January 2007
UCSD Faculty Attend Gynecologic Oncology Group Meeting
Dr. Catheryn Yashar, Chief of the Gynecologic Oncology Service, and Dr. Mundt, Department Chair, participated in the 75th Semi-Annual Meeting of the Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG) held at the Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel in San Diego, California.  Established in 1970, the GOG is a national cooperative group focusing its research on gynecologic malignancies including cervical, uterine and ovarian cancers.  A multi-modality group, GOG has over 2100 participants including gynecologic oncologists, medical oncologists, pathologists, radiation oncologists, nurses, statisticians, basic scientists, and quality of life experts. Each year, over 3000 women are enrolled on GOG sponsored research trials.  A member of the Radiation Oncology committee, Dr. Yashar also serves on the Uterine Cancer (Corpus) Committee. Dr. Mundt is a member of the Radiation Oncology Committee.

December 2007
UCSD Investigators Present at Annual RSNA Meeting
Dan Scanderbeg PhD, Medical Physics Resident, presented an overview of the initial clinical experience using the SAVI device at UCSD at RSNA 2007, the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America held in Chicago’s McCormick Place (see photo) in early December.  SAVI is a novel breast brachytherapy device used for partial breast irradiation in women with early stage breast cancer.  Manufactured by Cianna Medical Incorporated, SAVI represents a major advancement over earlier devices due to its multi-channel design.  Dr. Catheryn Yashar, Chief of the Breast Oncology Service in the UCSD Department of Radiation Oncology, has considerable experience using the SAVI device.  Interested in learning more about SAVI? Check out the Breast Cancer page of the UCSD Radiation Oncology website.

December 2007
Radiation Oncology Transportation Pilot Program Inaugurated
The Department of Radiation Oncology at UCSD is pleased to announce the inauguration of a pilot patient transportation program.  Supported by a generous philanthropic grant, the transportation program consists of a van service transporting patients to and from their radiation oncology appointments.  The pilot program focuses on patients residing in North Coastal communities (La Jolla north to Oceanside) and the Vista area.  However, it is our hope to subsequently expand this program to other areas including the I-15 corridor in the coming months. One of the major barriers to undergoing radiation therapy, particularly in the elderly patient, is access to transportation for daily treatments.  It is our hope that this program will reduce this barrier for our patients.  Ask your Radiation Oncologist and Radiation Nurse about details of this pilot program.

December 2007
Dr. Mundt Presents at Medicine Grand Rounds
Department Chair, Dr. Arno J. Mundt, was an invited speaker at the UCSD Department of Medicine Grand Rounds held this month in the School of Medicine on the La Jolla campus.  Dr. Mundt presented an overview of Radiation Oncology (“Radiation Oncology: Past, Present and Future”) which reviewed the history of the Radiation Oncology as well as recent exciting technologic advancements in the field, including intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT),  image guided radiotherapy (IGRT) and proton therapy.  The Department of Medicine is one of the largest academic/clinical departments in the school of Medicine and is under the direction of Dr. Ken Kaushansky, an internationally recognized hematologist.

December 2007
Mary Parra MPH Named President of Health Care Leaders Chapter
Department Business Officer, Mary Parra MPH FACHE was inaugurated as President of the San Diego Organization for Health Care Leaders, the local chapter of the American College of Health Care Executives.  In addition, she received the Early Career Health Care Executive Award from the organization.  Ms Parra joined the Department of Radiation Oncology in the Spring of 2007 and is an active member of the San Diego healthcare community. She is also a Fellow of the American College of Health Care Executives.

December 2007
Dr. Yashar Joins GOG Uterine Cancer Committee
Catheryn Yashar MD, Chief of the Gynecologic Oncology Service in the Department of Radiation Oncology, has been invited to join the Uterine (Corpus) Cancer Committee in the Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG), a cooperative group sponsoring national and international protocols for gynecologic malignancies including cervical, uterine and ovarian cancers.  The Uterine Cancer Committee oversees protocols focusing on endometrial cancer, one of the most common gynecologic malignancies in the United States today.  Unlike other radiation oncologists, Dr. Yashar also completed a residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology and a 2-year fellowship in Gynecologic Oncology. Department Chair, Dr. Arno Mundt, recently completed a 5 year term on the Corpus Committee and continues as a member of the GOG Radiation Oncology Committee.

December 2007
UCSD Faculty Interviewed in ComputerWorld Magazine
Dr. Arno J. Mundt, Department Chair, was interviewed for a story on Varian Medical Systems and its role in the development of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) in the magazine ComputerWorld, a weekly on-line magazine focusing on IT management. Dr. Mundt was an early adopter of IMRT and a pioneer of its use in gynecologic tumors.  Varian is the world’s largest radiation oncology vendor and has developed many innovative IMRT software and hardware products. Varian executives interviewed in the article include Chief Executive Office (CEO) Tim Guertin, Chairman of the Board Dick Levy and Stan Mansfield, Emerging Technologies Manager for Oncology Systems.  Click here to read the full article. 

November 2007
New Faculty Commentary Highlighted in the New England Journal of Medicine
A letter commentary by Loren K. Mell MD (who is joining our faculty in 7/08 as the Director of Medical Research) appeared in the November 22nd issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.  His letter critiqued the methodology of a Phase III randomized trial published in the February issue of the Journal comparing the outcome of head and neck cancer patients treated with radiation therapy (RT) versus RT plus cetuximab, an epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor. He requested the authors to re-analyze their data using more accepted techniques, which they did in an accompanying response letter.  While still statistically significant, the results were far less compelling than in the original article which has become a pivotal study in oncology and the basis for many current on-going trials.

November 2007
Harvard Researcher Lectures at CART Seminar Series
Ross Berbeco PhD, an Instructor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Harvard Medical School, was an invited speaker at the UCSD Center for Advanced Radiotherapy Technologies (CART) lecture series. His lecture was entitled “Beam’s Eye View Imaging for Delivered Dose Assessment” and was presented on November 3rd.  Dr. Berbeco, a former post-doc of CART Director Steve Jiang PhD, focuses his research on image-guided adaptive radiation therapy in patients with lung cancers.  CART is the research arm of the Department of Radiation Oncology and hosts a weekly research seminar series focusing on cutting-edge radiation technologies. Interested more in learning about CART and the seminar series?  Check out the CART section on the UCSD Radiation Oncology website. Drs. Berbeco and Jiang have co-authored numerous scientific publications together.  Click here to see a recent journal article by these researchers which appeared in the journal Physics in Medicine and Biology.

November 2007
UCSD Faculty Host Prostate Cancer Event
Dr. Arno J. Mundt, Chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology, was an invited speaker at the UCSD Event New Options in Prostate Cancer held at the Rebecca and John Moores Comprehensive Cancer Center on Tuesday November 13th.  In his lecture entitled Radiation Therapy in Prostate Cancer: Current Status and Future Directions, Dr. Mundt provided a historical overview of radiation oncology in prostate cancer and the role of novel approaches including image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT), intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and proton therapy.  Other speakers included Dr. Christopher Kane who spoke on advances in robotic surgery and Dr. Fred Millard who spoke on advances in chemotherapy. The New Division Chief of Urology, Dr. Kane was the most experienced robotic surgeon in Northern California prior to his recent recruitment from UCSF.  UCSD is committed to bringing the latest radiation oncology approaches for cancer in general and prostate cancer in particular to the region and has recently announced plans to construct the first proton treatment center in San Diego (see September 2007 Press Release Announces UCSD Proton/Particle Treatment and Research Center).

November 2007
Ajay Sandhu MD Lectures at UCSD Lung Cancer Event
Dr. Ajay Sandhu, Associate Professor and Chief of the Lung Cancer Service, was an invited speaker at the Third Annual UCSD Focus on Lung Cancer Event held at the Rebecca and John Moores Cancer Center on November 3rd.  Dr. Sandhu presented a lecture on Radiation Therapy in Lung Cancer, focusing on the present status and future directions of radiation therapy in these patients.  Other lectures including talks on Managing Chemotherapy Side Effects, Laser and Photodynamic Therapy and Palliative Care.  Dr. Lyudmila Bazhenova, Director of the UCSD Lung Cancer Program, organized the event and spoke on Novel Chemotherapy Agents in Lung Cancer. The event was attended by patients and their families interested in learning more about the treatment and prevention of lung cancer.  Interested in learning more about lung cancer and its treatment?  Check out the Lung Cancer Section on the UCSD Website.

November 2007
UCSD Faculty Author New IGRT Book Chapter
UCSD Radiation Oncology faculty, Loren Mell MD, Todd Pawlicki PhD, Steve Jiang PhD and Arno Mundt MD, co-authored a chapter on image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) in the latest edition of Perez and Brady’s Principles and Practice of Radiation Oncology, the most popular Radiation Oncology textbook in the world. The chapter provides a comprehensive review of current IGRT techniques and technologies, with an emphasis on published clinical studies and novel research approaches.  The current “hottest” topic in Radiation Oncology today, IGRT involves the use of novel imaging approaches to improve tumor delineation as well as in-room imaging to improve treatment delivery by correcting for patient setup errors and changes in tumor position.  IGRT also opens the door for one day potentially adapting treatment to tumor response during therapy. IGRT is currently a major focus of research in the department.  To learn more about the IGRT research projects underway at UCSD, check out the Research Section of the UCSD Radiation Oncology Website.   

