Profile
About Dr Athanasios
A cancer diagnosis arrives with a stack of reports and very little time to read them. Dr Athanasios Tsirelis is a board-certified consultant medical oncologist, and what he does in an online consultation is slow that down: go through what you already have, say what it means in plain words, and set out the realistic options.
He qualified in medicine at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and trained in oncology across Swedish and Danish cancer centres, adding a professional master's degree in haematology and oncology. He holds specialist oncology registration in five countries — Ireland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Greece — and still works on the ward: he consults for hospital oncology departments in Haugesund, Bodo and Forde in Norway and in Lulea, Karlskrona and Ostersund in Sweden.
Alongside that, he is a medical monitor on international oncology trials at PSI CRO AG, reading protocols, eligibility criteria and safety data week in, week out. It is the reason he can usually tell you whether a newer drug or a trial is genuinely relevant to your situation, or whether it is noise. He also built and scaled a fully remote tele-oncology service inside routine Swedish cancer care, for patients of Region Skane and Region Ostergotland, so video consulting is not new territory for him.
What he helps with
- Second opinions on a cancer diagnosis, staging or proposed treatment plan
- Making sense of pathology, biomarker and imaging reports
- Systemic treatment: chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted and hormonal therapy
- Side effects and toxicity — what to manage at home, what needs your team
- Follow-up and surveillance after treatment, and what the schedule is for
- Whether a clinical trial or a treatment available abroad is worth pursuing
- Family history, cancer risk and screening questions
- Supportive and palliative care planning alongside the treating team
What an online consultation cannot do
Cancer treatment itself is given by a hospital team: nothing is administered by video. An online consultation is also not emergency care. Fever during chemotherapy, uncontrolled bleeding, chest pain or sudden breathlessness need your local emergency service, not an appointment.
How he works
Send your reports before the call — pathology, imaging, recent bloods and your current treatment plan — and he will have read them when you join. You leave with a written summary you can hand to your own oncologist. He consults in English, Greek, Swedish and Norwegian.
Qualifications
- MD — Doctor of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
- Professional Master's Degree (CPD-certified, 150 credits) — Haematology and Oncology
- Specialist in Medical Oncology — Greece (Panhellenic Medical Association)
- Specialist Registration in Medical Oncology — Irish Medical Council, Specialist Division (IMC 523649)
- Specialist inom Onkologi — Socialstyrelsen (Sweden)
- Speciallæge i klinisk onkologi — Styrelsen for Patientsikkerhed (Denmark)
- Spesialist i Onkologi — Helsedirektoratet (Norway)
- Senior Clinical Oncology Consultant — Norway & Sweden
- Senior Clinical Oncology Consultant — Region Skåne & Region Östergötland, Sweden (Tele-oncology, 2022–2025)
- Medical Monitor — Global Oncology Clinical Trials, PSI CRO AG
- ICH-GCP (Good Clinical Practice) — Clinical Trials
FAQs
Can I get a second opinion on my cancer diagnosis online?
Yes. A cancer second opinion is the most common reason patients book with Dr Tsirelis. Upload your pathology or biopsy report, imaging reports and current treatment plan beforehand; he reviews them and tells you whether the plan matches current European oncology practice, what alternatives exist and which questions to take back to your treating team. He gives you an independent read of your care, he does not take it over.
What happens during an online oncology consultation?
It is a video appointment. He starts with your history and the documents you sent, then explains the diagnosis, the stage and the treatment options in plain language, including what each option means day to day. You finish with a written summary of his opinion and, where useful, suggested next tests or referrals.
Can he review my scans, blood tests and pathology reports?
Yes. Send CT, MRI or PET reports, pathology and molecular or biomarker results and recent blood tests in advance. He works from the written radiology and pathology reports rather than raw image files, so those reports are the important ones to upload.
Can he help with chemotherapy or immunotherapy side effects?
Yes, for assessment and advice — nausea, fatigue, neuropathy, skin and bowel problems and immunotherapy-related reactions. He will tell you what can be managed at home, what needs your oncology team and what cannot wait. A fever during chemotherapy, uncontrolled bleeding, chest pain or sudden breathlessness is an emergency: call your local emergency number instead of booking.
Is Dr Tsirelis registered as an oncologist in Ireland?
He holds specialist registration in medical oncology with the Medical Council of Ireland, plus specialist oncology registration in Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Greece. The registration details we hold are listed in the credentials section of this profile.
Can he start chemotherapy or prescribe cancer treatment online?
No. Chemotherapy, immunotherapy and radiotherapy are delivered by a treating hospital team, and nothing is administered by video. He can review your plan, advise on options and side effects and write a report for your team; supportive medication can be prescribed only where it is clinically appropriate and legally permitted in your country.
Which languages does he consult in?
English, Greek, Swedish and Norwegian. Consultations are booked through Global Health and held by secure video.