diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index cb86be6..3e14727 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ services:
       LITELLM_TTS_MODEL: local-kokoro-tts
       LITELLM_TTS_VOICE: sherpa/kokoro:am_adam
       LITELLM_TTS_VOICES: sherpa/kokoro:am_adam,sherpa/kokoro:am_michael,sherpa/kokoro:af_bella,sherpa/kokoro:af_nicole,sherpa/kokoro:bf_emma,sherpa/kokoro:bm_lewis
+      CLINICAL_ASSISTANT_PROMPT_POOL_TARGET: 200
     volumes:
       - scribe-logs:/app/data/logs
       - clinical-assistant-mcp-data:/app/mcp-data:ro
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 76ad8ac..11f67ec 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {
   "name": "pediatric-ai-scribe",
-  "version": "7.14.3",
+  "version": "7.14.4",
   "lockfileVersion": 3,
   "requires": true,
   "packages": {
     "": {
       "name": "pediatric-ai-scribe",
-      "version": "7.14.3",
+      "version": "7.14.4",
       "dependencies": {
         "@marp-team/marp-cli": "^4.3.1",
         "@marp-team/marp-core": "^4.3.0",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index e06b2c7..d93009d 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "pediatric-ai-scribe",
-  "version": "7.14.3",
+  "version": "7.14.4",
   "description": "AI-powered pediatric clinical documentation platform",
   "main": "server.js",
   "scripts": {
diff --git a/public/components/assistant.html b/public/components/assistant.html
index 53f6638..8c17933 100644
--- a/public/components/assistant.html
+++ b/public/components/assistant.html
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
               <textarea id="assistant-input" rows="3" placeholder="Ask a focused clinical question..." autocomplete="off"></textarea>
               <div class="assistant-composer-footer">
                 <label class="assistant-check"><input type="checkbox" id="assistant-include-context" checked> retrieve broader context</label>
+                <button id="btn-assistant-cancel" class="btn-sm btn-ghost" type="button" hidden><i class="fas fa-stop"></i> Cancel search</button>
                 <button id="btn-assistant-send" class="btn-generate" type="submit"><i class="fas fa-paper-plane"></i> Ask</button>
               </div>
             </form>
diff --git a/public/js/assistant/api.js b/public/js/assistant/api.js
index bd5d7cf..b9d6a84 100644
--- a/public/js/assistant/api.js
+++ b/public/js/assistant/api.js
@@ -19,20 +19,24 @@ export function fetchAssistantExamples() {
     .then(function(r) { return r.json(); });
 }
 
-export function openAssistantStream(payload) {
+export function openAssistantStream(payload, options) {
+  options = options || {};
   return fetch('/api/clinical-assistant/chat/stream', {
     method: 'POST',
     headers: authHeaders(),
     credentials: 'same-origin',
+    signal: options.signal,
     body: JSON.stringify(payload)
   });
 }
 
-export function fetchAssistantChat(payload) {
+export function fetchAssistantChat(payload, options) {
+  options = options || {};
   return fetch('/api/clinical-assistant/chat', {
     method: 'POST',
     headers: authHeaders(),
     credentials: 'same-origin',
+    signal: options.signal,
     body: JSON.stringify(payload)
   }).then(parseJsonWithStatus);
 }
diff --git a/public/js/clinicalAssistant.js b/public/js/clinicalAssistant.js
index fdee74d..bc9fcb0 100644
--- a/public/js/clinicalAssistant.js
+++ b/public/js/clinicalAssistant.js
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ import {
   var lastGeneratedImageSrc = '';
   var markdownRenderer = null;
   var assistantBusy = false;
+  var activeAssistantRequest = null;
+  var STREAM_MARKDOWN_LIMIT = 3500;
   var exporter = createAssistantExporter({ renderMarkdown: renderMarkdown, showToast: window.showToast });
   var imageStore = createAssistantImageStore();
 