November 2007
UCSD Faculty Publishes Review of IGRT in Prostate Cancer
Dr. Todd Pawlicki, Director of Medical Physics and Clinical Operations, published a review of image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) in prostate cancer in the latest issue of the Frontiers of Radiation Therapy and Oncology, a book series published by Karger Medical Publishers devoted to acquainting health professional with important advances in cancer management.  Co-authored by Stanford researchers Cristian Cotrutz and Christopher King, the article entitled “Prostate Cancer Therapy with Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy” was part of a special issue focusing on Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT), Image-Guided Radiotherapy (IGRT) and Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT).  Interested in learning more about IMRT, IGRT, SBRT and other advanced radiotherapy technologies?  Check out the patient information section of the new UCSD Department of Radiation Oncology website.

November 2007
UCSD Faculty Interviewed in Health Imaging & IT Magazine
Dr. Arno J. Mundt, Department Chair, and Dr. Todd Pawlicki, Director of Medical Physics and Clinical Operations, were interviewed regarding image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) for a special oncology issue of the health magazine Health Imaging & IT.  Entitled “IG-IMRT: Treating Cancers Like Never Before”, article focused on the growing interest in IGRT in the United States and abroad.  IGRT is a sophisticated radiotherapy approach that combines imaging for better characterization of tumors with imaging for improving the accuracy of daily treatment delivery and potentially adapting treatment to changes in tumor position and response.  UCSD offers a wide array of IGRT technologies in many tumor sites, including prostate cancer, lung cancer, gynecologic tumors and brain tumors.  Interested in learning more about IGRT? Check out the IGRT section on the UCSD website.

November 2007
Radiation Oncology Department Welcomes Two New Post-Doc Fellows
The Department of Radiation Oncology is pleased to welcome two new postdoctoral research fellows: Tong Lin, Ph.D., (left) and Laura Cervino, Ph.D., (right).  Dr. Lin completed his doctoral studies in Applied Mathematics at Peking University, China, and his current research is to apply machine learning methods to Image-Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT).  Dr. Cervino received her Ph.D. from the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, UCSD, and her research will be focused on the application of 3D surface imaging in radiotherapy. Both Dr. Lin and Dr. Cervino are members of the Center for Advanced Radiotherapy Technologies (CART), the research arm of the Department of Radiation Oncology.

November 2007
Dr. Jiang Delivered Keynote Speech at AAPM Northwest Chapter Meeting
Dr. Steve Jiang, Director of Research, was invited to give the keynote talk at the AAPM Northwest Chapter Symposium on IGRT/Advanced Technologies, held on November 9, 2007, at Swedish Medical Center, Seattle. The title of Dr. Jiang’s talk was “IGRT for Lung”. More than 100 Medical Physicists, Radiation Oncologists, and Medical Dosimetrists from the States of Washington and Oregon attended the symposium. Dr. Jiang’s talk was well accepted.

November 2007
UCSD Faculty Participate in ASTRO Education Panel
Dr. Arno Mundt, Department Chair, was an invited speaker at the 49th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) held this month in Los Angeles.  Dr. Mundt participated in an education panel focusing on difficult cases in gynecologic oncology with an emphasis on the role of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) in these tumors.  His lecture, entitled “IMRT in Intact Cervical Cancer: Spare the Bone Marrow or Spare the Bowel"?, examined approaches to spare both the small bowel and the bone marrow in these patients using IMRT.  A pioneer of the use of IMRT in gynecologic cancers, Dr. Mundt has published over 20 papers, reviews and book chapters on the subject and has one of the largest experiences in the world treating gynecologic cancer patients with IMRT.  Other panel members included Patricia Eifel and Anuja Jhingran (MD Anderson Cancer Center), Kaled Alektiar (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center) and Wui-Jin Koh (University of Washington).

November 2007
Marcy Kaufman, B.A., R.T.T., Chief Therapist Speaks at SROA
Marcy Kaufman, B.A., R.T.T. was a featured speaker at the annual Society of Radiation Oncology Administrators (SROA) on Tuesday October 30, 2007.  Marcy was asked by Varian Medical Systems to present during their sponsored quality luncheon.  Marcy spoke on the improved quality through a paperless environment.

November 2007
UCSD Faculty Co-Authors Palliative Medicine Article
Dr. Catheryn Yashar, Chief of Gynecologic Oncology and Breast Oncology Services, co-authored a palliative care study which appeared in the latest issue of the Journal of Palliative Medicine.  The article entitled “Palliation of Pelvic and Head and Neck Cancer with Paclitaxel and a Novel Radiotherapy Regimen” reviewed the outcome of 20 advanced pelvic and head and neck cancer patients treated with a short course (hypofractionated) radiotherapy approach combined with chemotherapy.  This regimen was well tolerated with over 90% of patients experiencing significant (and in many long durable) palliation of their distressing symptoms. In nearly 95% of patients, tumors responded.  Such approaches are important for the treatment of cancer patients in whom cure is no longer possible.  

November 2007
Second Annual Radiation Oncology Faculty ASTRO Dinner
The 2nd Annual UCSD Department of Radiation Oncology Faculty Dinner was held at the Little Door Restaurant in West Hollywood in conjunction with the 49th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO).  The Radiation Oncology department faculty is rapidly growing and currently includes Arno Mundt MD (Chair), Kevin Murphy MD, Catheryn Yashar MD, Ajay Sandhu MD, Mary Ann Rose MD, Loren Mell MD, Todd Pawlicki PhD, Steve Jiang PhD, Roger Rice PhD and Jia Zhu Wang PhD. Additional physicians and physicists are planned for the coming year. Special invited guests included Casey Sandack, Assistant Dean, UCSD Health Sciences Planning and Space Management, and Kelly Dingle, Resonant Medical Systems.   

November 2007
UCSD Faculty Participate in Important Multi-Institutional IMRT Study
Dr. Arno J. Mundt, Department Chair, and our newest faculty recruit, Loren Mell MD, Director of Medical Research, were co-authors on an important multi-institutional study evaluating the role of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) in patients with anal cancer which appeared in the latest issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO). The article described the treatment and outcome of 53 anal cancer patients undergoing IMRT.  Compared to earlier published reports using conventional techniques, these patients had favorably low rates of toxicity with excellent tumor controls suggesting major benefits to this novel approach.  Founded in 1983, JCO is one of the most prestigious oncology journals in the world, ranking 5th (of 126) in terms of impact factor (currently 13.5) and frequency of citations overall. Dr. Mell plans to extend this work by developing novel approaches to sparing the bone marrow in these patients potentially improving their tolerance of chemotherapy and cure rates.

November 2007
UCSD Faculty Present ASTRO Uterine Cancer Refresher Course
Dr. Arno Mundt, Chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology, and Steve Plaxe MD, Chief of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology, were invited to deliver the annual refresher course at the 49th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) held in Los Angeles.  Founded in 1958, ASTRO has more than 9,000 members and represents the largest radiation oncology organization in the world.  Dr. Plaxe spoke on advances in surgery in endometrial cancer, Dr. Mundt delivered a lecture entitled Radiation Therapy in Early Stage Endometrial Cancer. Dr. Mundt has delivered the uterine refresher course for the past three years. Last year, he spoke on the Role of Radiation Therapy in Endometrial Cancer, which provided a review of radiation approaches and outcomes in both early and advanced disease (see October 2006 What’s New).

October 2007
Dr. Mundt Attends IKOE Scientific Advisory Board Meeting
Arno J. Mundt MD attended the Scientific Advisory Board Meeting of IKOE, producers of the medical knowledge-based system IKOEngelo designed to enable radiation oncologists to generate intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) treatment plans in their patients with high quality and efficiency.  Consisting of a library of contours in over 500 patient cases with a large variety of tumor sites provided by international experts, the system allows the user to generate tumor and target contours in his/her patient by first overlaying the expert contours of a patient with a similar tumor and then deforming these contours to match the patient’s anatomy. In addition to Dr. Mundt who serves as the Gynecology expert, the Board includes Clifford Chao (MD Anderson, Company Founder), Avi Eisbruch (Michigan), Vincent Gregoire (Belgium), Nancy Lee (Memorial Sloan Kettering), Jeff Michalski (Washington University) and Alan Pollack (Fox Chase). The Board Meeting was held at the Patina Restaurant located in the historic Walt Disney Concert Hall in conjunction with the 49th Annual ASTRO Los Angeles Meeting.  

November 2007
Carmen Ayala MSW, LCSW Joins UCSD Radiation Oncology Team
The Department of Radiation Oncology is pleased to announce the arrival of Carmen Ayala MSW LCSW.  A native San Diegan, Ms Ayala comes to us with 33 years of social work experience via the Rady Children’s Hospital of San Diego. A graduate of San Diego State University, Ms. Ayala worked as a lecturer there as well as in private practice.  With extensive experience in coordinating and supervising graduate social work interns and other social workers, our new colleague brings much talent and skill to our team.  Ms. Ayala’s expertise includes psychotherapy, crisis intervention, debriefing, ethics and end of life and grief counseling.  Social Work is a valuable component of the care of the cancer patient and we are pleased to have Ms. Ayala on our treatment team.   

October 2007
UCSD Inaugurates New Radiation Oncology Website
The UCSD Department of Radiation Oncology Website is proud to announce the official launch of its new and greatly expanded website.  The primary focus of the site is on education with a large Patient Information section with extensive overviews of all aspects of radiation oncology, from its history through the treatment of all the major cancers focusing on state-of-the-art treatment approaches available at UCSD.  Other sections provide overviews of services available at the Rebecca and John Moores Cancer Center for the oncology patient and his/her family.  Patients are also provided with extensive links to other websites presented by various support and advocacy groups as well as by cooperative groups and professional societies.  A detailed overview of our faculty and staff, the UCSD treatment centers and research activities is also provided.  It is our sincere wish that patients and their families find our website helpful.

