National Cancer Grid (NCG): Convener and principal architect of the NCG, a network of 370+ cancer centers across India; led development of NCG electronic medical records initiative in collaboration with digital health experts and six technology vendors (Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 2025); led the NCG Quality Improvement Education Program (EQuIP-India) (Indian Journal of Medical and Paediatric Oncology, 2025)
• Cancer screening and early detection: Principal investigator, Access Cancer Care India (ACCI) implementation research project on cancer screening and early detection in India; published on stakeholder engagement strategies for equitable cancer screening in India (JCO Global Oncology, 2025)
• Health services research and value-based cancer care: Research on machine learning and country-specific drivers of global cancer outcomes (Annals of Oncology, 2026, 2 citations); analysis of 2023 WHO Essential Medicines List and concordance with resource-stratified guidelines (JNCI, 2025); national cancer control plans in ANCCA member countries (The Lancet Global Health, 2025)
• Cancer policy and global oncology: Co-author of IASLC-Lancet Commission on lung cancer (The Lancet, 2025); co-author on surgical health policy review (The Lancet, 2025); intersectionality of cancer disparities in South Asia (The Lancet Global Health, 2026); cancer care for sexual and gender minority populations (The Lancet Global Health, 2025); patient and public involvement in cancer care in India (ecancermedicalscience, 2026); Lancet Global Health commentary on cancer burden in South Asia
• Clinical research methodology: Conducts courses in clinical research methodology, biostatistics, and scientific writing; author of ongoing series on research methods in Perspectives in Clinical Research covering time-to-event analysis, health-related quality of life measurement (3-part series, 2025–2026), and qualitative research (2026)
• AI and digital health in oncology: Co-investigator on evaluation of AI-powered ambient clinical intelligence solutions for health record digitization in LMICs to reduce physician burden (ESMO Real World Data and Digital Oncology, 2025)
• Global cancer equity: Co-author on pan-Asian LVC (low-value care) narrative review; co-author on 13th Annual Symposium on Global Cancer Research; engaged in WHO, ASCO, and ESMO advisory boards on cancer equity, access, and policy; research on cancer disparities in India and South Asia

Honors and Awards

• Rachel Pearline Global Cancer Research Humanitarian Award, National Cancer Institute, USA

Memberships / Affiliations

• UICC (Union for International Cancer Control) — Board of Directors, 2020–present
• American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) — Advisory Board
• European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) — Advisory Board
• World Health Organization (WHO) — Advisory Board
• Indian Society for Diseases of the Esophagus and Stomach (ISES) — Secretary
• National Cancer Grid, India — Convener

Areas of Specialization

• Thoracic surgical oncology — esophageal and lung cancers
• Minimally invasive surgery (uniportal VATS, robotic surgery)
• Esophagectomy (Ivor Lewis, robotic intrathoracic anastomosis)
• Cancer screening and early detection
• National cancer control policy and health systems
• Value-based cancer care and low-value care reduction
• Cancer equity and access in LMICs and South Asia
• Clinical trial design and surgical trials
• Health services research and comparative effectiveness
• Clinical research methodology, biostatistics, and scientific writing
• Electronic medical records and digital health in oncology
• AI and data science in cancer outcomes
• Cancer disparities — gender, geography, caste, and socioeconomic determinants

Publications

Dr. Pramesh has authored and co-authored more than 444 publications in The Lancet, The Lancet Global Health, Annals of Oncology, JNCI, Journal of Clinical Oncology, Perspectives in Clinical Research, Bulletin of the World Health Organization, Indian Journal of Cancer, Indian Journal of Surgical Oncology, Indian Journal of Medical and Paediatric Oncology, ecancermedicalscience, Cancer Medicine, Journal of Cancer Policy, ESMO Real World Data and Digital Oncology, Multimedia Manual of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics, and others.

Select Recent Publications:

Sharma A, Pandey P, Upadhya S, Malik PS, Pramesh CS, et al. “Advancements and perspectives of neoadjuvant immunotherapy in resectable non-small cell lung cancer.” Current Problems in Cancer, May 2026.

Ranganathan P, Graetz DE, Hanebrink J, Pramesh CS, et al. “Qualitative research – Part 1.” Perspectives in Clinical Research, April 2026.

Ranganathan P, Sengar M, Mittal A, Pramesh CS. “Patient and public involvement in cancer care and research: the Indian perspective.” ecancermedicalscience, March 2026.