@@ -49,6 +51,7 @@ import {
   function bindEvents() {
     var form = document.getElementById('assistant-form');
     var clearBtn = document.getElementById('btn-assistant-clear');
+    var cancelBtn = document.getElementById('btn-assistant-cancel');
     var copyBtn = document.getElementById('btn-assistant-copy');
     var saveBtn = document.getElementById('btn-assistant-save');
     var saveConfirmBtn = document.getElementById('btn-assistant-save-confirm');
@@ -60,6 +63,7 @@ import {
 
     if (form) form.addEventListener('submit', onAsk);
     if (clearBtn) clearBtn.addEventListener('click', clearConversation);
+    if (cancelBtn) cancelBtn.addEventListener('click', cancelAssistantSearch);
     if (copyBtn) copyBtn.addEventListener('click', copyLastAnswer);
     if (saveBtn) saveBtn.addEventListener('click', showSavePanel);
     if (saveConfirmBtn) saveConfirmBtn.addEventListener('click', saveCurrentChat);
@@ -128,19 +132,38 @@ import {
 
     setBusy(true, 'Looking up sources...');
     var loading = appendLoadingMessage('Looking up sources', 'Retrieving and synthesizing references...');
+    var request = createAssistantRequest();
+    request.loading = loading;
+    activeAssistantRequest = request;
 
     streamAssistantResponse({
       message: text,
       history: messages.slice(-8),
       includeContext: !includeContext || includeContext.checked
-    }, loading)
+    }, loading, request)
     .catch(function (err) {
+      if (request.cancelled) return;
       setBusy(false, 'Error', true);
       replaceLoadingMessage(loading, 'I could not complete the assistant request. ' + err.message + '\n\nThe indexed search service may be busy or temporarily unavailable. Please try again in a moment.');
       if (typeof showToast === 'function') showToast(err.message, 'error');
+    })
+    .finally(function () {
+      if (activeAssistantRequest === request) activeAssistantRequest = null;
     });
   }
 
+  function createAssistantRequest() {
+    var controller = typeof AbortController === 'function' ? new AbortController() : null;
+    return {
+      cancelled: false,
+      signal: controller ? controller.signal : undefined,
+      abort: function () {
+        this.cancelled = true;
+        if (controller) controller.abort();
+      }
+    };
+  }
+
   async function fetchAssistantResponse(payload, loading) {
     updateLoadingMessage(loading, 'Looking up sources...');
     var data = await fetchAssistantFallback(payload);
@@ -155,8 +178,8 @@ import {
     }
   }
 
-  async function streamAssistantResponse(payload, loading) {
-    var response = await openAssistantStream(payload);
+  async function streamAssistantResponse(payload, loading, request) {
+    var response = await openAssistantStream(payload, { signal: request ? request.signal : undefined });
     if (!response.ok || !response.body) {
       var fallback = await response.json().catch(function () { return {}; });
       throw new Error(fallback.error || ('Request failed (' + response.status + ')'));
@@ -177,7 +200,7 @@ import {
       if (!bubble) return;
       loading.classList.remove('assistant-loading-msg');
       bubble.classList.remove('assistant-thinking');
-      bubble.innerHTML = partial ? renderAssistantBubbleHtml(partial, streamSources, false) : '<p class="assistant-muted">Generating answer...</p>';
+      bubble.innerHTML = partial ? renderStreamingAnswerHtml(partial, streamSources) : '<p class="assistant-muted">Generating answer...</p>';
       renderEmbeddedBlocks(bubble);
       var wrap = document.getElementById('assistant-messages');
       if (wrap) wrap.scrollTop = wrap.scrollHeight;
@@ -207,6 +230,7 @@ import {
 
     var reader = response.body.getReader();
     while (true) {
+      if (request && request.cancelled) return;
       var chunk = await reader.read();
       if (chunk.done) break;
       buffer += decoder.decode(chunk.value, { stream: true });
@@ -224,9 +248,11 @@ import {
 
     if (!finalData) {
       updateLoadingMessage(loading, 'Stream ended early. Retrying without streaming...');
-      finalData = await fetchAssistantFallback(payload);
+      finalData = await fetchAssistantFallback(payload, request);
     }
 
+    if (request && request.cancelled) return;
+
     setBusy(false, 'Ready');
     lastAnswer = finalData.answer || finalData.markdown || '';
     lastSources = finalData.sources || finalData.citations || streamSources;
@@ -238,6 +264,20 @@ import {
     }
   }
 