October 2007
Impact of San Diego Fires on Radiation Oncology Staff and Patients
While La Jolla was not among the communities forced to evacuate by the San Diego 2007 Wildfires, the fires had a great impact on our staff and our patients.  Physicians, physicists, and nurses were among those staff members forced to evacuate their homes, many on very short notice, due to the advancing and uncontrolled fires. One staff member, Dr. Mary Ann Rose was photographed by the media (see photo) evacuating her horses from her Rancho Santa Fe property which was fortunately not lost to the advancing fire although extensive fire damage is evident throughout her neighborhood and on her street!  Our patients were greatly affected as well with many families forced to evacuate their homes.  The Radiation Oncology Department worked hard to maintain a normal treatment schedule throughout the fires, with most patients fortunately missing only one or two days of treatment.  Over all, more than 1500 homes were lost to the fires which scorched over 350,000 acres. The total cost is expected to exceed $1 Billion.

October 2007
UCSD Faculty Interviewed on the Group Room Radio Talk Show
Dr. Arno J. Mundt, Chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology, was interviewed on the weekly call-in cancer Talk Radio show, the Group Room, as part of the annual meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) held in Los Angeles.  The Group Room is produced by Vital Options International, a not-for-profit communications, support and advocacy organization with a mission to facilitate global cancer dialogue.  The Group Room airs live every Sunday via select stations across the country, XM satellite radio, podcast and Internet simulcast.  Other participants included Christopher Rose, M.D., Associate Director of Valley Radiotherapy Associates Medical Group (Los Angeles) and Todd Scarbrough M.D., Director of the MIMA Cancer Center in Melbourne Florida.

October 2007
UCSD Proton Center Plans Featured in the Guardian
The plans for an UCSD Proton/Particle Research and Treatment Center were featured in an article in the Guardian, the UCSD student newspaper. Written by Marissa Blunshi Associate Opinion Editor, the article was entitled “Proton Therapy Holds Big Promises for UCSD Medical Center” and reviewed the on-going plans for developing a major Proton/Particle Center on the East Campus of UCSD in La Jolla which includes facilities for both patient treatment and research.  The article points out that such a center will be a major attraction for cancer patients from San Diego and beyond as well as for UCSD scientists and members of the San Diego biotech industry. 

October 2007
Dr. Murphy Attends COG Meeting
Kevin Murphy MD, Chief of the Pediatric Oncology Service in the Department of Radiation Oncology, attended the Fall Group Meeting of the Children’s Oncology Group (COG), a multi-institutional cooperative group focusing on pediatric malignancies.  This meeting was also attended by numerous San Diego Rady Children’s Hospital pediatric oncologists including Jennifer Willert, William Roberts, Eric Anderson and Jenny Kim. UCSD is the primary provider of radiation oncology services for Rady Children’s Hospital, with over 60 children seen and treated annually. This volume will grow further with the alliance recently formed between UCSD, Rady Children’s Hospital and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital of Memphis (see July 2007  UCSD-St Jude Children’s Hospital Form Alliance).

October 2007
Faculty Present Research at ASTRO Meeting
Several research projects involving UCSD Radiation Oncology faculty will be presented at the upcoming 49th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, the largest radiation oncology organization in the world with over 9,000 members. These projects involve a wide variety of disease sites including prostate cancer, brain tumors and gynecologic malignancies.  Dr. Ajay Sandhu and Dr. Sethi will present data on prostate bed localization using on-board kilovoltage imaging.  Drs. Murphy, Wang and VanderSpek will present their initial clinical experience treating multiple brain metastases with a single isocenter, single fraction intensity modulated radiosurgical approach.  Our newest faculty member, Dr. Loren Mell, has 3 abstracts focusing on gynecologic IMRT, head and neck cancer and breast cancer.  

October 2007
Moores Cancer Center Annual Scientific Retreat
The Annual Scientific Retreat of the Rebecca and John Moores Comprehensive Cancer Center was held on October 20th at the Bahia Resort and Hotel, San Diego (see photo).  The keynote speaker was Peter Jones, MD, Director of the Norris Cancer Center at the University of Southern California.  His lecture was entitled “The Epigenome as a Springboard for Translational Research”.  The retreat highlighted three Cancer Center programs and initiatives: the St. Jude Pediatric Oncology collaboration, the Pancreatic Cancer Program and the Hereditary Genetics Program.  Participants included physicians and scientists from the Moores Cancer Center and throughout UCSD. 

October 2007
Loren Mell MD Joins UCSD Faculty
We are pleased to announce that Dr. Loren K. Mell is joining our faculty.  A graduate of Stanford University and the University of Chicago, Dr. Mell is currently completing his residency in Radiation Oncology at the University of Chicago. Dr. Mell is an accomplished researcher with numerous publications including journal articles, book chapters and reviews (click here to view his resume). His research focus is on advanced radiation technologies, particularly issues surrounding intensity modulated (IMRT) and image guided (IGRT) radiotherapy. Dr. Mell has a particular interest in the potential use of IMRT to reduce bone marrow irradiation in patients with gynecologic and gastrointestinal tumors receiving chemoradiotherapy.  He will serve as the Chief of the Head and Neck Oncology Service, Director of Medical Research and Co-Director of the Center for Advanced Radiotherapy Technologies (CART) beginning in July 2008. He is shown here with his wife, Gina, and their two sons, Ryan and Elliot, in a photo taken in Paris last Spring while he was at the Institut Curie.

October 2007
UCSD Has Kickoff Meeting for New Facility
A kickoff meeting was held this week for an expansion to the current UCSD Radiation Oncology department.  Due to the rapid growth in patient volume, UCSD has decided to expand the Radiation Oncology department with a new building in close proximity to the Rebecca and John Moores Cancer Center, the sole NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center in the great San Diego region.  In light of the pressing clinical need, rapid construction is required and thus UCSD has thus elected to use the Rad Technology solution,a novel modular approach (see photos).  The new facility will include expanded clinic and office space, 2 new vaults with linear accelerators including a research linac from Varian Medical Systems, and conference room space.

October 2007
Faculty Speak at IPSCG October Meeting
Arno Mundt M.D., Department Chair, and Kevin Murphy M.D., Medical Director, were invited speakers at the October Meeting of the Informed Prostate Cancer Support Group, a San Diego grassroots organization founded in the 1990s devoted to educating prostate cancer patients and their families on their options.  Dr. Mundt spoke on the Current Status and Future Directions of Radiation Therapy in prostate cancer, highlighting developments in intensity modulated RT (IMRT), image-guided RT (IGRT) and proton therapy.  UCSD is a leader in the development and implementation of IMRT and IGRT in many tumors including prostate cancer and is currently in the development phase of establishing a proton center in La Jolla. 

October 2007
Dr. Mundt Attends ACRO Board of Chancellors Meeting
Dr. Arno J. Mundt, Chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology, attended the Board of Chancellors Meeting of the American Society of Radiation Oncology (ACRO) held in Chicago, Illinois.  ACRO is an important professional society for American radiation oncologists with over 800 members.  Dr. Mundt is currently in his first year of a four year term as an ACRO Chancellor.  Other ACRO Chancellors include Omar Salazar, David Beyer, David Diamond, and Paul Wallner. The 18th Annual ACRO Meeting will be held February 21-23, 2008 in Miami, Florida.

October 2007
Visiting Professorship at the Mayo Clinic
Dr. Mundt was invited to be a Visiting Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.  He presented a review of the current status of Gynecologic IMRT and IGRT to the Mayo Oncology Society at the historic Foundation House (see photo), the original home of Dr. William Mayo who together with his brother Charles founded the Mayo Clinic in 1903. In addition, Dr. Mundt presented an overview of the state-of-the-art of IGRT to the residents and faculty of the Department of Radiation Oncology.

September 2007
A Dr. Jiang Article is Selected as One of the Best
An article of Dr. Steve Jiang, Director of Research, has been selected as one of 25 articles that highlight the very best research published in Physics in Medicine and Biology in 2006. According to the journal, "Articles were selected for their presentation of outstanding new research, receipt of the highest praise from our international referees, and the highest number of downloads from the journal Website." Dr. Jiang is the senior author of the article that describes research on patient breath coaching. Click here to view the listing and article http://www.iop.org/EJ/journal/-page=extra.highlights2006/0031-9155.

September 2007
Radiation Therapist Awarded 2007 Moores Cancer Center Medal of Excellence
Brent Rangen RTT was awarded the 2007 Rebecca and John Moores Cancer Center Medal of Excellence.  The Medal of Excellence rewards extra special efforts in patient care made by non-physician staff within the UCSD Cancer Center.  Nominees for this award are selected by a Patient Advisory Committee, consisting of cancer survivors, volunteers, community members and the Community Health Program Manager, based on the number and content of patient comments over the past year. We are proud to have Brent on our team and congratulate him on this wonderful accomplishment.  

Pictured here is Brent receiving his award from Natalie Schnaitmann the Cancer Center's Community Health Program Manager.

September 2007
Prone Breast Board Used to Improve Treatment of Breast Cancer
UCSD Department of Radiation Oncology is pleased to announce an innovative treatment strategy to treat breast cancer while further limiting dose to the lung and heart.  Many women, especially those that are large breasted, are not candidates for breast conservation followed by radiation without treating a significant portion of normal tissue.  A “prone breast board” now available at UCSD eliminates this problem, increasing the availability of breast conservation to more women.  Manufactured by Bionix Inc., the breast board (see photo) consists of a foam-lined “pillow” that allows a woman to rest comfortably on her stomach, while the affected breast is allowed to fall away from the chest wall.  Studies have proven this method allows delivery of less lung and heart radiation dose, and improved radiation tolerance with better long-term cosmesis of the breast. 

