Evolving Onconephrology in India: Foundations, Scope, And Clinical Significance

Onconephrology has emerged as a subspecialty at the intersection of oncology and nephrology. It has gained traction over the last 15 years through the establishment of specialized clinics, societies, journals, seminal research, and educational curricula. This article traces the global evolution of onconephrology, highlighting key milestones that have shaped standards of care. The clinical scope spans acute kidney injury (AKI), chronic kidney disease (CKD), electrolyte abnormalities, tumor lysis syndrome, paraneoplastic glomerulopathies, chemotherapy and immunotherapy induced nephrotoxicity, transplant onconephrology, and cancer survivorship issues. With India’s rising cancer burden with kidney-related complications, focus is placed on the challenges posed by healthcare infrastructure gaps, financial burden, evolving service models, and the importance of collaborative care. Future priorities for India include generating region-specific onconephrology data through national registries, integrating onconephrology into nephrology and oncology training curricula, and developing scalable multidisciplinary care models tailored to resource-limited settings to improve outcomes and cost-effectiveness. This foundational article lays down a comprehensive framework to define and advance onconephrology in India.