Dr. Ayesha Siddiqui

Dr. Ayesha Siddiqui is a consultant neurologist at Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Centre (SKMCH&RC) in Lahore — Pakistan's most advanced cancer hospital. With 15 years of experience, she provides specialist neurological care within the oncology setting, with a focus on neuro-oncology and managing neurological complications of cancer and its treatment.

Dr. Siddiqui trained at King Edward Medical University, one of Pakistan's oldest medical schools, before completing her FCPS in Neurology at the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan. She undertook a neuro-oncology fellowship through collaborative training with international institutions, developing expertise in the neurological management of primary brain tumours, brain metastases, and treatment-related neurotoxicity.

At SKMCH&RC, she provides neurology consultations for cancer patients experiencing neurological complications including brain metastases, leptomeningeal disease, paraneoplastic syndromes, peripheral neuropathy from chemotherapy, and seizures in the oncology population. She also manages epilepsy in general neurology patients referred to the hospital.

Beyond oncology, she provides general neurology care for patients with stroke, Parkinson's disease, and other neurological conditions through SKMCH&RC's general medicine consultation services.

Dr. Siddiqui earned her MBBS from King Edward Medical University, Lahore. She completed her neurology residency at Services Hospital, Lahore, and obtained FCPS in Neurology from the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan.

She completed fellowship training in neuro-oncology through collaborative programs between SKMCH&RC and international cancer institutions. She has participated in continuing education in epilepsy management, neuro-imaging interpretation, and neurological oncology through Society for Neuro-Oncology programs.

Dr. Siddiqui's primary clinical focus is neuro-oncology, encompassing diagnosis and management of primary CNS tumours (gliomas, meningiomas, primary CNS lymphoma), brain metastases from systemic cancer, leptomeningeal carcinomatosis, and paraneoplastic neurological syndromes. She works within SKMCH&RC's multidisciplinary neuro-oncology team alongside neurosurgery, radiation oncology, and medical oncology.

In epilepsy, she manages seizures in cancer patients and those with primary epilepsy, performing and interpreting EEGs and optimizing anti-seizure medications including in patients receiving chemotherapy with significant drug interactions.

Her general neurology practice covers stroke assessment, Parkinson's disease, neuropathic pain, and management of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy — a common cause of significant morbidity in patients receiving taxane, platinum, and vincristine-based regimens.

Dr. Siddiqui has contributed to research at SKMCH&RC and presented at the Pakistan Society of Neurology Annual Meeting and the SKMCH&RC annual cancer conference. Her research interests include the epidemiology of brain tumours in Pakistan and the neurological complications of cancer treatment in resource-limited settings.

She contributes to continuing medical education for oncology nurses and medical staff at SKMCH&RC on neurotoxicity recognition and neurological emergency management.

Dr. Siddiqui sees patients at SKMCH&RC, which is a not-for-profit institution providing cancer care regardless of ability to pay. The hospital attracts patients from across Pakistan and from Pakistani diaspora communities.

She consults in Urdu, Punjabi, and English. Video consultations are available for neuro-oncology second opinions and neurological case reviews for cancer patients seeking expert assessment before or during treatment.

Dr. Siddiqui has been recognized by Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital for contributions to the neuro-oncology program. She is a member of the Pakistan Society of Neurology and the Society for Neuro-Oncology, contributing to continuing education at national neurology and oncology conferences.