September 2007
UCSD Faculty Present at an Image-Guided Radiosurgery Symposium
Dr. Kevin Murphy, Medical Director and Chief of the Stereotactic Radiosurgery Program in the UCSD Department of Radiation Oncology, and Dr. John Alksne, Department of Neurosurgery, were invited speakers at an Image-Guided Radiosurgery Symposium at the 2007 Congress of Neurological Surgeons, held in San Diego at the San Diego Automotive Museum.  Dr. Murphy presented the Radiation Oncologist’s role in Trilogy Radiosurgery and Dr. Alksne lectured on his experience treating multiple brain metastases using the Trilogy Machine. Together, Drs. Murphy and Alksne have the largest experience in the world using the Varian frameless image-guided stereotactic radiosurgical approach for primary and metastatic brain tumors. Sponsored by Varian Medical Systems, manufacturer of the Trilogy Machine, the symposium also featured Dr. Mark Bilsky, a Neurosurgeon from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, who spoke on Trilogy Spine Stereotactic Radiosurgery.  

September 2007
UCSD Faculty Present at .Decimal Symposium
Dr. Todd Pawlicki, Director of Medical Physics and Clinical Operations, was an invited speaker at an IMRT symposium sponsored by .Decimal, the leading manufacturer of customized compensators for radiation oncology treatment.  Held in Kissimmee Florida, the conference focused on compensator-based IMRT.  Dr. Pawlicki spoke on Quality Assurance Issues in Compensator-Based IMRT.  Compensator-based IMRT is a novel approach that avoids the need for multi-leaf collimators, making IMRT possible in a wider number of clinics including centers who have conventional linear accelerators.  Other speakers at the conference included Sha Chang Ph.D (University of North Carolina) and Craig Stevens M.D. Ph.D. (Moffitt Cancer Center, University of South Florida), a noted expert on lung cancer IMRT.  

September 2007
Press Release Announces UCSD Proton/Particle Treatment and Research Center
A press release by UCSD announced its plans to develop a Proton/Particle Treatment and Research Center on the East Campus of UCSD in La Jolla. The proposed site is on the Science Research Park adjacent to the Rebecca and John Moores Cancer Center, the only NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center in the San Diego region. It will be the first proton center in San Diego and only the second such center west of Houston, placing UCSD alongside major cancer centers who have built proton centers including MD Anderson Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital. The UCSD facility will be both a treatment and research center, focusing not only on state-of-the-art treatment but also the development of novel approaches to improve the efficacy of this leading edge therapy. Moreover, the plan is to include both protons and other particles. Soon after the release, this important announcement appeared in several local media outlets including Channel 10 and the North County Times.

September 2007
Radiation Oncology Patient Highlighted in UCSD Fund Raising Campaign
Pediatric patient, Alyson Nguyen, was highlighted in a recent celebration commemorating the completion of the UCSD $1 Billion Fund-raising campaign.  This campaign began over 7 years ago with a $20 million gift from UC Regent John Moores to build the Rebecca and John Moores UCSD Cancer Center, the only NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center in the greater San Diego region.  Alyson (shown in the photo with her parents) was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor and was treated by Kevin Murphy, M.D., Chief of the Pediatric Radiation Oncology Service at UCSD.  Many local dignitaries attended the celebration including San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders, QUALCOMM co-founder and UCSD faculty, Irwin Jacobs, and UCSD Chancellor Mary Anne Fox.  

August 2007
ASTRO Grant Received to Develop Physics Residency Program
Dr. Todd Pawlicki, Director of Medical Physics and Clinical Operations, has received a grant from the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) for our new Medical Physics Residency Training Program. As noted in a July 2007 What’s New “UCSD Radiation Oncology Starts a Medical Physics Residency Program”, our first medical physics resident, Dan Scanderbeg, Ph.D., began his training in July 2007, and we will be submitting our application for accreditation in the coming year.  Medical Physics residencies (in both therapeutic and diagnostic radiology) are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics Education Programs (CAMPEP).  Dr. Arno Mundt, Chair of the department, has been a member of the Residency Education Program Review Committee of CAMPEP since 2003.

August 2007
Radiation Oncology Expands Its Role in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
The Department of Radiation Oncology has joined the UCSD Liver Cancer Group and is expanding its role in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma, a malignant tumor of the liver.  The UCSD Liver Cancer Group is comprised of dedicated hepatologists, transplant surgeons and radiologists including Dr. Marquis Hart (Transplant Surgery), Dr. Tarek Hassanein (Hepatology), Dr. Claude Sirlin (Radiology), and Dr. Yuko Kono (Hepatology).  Having performed over 200 liver transplantations, referrals to UCSD are common from throughout the region.  Radiation has a growing role in hepatocellular carcinoma (see photo), often combined with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE).  An exciting protocol under development at UCSD is to use TACE followed by hypofractionated radiosurgery in unresectable patients in order to downstage them potentially rendering them eligible for liver transplantation.

August 2007
Dr. Murphy Lectures on Radiosurgery in London
Dr. Kevin Murphy, Medical Director of the Department of Radiation Oncology, was an invited lecturer at the London Clinic at a Varian Medical System sponsored symposium.  Founded in 1932 by the late Queen Mother, HRH Queen Elizabeth, the London Clinic is the United Kingdom’s premiere independent hospital. Dr. Murphy spoke on his experience using image-guided frameless stereotactic radiosurgery on the Varian Trilogy Machine.  Chief of the Stereotactic Radiosurgery Service, Dr. Murphy has the largest experience in the world using this approach in the treatment of benign and malignant tumors in both adults and children.  

August 2007
UCSD Treats Children with Frameless Stereotactic Radiosurgery
At UCSD, children as young as 7 years old routinely undergo stereotactic radiosurgery using a novel image-guided frameless technique performed on the Varian Trilogy Machine. As seen in the photo, children are treated without a rigid metal head-frame attached to their skull and without the need for general anesthesia, a major improvement over traditional approaches.  A wide variety of tumors are eligible for this novel approach including low grade gliomas and pituitary tumors.  Chief of the Pediatric Oncology and Stereotactic Radiosurgery Services, Dr. Kevin Murphy has one of the largest experiences in the world using image-guided frameless radiosurgery in both children and adults.  His experience will grow further with the new alliance recently formed between UCSD, Rady Children’s Hospital and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (see July 2007  UCSD-St Jude Children’s Hospital Form Alliance).

September 2007
Dr. Mundt Serves as Editor for UpToDate
Dr. Arno Mundt, Chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology, is an Editor of the Gynecologic Oncology Section of UpToDate, a comprehensive evidence-based clinical information resource available to physicians.  Topics for UpToDate are written exclusively for UpToDate by clinicians for clinicians with more than 3000 clinicians serving as authors.  Arguably the most popular medical resource available today, a survey among physicians at Massachusetts General Hospital found that 73% used it before they see patients in their clinic and 91% report that it is integral for their decision making.  Other UCSD faculty members who contribute to UpToDate include Jess Mandel MD (Editor, Pulmonary Vascular Disease), Steve Plaxe MD (Gynecologic Oncology), and Paul Stark MD (Radiology).

September 2007
UCSD Highlighted in San Diego Magazine
Recent surveys place San Diego amongst the smartest cities in the nation with over 40% of San Diegans holding master or bachelor degrees. At the intellectual heart of the city are UCSD (see photo) and other members of the so-called “Biotech Beach” (Salk Institute, Scripps Research Institute, Scripps Oceanography, Burnham Institute of Medicine), according to a recent article in the San Diego Magazine entitled “How Smart Are We?" Founded in 1960, UCSD is the youngest member of the University of California family.  However, in its short history, its faculty members have received an astonishing 16 Nobel Prizes, including 3 in Physiology and Medicine.  UCSD Medical School is ranked in the top 15 Research Medical schools in the country receiving over $200 million dollars annually in grants.  UCSD as a whole receives over 700 Million in grants annually.  

August 2007
Moores Cancer Center Welcomes New Faculty
The Department of Radiation Oncology and the UCSD Moores Cancer Center are pleased to welcome several new faculty members to our growing family.  Andy Lowy MD (see photo) has been named Chief of Surgical Oncology and Peter Curtain, M.D. has been named Clinical Director of the BMT Program.  Other new faculty members include Paul Fanta, M.D. (GI Medical Oncologist), Christopher Kane, M.D. (Chief Urological Surgery), Edwin Alvarez M.D. (Gynecologic Oncology) and John Abramson (Hematology).  As the sole NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer in the Greater San Diego area, the Moores Cancer Center is committed to attracting top clinical and basic science researchers such as these individuals. Click here for a list of new UCSD faculty (and links to their Department websites) as of January 2007.  

August 2007
Radiation Oncology Department Welcomes Post-Doc Fellows
The Department of Radiation Oncology is pleased to welcome two Physics Post-Doc Fellows: Xiaoli (Lily) Tang PhD (left) and Neelam Tyagi PhD (right).  Dr. Tang completed her doctoral studies at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and is focusing her current research on Lung Image-Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT).  Dr. Tyagi is a graduate of the University of Michigan (Go Blue!) and is performing research on Dynamic Adaptive Radiotherapy in Gynecology Patients.  Both Dr. Tang and Dr. Nyagi are members of the Center of Advanced Radiotherapy Technologies (CART), the research arm of the Department of Radiation Oncology.

August 2007
Research Focus Groups Formed
Several Research Focus Groups have been formed in the Center of Advanced Radiotherapy Technologies (CART), the research arm of the Department of Radiation Oncology, under the direction of Steve Jiang, Ph.D., Director of Research.  The Adaptive Gynecology Group focuses on the development and implementation of dynamic adaptive image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) in cervical cancer patients. Adaptive IGRT would allow daily treatment to be optimized based on the daily tumor location and size using cone-beam CT (CBCT) imaging (see photo), potentially reducing the risk of toxicities and improving tumor control. Other Focus Groups concentrate on technical issues surrounding Lung Cancer IGRT, Breast Brachytherapy and Cranial/Extra-Cranial Radiosurgery. 