Venkataramani K, Jiwnani S, Niyogi D, Tiwari V, Pramesh CS. “Robotic Ivor Lewis oesophagectomy with intrathoracic hybrid anastomosis.” Multimedia Manual of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, April 2026.

Thiagarajan S, Sharda S, Chugh Y, Prinja S, Pramesh CS, et al. “Sentinel Lymph-Node Biopsy Guided Neck Dissection Versus Elective Neck Dissection in the Management of Early-Stage Oral Cancer — A Cost-Utility Analysis.” Cancer Medicine, February 2026.

Menon TP, Mathew A, Iyengar P, Dee EC, Pramesh CS, et al. “Intersectionality of cancer disparities in South Asia.” The Lancet Global Health, February 2026. 2 citations.

Kuliś D, Ranganathan P, Pramesh CS, Musoro JZ. “Measuring quality of life in clinical research – Part 3.” Perspectives in Clinical Research, January 2026.

Patel MS, Pramesh CS, Sanford NN, Dee EC. “Machine learning reveals country-specific drivers of global cancer outcomes.” Annals of Oncology, January 2026. 2 citations.

Boshier PR, Gisbertz SS, Hanna G, Brown L, Pramesh CS, et al. “Association of body composition, tumor-specific assessment, and patient demographics at diagnosis with 90-day and overall survival in esophageal cancer patients in a global population.” Diseases of the Esophagus, January 2026.

Ranganathan P, Musoro JZ, Pramesh CS. “Measuring quality of life in clinical research – Part 2.” Perspectives in Clinical Research, October 2025. 1 citation.

Deodhar J, Nayak P, Pramesh CS, Purushotham A. “Psycho-oncology in India.” Journal of Cancer Policy, September 2025. 3 citations.

Pramesh CS, Kelly K, Hunter DJ, Coelho Wisdom V. “The IASLC–Lancet Commission: a transformative global approach to lung cancer.” The Lancet, September 2025. 2 citations.

Sengar M, Shetty A, Chaudhari A, Pramesh CS, et al. “Health record digitization using AI-powered ambient clinical intelligence solutions in low-middle income country to reduce physician burden and improve quality of documentation.” ESMO Real World Data and Digital Oncology 11:100664, November 2025.

Nepogodiev D, Picciochi M, Ademuyiwa A, Bhangu A, Pramesh CS, et al. “Surgical health policy 2025–35: strengthening essential services for tomorrow’s needs.” The Lancet, July 2025. 37 citations.

Ranganathan P, Musoro JZ, Pramesh CS. “Measuring quality of life in clinical research – Part 1.” Perspectives in Clinical Research, July 2025. 5 citations.

Patel RK, Rosa WE, Chen E, Dee EC, Pramesh CS, et al. “Enhancing global cancer care for sexual and gender minority populations: regional perspectives and global implications.” The Lancet Global Health, May 2025. 7 citations.

Wilson BE, Wright K, Sengar M, Booth CM, Pramesh CS, et al. “Analysis of 2023 World Health Organization cancer Essential Medicines List and concordance with resource stratified guidelines.” JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute, May 2025. 5 citations.

Pramesh CS, Koita R, Sengar M, Bansal M, et al. “National Cancer Grid initiative for electronic medical records, India.” Bulletin of the World Health Organization, May 2025. 1 citation.

Ranganathan P, Jiwnani S, Ashok A, Pramesh CS. “Predicting pulmonary complications after esophagectomy: A retrospective cohort study.” Indian Journal of Cancer, May 2025. 2 citations.

Ranganathan P, Deo V, Pramesh CS. “Time-to-event analysis.” Perspectives in Clinical Research, April 2025. 3 citations.

Menon VS, Jiwnani S, Venkataramani K, Kaushal RK, Pramesh CS, et al. “Real-World Surgical Experience with Thoracic Solitary Fibrous Tumors: Outcomes from a High-Volume Indian Center.” Indian Journal of Surgical Oncology, May 2025.

Vallath N, Ravi Kannan R, Lewis S, Pramesh CS, et al. “The Development of Quality Improvement Education Program of the National Cancer Grid — EQuIP-India.” Indian Journal of Medical and Paediatric Oncology, March 2025. 1 citation.

All information is sourced from publicly available materials.