+  function renderStreamingAnswerHtml(text, sources) {
+    if (shouldUseLightweightStreamingRender(text)) {
+      return '<pre class="assistant-streaming-text">' + escapeHtml(text) + '</pre>';
+    }
+    return renderAssistantBubbleHtml(text, sources, false);
+  }
+
+  function shouldUseLightweightStreamingRender(text) {
+    text = String(text || '');
+    if (text.length > STREAM_MARKDOWN_LIMIT) return true;
+    var pipeRows = text.split('\n').filter(function (line) { return /^\s*\|.*\|\s*$/.test(line); }).length;
+    return pipeRows >= 8;
+  }
+
   function parseSseEvent(block) {
     var type = 'message';
     var data = '';
@@ -250,8 +290,15 @@ import {
     catch (e) { return null; }
   }
 
-  async function fetchAssistantFallback(payload) {
-    var data = await fetchAssistantChat(payload);
+  async function fetchAssistantFallback(payload, request) {
+    var data;
+    try {
+      data = await fetchAssistantChat(payload, { signal: request ? request.signal : undefined });
+    } catch (e) {
+      if (request && request.cancelled) throw e;
+      if (e && e.name === 'AbortError') throw new Error('Assistant request cancelled.');
+      throw e;
+    }
     if (!data.success) throw new Error(data.error || ('Request failed (' + data._status + ')'));
     return data;
   }
@@ -547,6 +594,17 @@ import {
     loadSavedChats();
   }
 
+  function cancelAssistantSearch() {
+    if (!activeAssistantRequest) return;
+    var request = activeAssistantRequest;
+    request.abort();
+    activeAssistantRequest = null;
+    setBusy(false, 'Ready');
+    if (request.loading && request.loading.parentNode) {
+      replaceLoadingMessage(request.loading, 'Search cancelled.');
+    }
+  }
+
   function renderEmptyState() {
     var examples = pickExamples();
     return '<div class="assistant-empty"><i class="fas fa-book-medical"></i>' +
@@ -758,6 +816,7 @@ import {
     var status = document.getElementById('assistant-status');
     var label = document.getElementById('assistant-status-text');
     var send = document.getElementById('btn-assistant-send');
+    var cancel = document.getElementById('btn-assistant-cancel');
     var input = document.getElementById('assistant-input');
     if (status) {
       status.classList.toggle('busy', !!isBusy);
@@ -768,6 +827,10 @@ import {
       send.disabled = !!isBusy;
       send.innerHTML = isBusy ? '<i class="fas fa-spinner fa-spin"></i> Searching' : '<i class="fas fa-paper-plane"></i> Ask';
     }
+    if (cancel) {
+      cancel.hidden = !isBusy;
+      cancel.disabled = !isBusy;
+    }
     if (input) input.disabled = !!isBusy;
   }
 
diff --git a/src/utils/clinicalPromptPool.js b/src/utils/clinicalPromptPool.js
index 2c7ae96..e8f38cf 100644
--- a/src/utils/clinicalPromptPool.js
+++ b/src/utils/clinicalPromptPool.js
@@ -73,9 +73,9 @@ function createClinicalPromptPool(opts) {
     if (!snippets.length) return fallbackIndexedExamples();
     var chatModel = await opts.getSetting('clinical_assistant.prompt_model', '') || process.env.CLINICAL_ASSISTANT_PROMPT_MODEL || await opts.getSetting('clinical_assistant.chat_model', '') || await opts.getSetting('models.default', '');
     var generated = [];
-    var batches = Math.max(1, Math.min(20, Math.ceil(target / 25)));
+    var batches = Math.max(1, Math.min(40, Math.ceil(target / 25)));
     for (var i = 0; i < batches && generated.length < target; i++) {
-      var batchSnippets = rotateExamples(snippets, Date.now() + i * 997).slice(0, 24);
+      var batchSnippets = rotateExamples(snippets, i * 24).slice(0, 24);
       var sourceText = batchSnippets.map(function(s, idx) {
         return '[' + (idx + 1) + '] ' + s.title + (s.page ? ', page ' + s.page : '') + '\n' + clip(s.excerpt, 650);
       }).join('\n\n');
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ function createClinicalPromptPool(opts) {
     var out = [];
     (Array.isArray(items) ? items : []).forEach(function(item) {
       var prompt = clip(String(item.prompt || item.question || '').replace(/[\r\n\t]+/g, ' ').replace(/\s+/g, ' ').trim(), 220);
-      if (!isUsefulQuestion(prompt)) return;
+      if (!isUsefulQuestion(prompt, item)) return;
       var key = prompt.toLowerCase().replace(/[^a-z0-9]+/g, ' ').trim();
       if (seen.has(key)) return;
       seen.add(key);
@@ -156,13 +156,20 @@ function createClinicalPromptPool(opts) {
     return out.slice(0, target);
   }
 