August 2007
Video Goggles Used to Improve Respiratory Gating
Video Goggles are routinely used in the Radiation Oncology Clinic to help regulate breathing in lung and liver patients undergoing respiratory-gated treatment planning and delivery.  Designed for the video game industry, these goggles are used to show patients their own breathing patterns allowing them to regulate their breathing cycle improving the efficiency and accuracy of treatment of liver and lung tumors.  A healthy volunteer is shown in the photo wearing the video goggles during a 4D computed tomography (CT) scan.  A small box is placed on the abdomen with infrared reflective markers.  Respiration is monitored by capturing the movement of the box using a CCD camera and images are sorted according to the phase of the breathing cycle.

July 2007
UCSD Faculty Participate in Annual AAPM Meeting
Several UCSD Faculty members participated in the 49th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) held in Minneapolis.  Drs. Jia-Zhu Wang and Roger Rice presented an analysis of infra-red camera localization for stereotactic external beam treatment (see photo).  Dr. Wang was also the lead author on an abstract describing UCSD’s initial experience treating patients with multiple brain metastases using a single isocenter, single fraction intensity modulated radiosurgical technique. UCSD Faculty also participated in a number of AAPM committees and working groups including Dr. Steve Jiang (Task Groups 75 and 104), Dr. Todd Pawlicki (Working Group on Error Prevention) and Dr. Arno Mundt (Task Group 100 and CAMPEP Physics Residency Education Program Review Committee).   

July 2007
UCSD Faculty Lecture in Japan
Dr. Arno J. Mundt, Chairman of Radiation Oncology, Dr. Kevin Murphy, Medical Director of Radiation Oncology, and Dr. John Alksne, Department of Neurosurgery, recently spoke at three seminars held in Tokyo.  Dr. Mundt lectured on the “Current and Future Status of IMRT and IGRT in the United States” at a meeting of Japanese Radiation Oncologists and Medical Physicists from the Greater Tokyo area.  Dr. Alksne spoke on “Neurosurgical Perspectives on Stereotactic Radiosurgery Using the Varian Trilogy Machine” at the 16th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Stereotactic Radiosurgery and Dr. Murphy presented his clinical experience using the Frameless Trilogy Radiosurgery approach at a meeting of the Japanese 3D Conformal External Beam Radiotherapy Group.  Shown in the photo is Asakusa Temple, one of the most famous landmarks in Tokyo.  

July 2007
UCSD Radiosurgery Program Highlighted in Centerline
The UCSD Stereotactic Radiosurgery Program was highlighted in the July 2007 issue of Centerline, Varian Medical System’s magazine for the oncology community.  Centerline includes articles and stories about recent developments and technologic implementations at cancer centers in the United States and abroad.  The UCSD Radiosurgery Program is under the direction of Dr. Kevin Murphy, Medical Director of the Department of Radiation Oncology, and focuses on the use of frameless stereotactic radiosurgery on the Varian Trilogy Machine. Physicians at UCSD have the largest experience in the world using the frameless Varian Trilogy approach. The enclosed photo shows Dr. Kevin Murphy and Dr. John Alksne from the Department of Neurosurgery. 

July 2007
UCSD and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Form an Alliance
UCSD, Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis have formed an alliance that will enable the three institutions to combine their resources and expertise to pursue basic and translational research and clinical trials in childhood cancers.  Clinical trials conducted by St. Jude will now be available at Rady Children’s, allowing children in Southern California to benefit from the latest advanced approaches while staying close to their homes and families.  Leading biomedical researchers in San Diego will collaborate with their colleagues at St. Jude, bringing their unique expertise to the fight against childhood cancers.  A first for St. Jude, this unprecedented alliance places UCSD and Rady Children’s Hospital alongside the international leader in the treatment of pediatric cancers. UCSD Radiation Oncology is currently the primary provider of radiation oncology services in the Greater San Diego region and works closely with pediatric oncologists at Rady Children’s Hospital.

July 2007
UCSD Faculty Lecture at Hokkaido University
Dr. Kevin Murphy, Medical Director of the Department of Radiation Oncology, and Dr. John Alksne, Department of Neurosurgery, were invited speakers in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Hokkaido University in Sapporo Japan.  Dr. Murphy spoke on his experience using the Varian Trilogy Frameless Stereotactic Radiosurgery system in both adults and children.  Dr. Alksne presented the neurosurgeon’s perspective on Trilogy radiosurgery.  Unlike conventional stereotactic radiosurgery approaches, Trilogy uses infrared image guidance throughout treatment, avoiding the need for and discomfort of attaching a rigid frame to the patient’s skull. Drs. Murphy and Alksne have the largest experience in the world using the frameless Trilogy stereotactic approach.  Downtown Sapporo at night is shown in the photo.

July 2007
UCSD Radiation Oncology starts a Medical Physics Residency
We recently began a Medical Physics Residency program in the Department of Radiation Oncology, the first of its kind at UCSD.  The physics residency is a 2 year post-graduate training program designed to educate physicists in the practice of radiation oncology physics.  Residents spend 100% of their time in the clinic.  At the end of their training, they will be experienced in all areas of clinical medical physics and be prepared to pass the American Board of Radiology (ABR) Certification exam in Therapeutic Radiologic Physics.  Residents will go through a series of three month rotations that include all aspects of clinical medical physics. 

Our first physics resident (Dan Scanderbeg, PhD pictured here) started the program on July 2nd, 2007.  Dr. Scanderbeg received his doctorate from the University of California, San Diego in 2007 with a research focus on high temperature superconductivity.  His current focus is partial breast irradiation via HDR brachytherapy.  When he’s not studying, Dr. Scanderbeg and his wife enjoy SCUBA diving and underwater photography of southern California invertebrate species.  When time permits, they also have fun competing in triathlons.

July 2007
Press Release Highlights Trigeminal Neuralgia Patient
A recent Varian Medical System’s press release highlighted the successful stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) treatment of a UCSD patient with intractable trigeminal neuralgia using the Varian image-guided SRS Trilogy system.  The patient had suffered from persistent pain for 20 years despite multiple earlier treatments including GammaKnife SRS and balloon nerve compression.  Unlike GammaKnife, Trilogy is a frameless approach obviating the need to attach a rigid head frame to the patient’s skull. The treatment developed in this case focused the SRS beams on the trigeminal nerve while avoiding nearby critical structures including the brainstem (see photo).

Dr. Kevin Murphy (Radiation Oncology) and Dr. John Alksne (Neurosurgery) have the largest experience in the world of image-guided frameless SRS on the Trilogy machine.

July 2007
Featured Article by UCSD Faculty
Dr. Todd Pawlicki (Director of Medical Physics and Clinical Operations, Radiation Oncology) in collaboration with Dr. Peter Dunscombe of the Tom Baker Cancer Centre wrote the featured article for the July 2007 issue of ADVANCE for Imaging & Oncology Administrators (shown here).  The article, titled In Good Hands, covers important issues of quality assurance in radiation treatments such as the unique role of medical physicists in ensuring quality radiation treatments and what can be done to minimize errors in radiotherapy.  A recent radiotherapy accident in Europe and the causes of that accident are also discussed.  ADVANCE for Imaging and Oncology Administrators delivers management strategies, clinical and technological updates to help imaging and oncology administrators, physicians and medical physicists deliver cost-effective and quality-driven care in hospital and outpatient settings.  To read the article on-line, click here. 

July 2007
Dr. Pawlicki Speaks in Thailand
Dr. Todd Pawlicki was one of 3 physicists invited to give a series of lectures on Image-Based Radiation Therapy at Ramathibodi hospital, Bangkok Thailand.  Also invited were Dr. Cheng Saw from the University of Pittsburgh and Dr. Robert Zwicker from the University of Kentucky.  These lectures were given as part of workshop on image-guided and intensity-modulated radiation therapy techniques.  The goal of this workshop was to share our experience with advanced radiotherapy techniques.  There were over 100 participants in this successful workshop, which took place from June 30 – July 2, 2007.  Dr. Pawlicki will be working to establish a program where physicists and physicians from Thailand can visit UCSD periodically to continue this important collaboration.  

July 2007
Preuss School Visits Radiation Oncology Department
The Department of Radiation Oncology hosted students from the UCSD Preuss School interested in careers in Medicine.  Located on the UCSD La Jolla campus, the Preuss School is a middle/high school dedicated to intensive college prep for motivated low-income students who will be the 1st in their families to graduate from college. Opened in 1999, the school currently has over 750 students in grades 6-12. Dr. Mundt presented an overview of Radiation Oncology including career opportunities in the field.  Dr. Todd Pawlicki hosted a tour of the Department describing equipment used in cancer treatment.  This visit to the Department is part of a yearly program highlighting Physicians, Administrators and allied Health Professionals at the UCSD Moores Cancer Center.  

July 2007
Faculty Lecture at Peer Group Conferences
Drs. Kevin Murphy and Arno Mundt have recently been invited to speak at Peer Group sponsored meetings focused on new technologies in Radiation Oncology.  The Peer Group is a company dedicated to engaging physicians through moderated discussion with their peers since 1981.  Dr. Murphy has spoken on his experience with Frameless Stereotactic Radiosurgery using the Varian Trilogy at Peer Group Moderated Dinner Meetings held this month in Los Angeles, New York, Orlando and Miami.  Dr. Mundt has spoken on Gynecologic Cancers and their treatment with IMRT and IGRT at several Peer Group Teleconferences.

