At Srinivasa Health Clinic, Kodambakkam
SriJothi Cancer Care: Oncologist & Cancer Specialist in Kodambakkam, Chennai
SriJothi Cancer Care is the cancer clinic of Dr. S. Usha (Dr. Usha Sukumaran), radiation oncologist, MBBS, DMRT, CCEPC, at Srinivasa Health Clinic on Rangarajapuram Main Road. See her here for cancer screening, a symptom that worries you, a second opinion on a diagnosis, radiotherapy and chemotherapy planning, relief of pain and side effects, and follow-up after treatment. She is also a visiting consultant at 7 Chennai hospitals, including VS Hospitals, Dr. Rela Institute and MGM Healthcare, where treatment that needs hospital facilities is given.
Please call or WhatsApp before you come: Dr. S. Usha also consults at hospitals across Chennai, so we confirm a time with you rather than have you wait. If one of those hospitals is nearer your home, we can book you with her there instead.
How SriJothi Cancer Care helps
Cancer care is a long road with many stops, and most of them do not need a hospital bed. These are the parts of it we look after at the clinic.
Cancer screening and early detection
Examination and tests for the cancers most common in India — mouth, breast and cervix — and advice on any other screening that suits your age, family history and habits.
A symptom that worries you
A lump, a mouth ulcer that has not healed, unusual bleeding, a change in bowel habit or weight loss you cannot explain, assessed promptly. Biopsy and scans are arranged when they are needed, and more often than not the answer is reassuring.
Diagnosis explained, and second opinions
Bring every report you have. We go through the type and stage of the cancer, what each treatment option involves and what to expect from it, in plain language and at the pace you need.
Radiotherapy and chemotherapy planning
As a radiation oncologist, Dr. S. Usha plans radiotherapy, including brachytherapy for cervical and other gynaecological cancers, and advises on chemotherapy. Radiotherapy itself is given in a hospital radiation unit, often at a hospital where she is a visiting consultant.
Supportive and palliative care
Control of pain, nausea, breathlessness, fatigue and poor appetite, during treatment and in advanced illness, with time set aside for the family’s questions. Dr. S. Usha holds the CCEPC certification in palliative care.
Follow-up after treatment
Scheduled reviews once treatment ends: watching for recurrence, managing long-term effects and keeping other health problems in check, close to home rather than across the city.
Cancers Dr. S. Usha commonly treats
- Breast cancer
- Cervical and other gynaecological cancers
- Head and neck cancers, including mouth and throat
- Colorectal (bowel) cancer
- Other solid tumours
On chemotherapy and running a fever?
A temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, shivering, or suddenly feeling very unwell during chemotherapy can be the first sign of a serious infection. Go straight to the emergency department of the hospital treating you. Do not wait for a clinic appointment.
Warning signs worth getting checked
Any of these, if it is new, unexplained and still there after two to three weeks, deserves an examination, and sooner if it is getting worse.
- A new lump or thickening in the breast, armpit, neck or anywhere else
- A mouth ulcer that has not healed in two to three weeks, or a white or red patch inside the mouth — especially if you use tobacco, gutka, paan or areca nut
- Bleeding between periods, after intercourse or after the menopause, or an unusual, foul-smelling discharge
- Blood in the stool or urine, or a change in bowel habit that lasts for weeks
- A cough or hoarse voice lasting more than three weeks, or coughing up blood
- Difficulty swallowing, or indigestion that keeps coming back
- Weight loss, fevers or night sweats without an obvious reason
- A mole or skin patch that changes size, shape or colour, or bleeds
Most of these turn out to have a harmless cause. They are worth checking precisely because, when the cause is cancer, finding it early changes what treatment can achieve. Our guide to the early warning signs of cancer goes through each one in detail.
Cancer screening: which tests, at what age
Screening is for people who feel well. India’s national programme screens adults from 30 for the three cancers where it helps most here: mouth, breast and cervix.
| Cancer | Who | Test |
|---|---|---|
| Mouth | Adults from 30, especially anyone who uses tobacco or areca nut, or drinks alcohol | Examination of the mouth by a doctor |
| Breast | Women from 30; mammography usually from the 40s, earlier with a strong family history | Clinical breast examination; mammography |
| Cervix | Women from 30 to 65 | HPV test, Pap smear or VIA, repeated every 3 to 5 years depending on the test |
| Bowel | From about 45 to 50, or earlier with a family history | Stool test for hidden blood, or colonoscopy |
| Prostate | Men from about 50 | PSA blood test, after a discussion of its benefits and limits |
The ages, intervals and the trouble with “full-body cancer packages” are explained in our guide to cancer screening in India.
Your first visit
What to bring
- Biopsy and histopathology reports
- Scan reports, with the CDs or films if you have them
- Recent blood tests, including any tumour-marker results
- Discharge summaries, surgery notes and any chemotherapy or radiotherapy summaries
- Every medicine you take, in its packet or strip
- A family member, if you would like one with you
What happens
- 1We start with the whole story — how the problem began, what has been done so far, and what worries you most.
- 2A careful examination, and a review of every report and scan you bring.
- 3A plain-language explanation of what we think is going on and what is still uncertain.
- 4A written plan: the tests still needed, the treatment options, where each would happen, and when to come back.
Why cancer care close to home matters
Treatment means many visits. Reviews during radiotherapy and chemotherapy, blood tests and follow-up add up to dozens of appointments. A clinic in Kodambakkam turns each one into an errand for patients from Vadapalani, T Nagar, West Mambalam, Ashok Nagar, KK Nagar and Saligramam, instead of a day spent crossing the city while exhausted.
