Dr. Nigar Aliyeva

Dr. Nigar Aliyeva is a consultant medical oncologist at the National Oncology Center in Baku — Azerbaijan's principal cancer institution providing comprehensive oncology services to the country's population. With 16 years of oncology practice, Dr. Aliyeva is one of Azerbaijan's leading medical oncologists, applying ESMO-standard cancer treatment protocols to the most prevalent malignancies in Azerbaijan: breast cancer, colorectal cancer, gastric cancer, and lung cancer.

Azerbaijan's cancer care system has been developing and is increasingly offering access to targeted therapies and immunotherapy through national health programs, and Dr. Aliyeva is an active advocate for expanding patient access to novel oncology treatments. She works within the National Oncology Center's multidisciplinary tumor board, coordinating with surgical and radiation oncology for integrated cancer management.

Her breast oncology practice applies molecular profiling — hormone receptor status, HER2 testing, and Ki-67 — to guide systemic therapy decisions from neoadjuvant to metastatic contexts. For gastrointestinal cancers, she manages colorectal and gastric cancer with platinum-based and fluoropyrimidine regimens, applying RAS/BRAF and HER2 testing where available for treatment selection.

Dr. Aliyeva trained in the Czech Republic through an ESMO educational exchange and holds ESMO certification. She communicates in Azerbaijani, Russian, and English.

Dr. Aliyeva obtained her MD from Azerbaijan Medical University in Baku and completed Oncology residency at the National Oncology Center of Azerbaijan. She undertook a Medical Oncology Fellowship at the Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute in Brno, Czech Republic — one of Eastern Europe's leading oncology centers — through an ESMO East fellowship program. She holds a PhD in Oncology from Azerbaijan Medical University and the ESMO certification. She maintains active ESMO membership.

Dr. Aliyeva's oncology practice covers the major solid tumor types and lymphoma. In breast cancer, she prescribes neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapy regimens, trastuzumab for HER2-positive disease, CDK4/6 inhibitors for hormone receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer, and PARP inhibitors for BRCA-mutated disease. For colorectal cancer, she manages FOLFOX and FOLFIRI with bevacizumab and cetuximab/panitumumab for RAS wild-type patients. For gastric cancer, she manages HER2-positive disease with trastuzumab and platinum-fluoropyrimidine combinations. She prescribes pembrolizumab for MSI-high solid tumors and manages lung cancer with targeted and immunotherapy agents. She performs bone marrow biopsies and administers and monitors chemotherapy toxicity.

Dr. Aliyeva has published in the Azerbaijan Medical Journal on breast cancer epidemiology and treatment outcomes in Azerbaijan. She participates in the ESMO East network and the Azerbaijan Society of Clinical Oncology activities. She presents at the national oncology conference in Baku and ESMO Eastern Europe regional meetings.

The National Oncology Center serves Azerbaijan's domestic population. Dr. Aliyeva consults in Azerbaijani, Russian, and English. Video consultations are available for oncology second opinions for patients from the South Caucasus and Central Asian region.

Dr. Aliyeva has been recognized by the Azerbaijan Society of Clinical Oncology for her contributions to breast cancer care and ESMO standard implementation in Azerbaijan. She serves on the National Oncology Center tumor board and the Azerbaijan Ministry of Health oncology protocols committee.