July 2007
Department Spotlighted in Cancer Center Newsletter
The Department of Radiation Oncology and several novel treatment programs were spotlighted in Pathways, a quarterly newsletter sponsored by the Rebecca and John Moores Cancer Center for patients and their families. The article included biographies on the Radiation Oncology physician faculty and described several important treatment programs offered at UCSD including SAVI Breast Brachytherapy, Frameless Stereotactic Radiosurgery, and Image-Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT). The same issue also highlighted the 26th Annual Celebrity Chiefs Gala where over $300,000 was raised to purchase AlignRT, a novel IGRT approach (see May 2007 Radiation Oncology Highlighted at Cancer Center Gala below).  

July 2007
Mary Ann Rose MD Joins UCSD Faculty
The UCSD Department of Radiation Oncology is pleased to announce that Dr. Mary Ann Rose is joining our faculty.   A graduate of Yale and the Baylor College of Medicine, Dr. Rose completed residencies in both Internal Medicine and Radiation Medicine at Harvard University in Boston. Initially on staff at the Harvard Joint Center for Radiation Therapy, she subsequently served as Chief of Radiation Oncology at St. Anne’s Hospital in Fall River, Massachusetts prior to relocating to San Diego in 1993.  She has worked in private practice in the San Diego area for nearly 15 years, as Medical Director of Palomar Medical Center and subsequently Medical Director of Oncology Centers in Temecula and Wildomar.  Dr. Rose will serve as the Medical Director of our new Radiation Oncology Treatment Center in Encinitas.  She has published numerous articles over the years on breast and genitourinary cancers and has continued interest in these areas, as well as medical ethics and palliative care. She is shown in the photo with her husband, Richard.

July 2007
Work of UCSD Researchers Covered by Media
Research work recently published in Physics in Medicine and Biology was reported by medicalphysicsweb. Dr. Lily Tang, Postdoctoral Fellow, is the first author, and Dr. Steve Jiang, Director of Research, both now in the UCSD Department of Radiation Oncology, is the senior author, for the work reported. The research is about the development of a new computer algorithm for tracking multiple fiducial markers implanted in the tumor for precise radiotherapy of tumors with motion. Newly launched in 2006 by IOP Publishing in England, medicalphysicsweb is a unique site for the medical physics community. It provides in-depth analysis and incisive commentary on the fundamental research, emerging technologies and clinical applications that underpin the dynamic disciplines of medical physics and biomedical engineering.

June 2007
UCSD Faculty Lecture at Radiosurgery Congress
Dr. Kevin Murphy, Chief of the Stereotactic Radiosurgery Service and Medical Director of the Department of Radiation Oncology, and Dr. Todd Pawlicki, Director of Medical Physics and Clinical Operations, were invited speakers at the 8th Bi-Annual Congress of the International Stereotactic Radiosurgery Society (ISRS) held in San Francisco June 23-27.  Founded in 1991, ISRS is devoted to fostering education and research on brain and body stereotactic radiosurgery.  Dr. Murphy spoke on his experience using frameless SRS and Dr. Pawlicki lectured on image-guided issues in SRS.  Dr. John Alksne, Professor of Neurosurgery and former Dean of Health Sciences, gave the Neurosurgeon’s perspective on SRS using the Varian Trilogy System.

June 2007
Dr. Murphy Speaks in Los Angeles
Dr. Kevin Murphy was invited to lecture on his experience using the Varian Trilogy for Stereotactic Radiosurgery at a Dinner Symposium in Los Angeles sponsored by Varian Medical Systems.  The Symposium was attended by Radiation Oncologists and Neurosurgeons in the LA area interested in the Varian Trilogy Radiosurgery System (see photo).  Chief of the Steroetactic Radiosurgery Service in the Department of Radiation Oncology, Dr. Murphy is a frequent invited speaker at Radiosurgery Conferences and Symposium in the United States and abroad and has one of the largest experiences in the world of frameless SRS on the Varian Trilogy.

June 2007
UCSD Faculty Publish Two Most Cited Research Papers
Dr. Steve Jiang, Director of Research of the Department of Radiation Oncology, has two previously published papers making into the list of top 10 most cited papers published in Physics in Medicine and Biology (http://www.iop.org/EJ/journal/PMB) over the last five years. The No. 2 paper on the list, of which Dr. Jiang is a co-author, is about a study on the effect of tumor motion in IMRT delivery, while the No. 6 paper, of which Dr. Jiang is the senior author, presents research related to treating moving tumors using dynamic multi-leaf collimator. The whole list can be found: http://medicalphysicsweb.org/cws/article/research/30279.

June 2007
Dr. Mundt Lectures at Rome Conference
Dr. Arno J. Mundt, Chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology, was an invited speaker at an International Conference on the Optimal Use of Advanced Radiotherapy in Multimodality Oncology, sponsored by Nucletron Corporation held in Rome Italy.  Co-chaired by Didier Peiffert (Centre Alexis Vautrin, France) and Phillip Devlin (Harvard, USA), the meeting was attended by Radiation Oncologists and Medical Physicists from throughout Europe, Asia and the United States.  Dr. Mundt’s lecture was entitled Integration of IMRT and Brachytherapy in the Treatment of Cervical Cancer.  Other invited speakers included Patricia Eifel, Beth Erickson, Richard Potter, Clifford Ling, Paul Harrari, and Jean Pouliot.  Speakers and their guests were treated to a private tour of the Sistine Chapel.  

June 2007
UCSD Faculty Participate in Varian RT2020
Dr. Arno J. Mundt, Chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology, and Dr. Steve Jiang, Director of Research, were invited to participate in RT2020 a Varian Medical Systems Focus Group held at the eclectic Clift Hotel (see photo of lobby) in San Francisco on June 18th and 19th.  RT2020 focused on key developments needed to enhance the future of Radiation Therapy in cancer care.  Dr. Mundt spoke on “Roadblocks to Greater Public Acceptance of Radiation Therapy” and Dr. Jiang spoke on “Motion Management Issues in Radiation Oncology”.  RT2020 was attended by leaders in Radiation Oncology from both academic University Hospitals and community Medical Centers.  

June 2007
UCSD Radiation Oncology Featured in Oncology Issues
The Image-Guided Radiotherapy Program (IGRT) in the Department of Radiation Oncology was featured in a special IGRT supplement in Oncology Issues, the official publication of the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC).  The article described how the IGRT program at UCSD was initiated and gave advice to other centers interested in developing such programs.  Oncology Issues is the only journal devoted to policy, management and financial issues of concern to cancer care providers. Recent featured articles highlighted “New Cancer Therapies in 2007”, “Veterans with Cancer” and “The Promise of Proton Therapy”.

Click here to view the article: "The Dynamic Targeting IGRT Advantage"

June 2007
UCSD Faculty Speak at Cancer Survivorship X
Dr. Arno J. Mundt, Chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology, was an invited speaker at Cancer Survivorship X hosted by Cancer Survivorship: San Diego!  Dr. Mundt spoke on “Advances in Radiation Oncology: New Technologies”.  Joining him at the podium was the newest member of the UCSD Radiation Oncology faculty, Mary Ann Rose MD, a long-time respected Radiation Oncologist in the San Diego community. Cancer Survivorship: San Diego! is an umbrella organization of cancer survivors, hospitals, cancer centers, researchers and support groups providing free information on cancer treatment, prevention and research to cancer patients and their families. Hosted by Bill Griffith (ABC News Channel 10) and Dani Grady (Co-founder, Cancer Survivorship: San Diego!), the event was held in Bloch Cancer Survivors Park on North Harbor Drive.

May 2007
UCSD Faculty Speak at Various Universities and Cancer Hospitals in China
Dr. Steve Jiang, Director of Research in the UCSD Department of Radiation Oncology, recently delivered several invited talks on “Image Guided Radiation Therapy” at various top-tier universities and cancer hospitals in China, including Beijing University, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Chongqing University, Cancer Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, and Fudan University Cancer Hospital. Dr. Todd Pawlicki, Director of Medical Physics and Clinical Operations, also delivered a talk on “Radiation Therapy Quality Assurance” at Fudan University Cancer Hospital.

May 2007
UCSD Faculty Attend Proton Meeting in China
Dr. Todd Pawlicki, Director of Medical Physics and Clinical Operations, and Dr. Steve Jiang, Director of Research, in the UCSD Department of Radiation Oncology attended the 45th Semi-Annual Meeting of the Particle Therapy Cooperative Group (PTCOG) in Xibo China.  Held at the Wanjie Hotel and Convention Center (see photo), the meeting was attended by over 700 participants from throughout Asia, Europe and the United States. PTCOG is an international organization devoted to the development and study of proton and particle therapy in the treatment of cancer. Plans are currently underway to develop a Proton/Particle Treatment and Research Facility on the La Jolla campus of UCSD (see “UCSD Proton Center Working Group Formed”).

June 2007
UCSD Proton Center Working Group Formed
Along with representatives from the University and the Medical Center, the Department of Radiation Oncology has formed a Working Group to develop a Proton/Particle Treatment and Research Center on the La Jolla campus of UCSD.  The Working Group is Co-Chaired by Dr. Arno J. Mundt, Professor and Chair of Radiation Oncology and Tom Jackiewicz, Associate Vice-Chancellor and CFO of UCSD Health Sciences. The Group is charged with hearing proposals from Proton Therapy Consulting Firms and Proton Therapy Vendors.  Proton Therapy is one of the most advanced forms of radiation oncology available today and a proton facility would place UCSD in the ranks of MD Anderson, U Pennsylvania and Harvard who have built (or are currently building) proton treatment centers.  The photo illustrates the proposed site for the UCSD Proton Facility adjacent to the Rebecca and John Moores Comprehensive Cancer Center in La Jolla.