One doctor from first consultation to follow-up. Because Dr. S. Usha is a visiting consultant at several of Chennai’s cancer hospitals, the doctor who plans your treatment can stay involved while it is given and long after it ends.
The rest of your health, under one roof. Cancer treatment often unsettles blood sugar and blood pressure and can weaken bones. Srinivasa Health Clinic’s general physician and SSS Ortho, the clinic’s orthopedic practice, are in the same building, and the clinic has looked after Kodambakkam families for over 30 years.
Leads SriJothi Cancer Care
Dr. S. Usha
Also known as Dr. Usha Sukumaran
Radiation Oncologist, MBBS, DMRT, CCEPC
30+ years in medicine
Consulting hours at the clinic
- Mon - Sat9am - 12pm, 4pm - 6pm
- Sunday10am - 12pm
See Dr. S. Usha at a hospital nearer you
Dr. S. Usha is also a visiting consultant at 7 Chennai hospitals. If one of them is closer to home, call or WhatsApp +91 9176343672: we will tell you her next consulting day there and help you book.
- ChetpetVS HospitalsNear Egmore, Kilpauk, NungambakkamHow to book her here
- PallikaranaiDr. Kamakshi Memorial HospitalNear Velachery, Medavakkam, MadipakkamHow to book her here
- ChromepetDr. Rela Institute & Medical CentreNear Pallavaram, Tambaram, HasthinapuramHow to book her here
- ChoolaimeduMGM Cancer InstituteNear Aminjikarai, Arumbakkam, NungambakkamHow to book her here
- AdyarMGM Healthcare MalarNear Besant Nagar, Thiruvanmiyur, KotturpuramHow to book her here
- AminjikaraiBillroth HospitalsNear Shenoy Nagar, Anna Nagar, KilpaukHow to book her here
- KodambakkamJV HospitalNear Vadapalani, T Nagar, West MambalamHow to book her here
Guides for patients and families
Early Warning Signs of Cancer: What to Get Checked, and When
The symptoms that deserve an examination rather than another month of waiting — lumps, mouth ulcers that will not heal, unusual bleeding and more — what usually causes them, and how cancer is actually confirmed.
Cancer Screening in India: Which Tests You Need, and at What Age
Which cancers are worth screening for, the age each test starts, how often to repeat it, and why a "full-body cancer check-up" of blood markers is not the same thing as screening.
SriJothi Cancer Care: common questions
Where can I see an oncologist in Kodambakkam?
At SriJothi Cancer Care, inside Srinivasa Health Clinic at 174 Rangarajapuram Main Road, Kodambakkam, Chennai 600024, near Kodambakkam Railway Station. Radiation oncologist Dr. S. Usha (Dr. Usha Sukumaran), MBBS, DMRT, consults here. Call or WhatsApp +91 9176343672 to fix a time.
Is Dr. S. Usha the same doctor as Dr. Usha Sukumaran?
Yes. Dr. S. Usha is the name she practises oncology under, including at the hospitals where she is a visiting consultant. Dr. Usha Sukumaran is the same doctor, and she is also the general physician at Srinivasa Health Clinic.
Which hospitals does Dr. S. Usha work with?
Besides SriJothi Cancer Care, Dr. S. Usha is a visiting consultant at VS Hospitals (Chetpet), Dr. Kamakshi Memorial Hospital (Pallikaranai), Dr. Rela Institute & Medical Centre (Chromepet), MGM Cancer Institute (Choolaimedu), MGM Healthcare Malar (Adyar), Billroth Hospitals (Aminjikarai), JV Hospital (Kodambakkam). When treatment needs hospital facilities, that connection keeps your care with a doctor who already knows you. If one of these hospitals is nearer your home, call or WhatsApp +91 9176343672 and we will tell you her next consulting day there and help you book.
Is radiotherapy or chemotherapy given at the clinic?
Radiotherapy and brachytherapy need a hospital radiation unit, so they are carried out at a hospital, often one where Dr. S. Usha is a visiting consultant. Consultation, treatment planning, supportive care and follow-up happen here at the clinic. Where chemotherapy is given depends on the drugs and the monitoring they need; we will tell you plainly where yours would be.
Can I get a second opinion on a cancer diagnosis?
Yes. A second opinion before major treatment is a sensible, normal step, and no good cancer doctor minds you taking one. Bring every report you have — biopsy, scans with their CDs, blood tests and discharge summaries — so the opinion is based on the full picture.
What are the early warning signs of cancer?
A new lump; a mouth ulcer or patch that has not healed in two to three weeks; unusual bleeding or discharge; a cough, hoarseness or change in bowel habit lasting more than three weeks; difficulty swallowing; and weight loss you cannot explain. Most of these turn out to have a harmless cause, but each deserves an examination rather than waiting.
Which cancer screening tests should I have?
For most adults in India the core screening is for mouth, breast and cervical cancer from age 30, with mammography usually from the 40s and bowel screening from about 45 to 50. Family history can bring these forward. Blood panels of tumour markers are not a substitute: they miss early cancers and raise false alarms.
Do I need a referral or an appointment?
No referral is needed. Because Dr. S. Usha also consults at hospitals across Chennai, please call or WhatsApp +91 9176343672 before you come so we can give you a time. Her consulting hours at the clinic are Mon - Sat: 9am - 12pm, 4pm - 6pm; Sunday: 10am - 12pm.
Can family members come to the consultation?
Yes, and we encourage it. A second pair of ears helps with the details, and many decisions in cancer care are family decisions.
This page is general information about SriJothi Cancer Care and does not replace an individual consultation. If you have a medical emergency, go to the nearest hospital emergency department.