-  function isUsefulQuestion(prompt) {
+  function isUsefulQuestion(prompt, item) {
     if (!prompt || prompt.length < 25 || prompt.length > 220) return false;
     if (prompt.indexOf('?') === -1) return false;
-    if (!/\b(child|children|pediatric|paediatric|infant|neonate|newborn|adolescent|teen|toddler|baby)\b/i.test(prompt)) return false;
+    if (!hasPediatricSignal(prompt, item)) return false;
     return !/\b(source|snippet|textbook|chapter|document|database)\b/i.test(prompt);
   }
 
+  function hasPediatricSignal(prompt, item) {
+    if (/\b(child|children|pediatric|paediatric|infant|neonate|newborn|adolescent|teen|toddler|baby)\b/i.test(prompt)) return true;
+    var category = String(item && item.category || '').toLowerCase();
+    var intent = String(item && item.intent || '').toLowerCase();
+    return /\b(neonates?|development|respiratory|infectious disease|gi|neurology|cardiology|endocrine|hematology|toxicology|procedures|dosing\/fluids|red flags|differential|admission\/discharge|counseling|emergency|general)\b/.test(category) && /\b(diagnosis|management|red_flags|differential|counseling|dosing|admission|review)\b/.test(intent);
+  }
+
   function cleanExampleLabel(label) {
     label = String(label || '').replace(/[?!.:,;]+$/g, '').replace(/\s+/g, ' ').trim();
     if (!label || label.length > 42) label = labelFromQuestion(label || 'Clinical question');
@@ -181,7 +188,7 @@ function createClinicalPromptPool(opts) {
   function rotateExamples(items, seed) {
     if (!items.length) return [];
     var copy = items.slice();
-    var offset = Math.floor(seed / cacheMs) % copy.length;
+    var offset = Math.abs(Math.floor(seed)) % copy.length;
     return copy.slice(offset).concat(copy.slice(0, offset));
   }
 
diff --git a/test/assistant-citations.test.js b/test/assistant-citations.test.js
index 66c0076..bb3d943 100644
--- a/test/assistant-citations.test.js
+++ b/test/assistant-citations.test.js
@@ -244,3 +244,11 @@ test('does not repair malformed tab-separated clinical summary rows into a table
   assert.match(html, /Initial Imaging/);
   assert.match(html, /If you need details/);
 });
+
+test('clinical assistant streams long table answers as lightweight text before final render', async () => {
+  const source = await fs.readFile(path.join(__dirname, '..', 'public', 'js', 'clinicalAssistant.js'), 'utf8');
+  assert.match(source, /STREAM_MARKDOWN_LIMIT/);
+  assert.match(source, /renderStreamingAnswerHtml\(partial, streamSources\)/);
+  assert.match(source, /assistant-streaming-text/);
+  assert.match(source, /pipeRows >= 8/);
+});
diff --git a/test/clinical-assistant-prompt-pool.test.js b/test/clinical-assistant-prompt-pool.test.js
index ede8971..2bc8192 100644
--- a/test/clinical-assistant-prompt-pool.test.js
+++ b/test/clinical-assistant-prompt-pool.test.js
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@ test('clinical assistant starter prompts are Redis or indexed-source backed', ()
   assert.match(pool, /opts\.redisCache\.getJson\(redisKey\)/);
   assert.match(pool, /opts\.redisCache\.setJson\(redisKey, payload, ttlSeconds\)/);
   assert.match(pool, /CLINICAL_ASSISTANT_PROMPT_POOL_TARGET, 200/);
+  assert.match(pool, /Math\.min\(40, Math\.ceil\(target \/ 25\)\)/);
+  assert.match(pool, /rotateExamples\(snippets, i \* 24\)/);
+  assert.match(pool, /function hasPediatricSignal\(prompt, item\)/);
   assert.match(pool, /var examples = await fallbackIndexedExamples\(\)/);
 });