May 2007
UCSD Faculty Visit Gammastar Factory in China
Dr. Todd Pawlicki, Director of Medical Physics and Clinical Operations, and Dr. Steve Jiang, Director of Research, in the Department of Radiation Oncology at UCSD were invited to tour the Gammastar headquarters and factory in Shanghai China.  Gammastar Medical Group manufactures the Gyroknife (see photo), a novel stereotactic body radiosurgery device.  Presently available at multiple medical centers in China, the Gyroknife is currently under review by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and may be available in this country in the coming years.  UCSD and Gammastar Medical Group are currently in negotiations regarding multiple potential research and clinical collaborations. 

June 2007
Faculty Serve as Oral Boards Examiners
Dr. Arno Mundt, Professor and Chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at UCSD, served as an Oral Examiner for the American Board of Radiology (ABR) annual examination in Radiation Oncology.  Offered each year in Louisville, this exam is taken by new radiation oncology graduates seeking to obtain their Board Certification and encompasses 8 subjects. An internationally recognized expert in gynecologic cancers, Dr. Mundt has served as an Oral Examiner in the Gynecology Section for over 5 years. In the coming years, Dr. Catheryn Yashar will also serve as an Oral Examiner in the Gynecology Section.  Shown in the photo is Dr. Mundt along with other examiners including Jeff Michalski (Washington University), Patrick Kupelian (MD Anderson Orlando), Brian Davis (Mayo), Lynn Wilson (Yale) and Alan Pollack (Fox Chase) in front of Marks Feed Store, a popular Louisville BBQ restaurant.

May 2007
Radiation Oncology Department Expansion Underway
Construction is currently underway in the Rebecca and John Moores Comprehensive Cancer Center significantly expanding the Department of Radiation Oncology.  The rapidly growing department quickly outgrew its original space and an adjacent 8,000 square feet is now being converted (see photo) into a state-of-the-art conference center, administration center and offices for staff and residents.  In addition, plans are being finalized to add an additional 15,000 square feet of clinic and treatment space for radiation oncology adjacent to the Cancer Center.

May 2007
Stereotactic Body Radiosurgery Now Routine at UCSD
Stereotactic Body Radiosurgery (SBRT) is the use of a limited number of high doses of radiation in the treatment of malignant and benign tumors in the body.  Steretactic Radiosurgery (SRS) was first popularized in the treatment of brain tumors, but its use has been expanded in recent years to sites throughout the body, in particular the lung and liver. SBRT is delivered at UCSD using the Varian Trilogy Machine, one of the most sophisticated machines in the world designed to deliver SRS and SBRT.  Small primary and metastatic lung tumors (see photo) are now routinely treated at UCSD in as few as 3 days with excellent tumor control and low toxicity rates.  Conventional treatment of these patients requires 7 weeks or longer of daily treatment.  

May 2007
Breast Cancer Clinic Opens in Encinitas Satellite
Dr. Anne Wallace, Director of the UCSD Breast Cancer Care Unit, has opened a weekly Breast Cancer clinic in the San Diego Cancer Center in Encinitas California. Her clinic is located within the Radiation Oncology Section of the SDCC which is the North County satellite of the UCSD Department of Radiation Oncology. Boarded in both General and Plastic Surgery, Dr. Wallace has led the Breast Oncology program at UCSD since 1995 and is a highly respected breast surgeon in the San Diego community. Dr. Arno J. Mundt, Professor and Chair of Radiation Oncology at UCSD, currently staffs a weekly Thursday afternoon clinic in Encinitas and plans are underway to construct a free-standing Radiation Oncology treatment center to better serve our North County patients.

May 2007
Radiation Oncology Highlighted at Cancer Center Gala
The Department of Radiation Oncology was highlighted at the 26th Annual Celebrity Chefs Cook Gala benefiting the Rebecca and John Moores UCSD Cancer Center. Held this year at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina, the black-tie gala showcased award-winning chefs who presented signature hors d’oeuvres paired with fine wine. The “Fund-an-Item” auction raised over $360,000 which will be used for the purchase of AlignRT, a sophisticated video-based image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) approach which provides the ability to perform real-time tracking of the 3-dimensional surface of a patient for both treatment setup and real-time monitoring.  The AlignRT system will be used both clinically and for research.

May 2007
UCSD Radiation Oncology Explores Ties with Latin America
The UCSD Department of Radiation Oncology is committed to developing close ties with Latin America, in particular Mexico.  Dr. Kevin Murphy is shown in the photo with former Mexican President Vicente Fox along with their wives, Marta Fox and Lisa Murphy, at a recent San Diego event honoring President Fox.  Potential projects include the development of treatment centers in Mexico and other Latin American countries offering advanced radiation therapy technologies, notably intensity modulated and image guided radiotherapy.

May 2007
Faculty Meet with the President of the Institute of the Americas
Drs. Kevin Murphy and Arno J. Mundt met with Jeffrey Davidow, President of the Institute of the Americas to explore potential relationships with Mexico and other Latin American countries (see “UCSD Radiation Oncology Explores Ties with Latin America”).  Founded in 1983 and located on the UCSD campus, the Institute is the leading institution in the United States fostering cooperation between this country and Latin America, promoting economic development and private sector projects. Dr. Davidow is one of the most distinguished diplomats in the United States, one of only three people to hold the personal rank of Career Ambassador.  He has served as Ambassador to Venezuela, Mexico, and Zambia and was the State Department’s chief policy maker for the Western Hemisphere, serving as Assistant Secretary of State.

May 2007
New Business Officer joins the department
The UCSD Department of Radiation Oncology is pleased to announce the appointment of Mary T. Parra, MPH, FACHE, as Department Business Officer. Mary completed her Master of Public Health at San Diego State University Graduate School of Public Health, is board certified in Healthcare Management and a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.  She brings to the department ten years experience in healthcare management at Academic Medical Institutions, including Johns Hopkins Hospital, University of Maryland Medical System and MedStar Research Institute.  Mary is active in the San Diego healthcare community serving on the Board of Directors for the San Diego Organization of Healthcare Leaders and the San Diego Business Healthcare Connection. She also recently became a member of the San Diego Leadership Council of the American Cancer Society for the Border Sierra Region.  Mary is a San Diego native, married with two children who enjoys going to Padre games with her family.

May 2007
New Director of Research joins the department
The UCSD Department of Radiation Oncology is pleased to announce the appointment of Steve Jiang, Ph.D. as Director of Research.  Dr. Jiang will join our team as an Associate Professor with Tenure.  A graduate of the Medical College of Ohio, Dr. Jiang completed his post-doctoral training in Medical Physics at Stanford University.  From Stanford, Dr. Jiang served as a faculty member at Harvard University for 7 years.  Dr. Jiang's research has focused on the application of innovative engineering technologies to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of cancer radiotherapy.  Specifically, he has been developing and implementing image guidance techniques for real-time tumor localization and for adaptive radiation therapy.  He is the author of multiple journal articles and has received several grants to support his research.  Dr. Jiang is shown with his wife, Hong.  Both Dr. Jiang and Hong are avid hikers. 

May 2007
UCSD Prostate Cancer Study Presented in Amsterdam
Dr. Ajay Sandhu presented a research study evaluating prostate bed motion in post-prostatectomy patients treated with IMRT at the 89th Annual Meeting of the American Radium Society in Amsterdam.  Chief of the Genitourinary Cancer Service in the Department of Radiation Oncology, Dr. Sandhu has considerable experience applying novel treatment approaches including IMRT and IGRT in prostate cancer patients.  Co-authors on this study included UCSD Urologists Carol Salem MD and Tracy Downs MD, and Medical Oncologist Fred Millard MD.  Founded in 1916, the American Radium Society is the oldest society devoted to the study of cancer and members include radiation oncologists, surgical oncologists, gynecologic oncologists and medical oncologists.  

Click here to view the poster.

May 2007
UCSD Faculty Lecture at the American Brachytherapy Society
Drs. Catheryn Yashar and Arno Mundt were invited speakers at the 28th Annual Meeting of the American Brachytherapy Society held in Chicago.  Dr. Yashar, Chief of the Breast and Gynecologic Oncology Services in the Department of Radiation Oncology, presented an interactive refresher course on Gynecologic Brachytherapy.  Dr. Mundt presented a talk on the potential integration of brachytherapy and IMRT in gynecologic tumors as part of a panel on Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer.  Other participants on the panel included Beth Erickson M.D. (Medical College of Wisconsin) and Jeff Demanes M.D. (California Endocurietherapy Medical Corporation) who spoke on intracavitary and interstitial brachytherapy approaches in cervical cancer.

April 2007
Dr. Mundt Lectures at the New York Roentgen Society
Dr. Mundt was an invited speaker at the 2007 New York Roentgen Society meeting.  In his lecture entitled “IMRT and IGRT in Gynecologic Malignancies”. Dr. Mundt lectured on the present status and future directions of IMRT in gynecologic tumors.  His lecture also included his thoughts on potential role of IGRT in these patients.  Other invited speakers included Dr. Silvia Formenti (NYU), Michael Zelefsky MD (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center), Alan Pollack, M.D., Ph.D. (Fox Chase Cancer Center), and Clifford Chao MD (MD Anderson Cancer Center).

April 2007
UCSD Faculty Lecture in Australia
Dr. Kevin Murphy was an invited speaker at a Varian Medical Systems sponsored symposium in Sydney Australia.  Dr. Murphy lectured on the use of the Varian Trilogy for stereotactic radiosurgery.  Director of the UCSD Stereotactic Radiosurgery service, Dr. Murphy has one of the largest experiences in the world using the Varian frameless stereotactic radiosurgery approach.  The symposium was attended by Radiation Oncologist and Neurosurgeon from throughout Australia.  Dr. David Barba, a UCSD neurosurgeon, also lectured on the Neurosurgeon’s perspective using Trilogy Radiosurgery.  The Sydney Opera House with the Sydney Harbor Bridge in the background is shown in the photo.

April 2007
Dr. Murphy Lectures in Melbourne
As part of a Varian Medical Systems sponsored Australia Lecture tour (see “UCSD Faculty Lecture in Australia” above), Dr. Kevin Murphy spoke in Melbourne and Adelaide.  In addition to presenting a practicum for Radiation Oncologists and Neurosurgeons interested in frameless Stereotactic Radiosurgery using the Varian Trilogy, he presented his experience treating patients with multiple metastases using a novel single isocenter, single fraction intensity modulated radiosurgery approach.  Dr. David Barba, a UCSD neurosurgeon, also lectured on the Neurosurgeon’s perspective using Trilogy Radiosurgery.  

April 2007
Visiting Professorship at Case Western University
Dr. Mundt was invited to be a Visiting Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.  He presented a review of the current and future status of intensity modulated (IMRT) and image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) in gynecologic tumors for both the Radiation Oncology Department and the Division of Gynecologic Oncology.  Steve Waggoner, M.D., Chief of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at Case Western University, collaborated with Dr. Mundt on several early gynecologic IMRT studies while they were both on faculty at the University of Chicago. Dr. Mundt also spent the morning meeting with the residents from both Case Western University and the Cleveland Clinic.  

April 2007
Staff Participate in Varian’s Clinical Solutions Forum
Marcy Kaufman, B.A., RTT , Chief Therapist and Rob De Los Reyes CMD, RTT were symposium presenters for the 2007 Varian Clinical Solutions Forum held in Seattle  April 19, 2007 . Marcy presented on the Paperless environment which is currently implemented at UCSD with Varian’s  ARIA patient database.  Her talk focused on the Implementation Process, Usability of a Paperless Environment, Challenges and Benefits, and Lessons Learned.  Rob’s presentation centered around Eclipse treatment planning in the IMRT/IGRT environment.

March 2007
UCSD Faculty Present at AAMD Meeting
The UCSD Department of Radiation Oncology was highlighted at the American Association of Medical Dosimetrists (AAMD) Region 1 Annual Meeting held at the Skamania Lodge in Stevenson, Washington.  The UCSD panel (Arno J. Mundt MD, Todd Pawlicki PhD and Greg White BS CMD RTT) spoke on the use of Varian image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) Technologies (“Varian IGRT Technology”). Currently, a wide range of Varian IGRT technologies have been implemented at UCSD including cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), 4D CT/respiratory gating and frameless stereotactic radiosurgery.  Dr. Mundt also delivered a comprehensive overview of the application of intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) in gynecologic cancers (“IMRT in Gynecologic Malignancies”).

February 2007
Dr. Yashar Presents at the Annual UCSD Surgery Assembly
Catheryn Yashar M.D. was an invited speaker at the 30th Annual University of California San Diego “Postgraduate Assembly in Surgery” held at the Wyndham Emerald Plaza in San Diego. She presented a lecture entitled The Role of Modern Radiotherapy in Oncology Practice focusing a new developments in radiation therapy including intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and novel brachytherapy approaches.  The UCSD Assembly in Surgery is a 5-day course presented by the UCSD School of Medicine.  This clinically-oriented course offers general surgeons on intensive overview of problems encountered in daily practice and was attended by physicians throughout the San Diego region and beyond. 

March 2007
Dr. Mundt is a guest speaker in Japan
Dr. Mundt was an invited speaker at the 15th Semi-Annual Meeting of the Japan 3D Conformal External Beam Radiotherapy Group (J-CERG) held in Tokyo, Japan. In his lecture entitled Gynecologic Cancers: IMRT and IGRT, Dr. Mundt spoke on the present status of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) in gynecologic cancers and potential roles for image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT).  The conference was attended by over 500 radiation oncologists, physicists and radiation therapists from Japan and other countries in Asia.  Dr. Mundt is a frequent invited lecturer in Japan, having spoken at 4 previous Japanese conferences including the Japanese Association for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (JASTRO) in 2001 and 2002.  Other invited speakers from the United States included Jeff Bradley, M.D. (Washington University) and James Dempsey Ph.D. (University of Florida).  

February 2007
Faculty Participate in ACRO IGRT Symposium
Dr. Mundt and Dr. Pawlicki hosted a 2 day IGRT Symposium at the 17th Annual Meeting of the American College of Radiation Oncology (ACRO) held at the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego. On Day 1, Dr. Mundt presented an overview of the state-of-the-art of IGRT technologies and their clinical applications.  On Day 2, Dr. Pawlicki provided a practical review of 4DCT imaging and Respiratory Gating. The ACRO Meeting was attended by over 250 radiation oncologists from throughout the United States.  Dr. Mundt is an active member of ACRO serving as the Local Arrangements Chair for the 2007 meeting and on the ACRO Board of Chancellors.  

February 2007
MaryAnn Schroder PhD Visits UCSD
Dr. MaryAnn Schroder, a noted Clinical Sexologist and researcher, was an invited speaker in the Department of Radiation Oncology.  Her lecture, Clitoral Therapy Device for Treatment of Sexual Dysfunction in Women Cancer Survivors, focused on the use of a novel treatment of female sexual dysfunction known as the Eros Clitoral Therapy Device (CTD).  A long-time colleague of Dr. Mundt at the University of Chicago, their collaborations included a prospective clinical trial (see paper) of the Eros CTD device in irradiated cervical cancer patients. In this landmark study, Eros CTD was found to significantly reduced symptoms of sexual dysfunction in all patients studied.  Plans are underway to study the Eros CTD as a means of potentially preventing sexual dysfunction in patients undergoing pelvic irradiation.  Dr. Schroder is shown here with her husband Bruce.  

February 2007
Faculty Participate in ASTRO IMRT Practicum
Dr. Mundt and Dr. Pawlicki were invited faculty at the 2007 IMRT Practicum sponsored by the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) held in San Francisco. The Conference Implementing IMRT in Clinical Practice was directed at Radiation Oncologists and Physicists interested in clinical aspects of IMRT.  Dr. Mundt delivered an overview of IMRT in both gynecologic and gastrointestinal tumors entitled IMRT in Gynecologic and GI Tumors.  He also supervised on a hands-on session focusing on cervical and endometrial cancers Gynecology Cases. Dr. Pawlicki supervised Treatment Planning Hands-on sessions for prostate cancer, head and neck cancer, gynecologic tumors and GI cancers. Other faculty included Quynh-Thu Le M.D. (Stanford), Ping Xia, Ph.D. (UCSF), Alan Pollack, M.D. (Fox Chase Cancer Center), Jeff Michalski, M.D. (Washington University), Lei Dong, Ph.D. (MD Anderson Cancer Center), and Robert Timmerman, M.D. (UT Southwestern).

January 2007
Dr. Mundt was a Co-Organizer of the 5th International Target Delineation Symposium for IMRT/3DCRT Treatment Planning held in San Antonio, Texas. This year’s Symposium focused on target delineation in head and neck, prostate and gynecologic tumors.  Dr. Mundt delivered the opening address IMRT: The Global View, an overview of the state-of-the-art of Gynecologic IMRT as well as supervised a target delineation practicum.  Other participants included Drs. Clifford Chao (MD Anderson Cancer Center), Nancy Lee (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center), Avi Eisbruch (University of Michigan), Jeff Michalski (Washington University), and James Purdy (UC Davis).  The Symposium was attended by Radiation Oncologists from throughout the United States.

January 2007
Dr. Kevin Murphy and the UCSD Stereotactic Radiosurgery program were highlighted in a recent Channel 10 News Story entitled Tumors Treated with Ease Thanks to New Method (Click here to view news clip).  This story described the case of UCSD patient Carolyn Steele who underwent frameless stereotactic radiosurgery on the Varian Trilogy in mid-2006. Currently, she remains free of disease without any side effects.  Unlike other competing technologies such as the GammaKnife, Trilogy uses a special-image guided technique avoiding the need for a rigid frame attached to the patient’s skull.  Recently, the UCSD Stereotactic Radiosurgery Program was expanded to include patients with extra-cranial tumors of the spine, liver and lung.  

January 2007
Dr. Yashar and Dr. Mundt participated in the 74th Semi-Annual Meeting of the Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG) held at the Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel in San Diego, California.  Established in 1970, the GOG is a national cooperative group focusing its research on gynecologic malignancies including cervical, uterine and ovarian cancers.  A multi-modality group, GOG has over 2100 participants including gynecologic oncologists, medical oncologists, pathologists, radiation oncologists, nurses, statisticians, basic scientists, and quality of life experts. Each year, over 3000 women are enrolled on GOG sponsored research trials.  A member of the Radiation Oncology committee, Dr. Yashar also serves on the Ancillary Data Committee. Dr. Mundt is a member of the Radiation Oncology and Uterine Cancer committees.

January 2007
Dr. Kevin Murphy was an invited speaker at JP Morgan’s 25th Annual Health Care Conference held at the Westin St. Francis Hotel in downtown San Francisco.  The Director of the Stereotactic Radiosurgery Service at UCSD, Dr. Murphy spoke on the current status and future of stereotactic radiosurgery.  This conference featured presentations from leading experts in medicine and also from industry.  Dr. Murphy has one of the largest experiences using the frameless, optically-guided Varian Trilogy system in the world.