Keith A. Cengel
Keith A. Cengel, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor of Radiation Oncology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Department: Radiation Oncology
Contact information
Smilow Center for Translational Research, Room 8-136
Univ of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine
3400 Civic Center Blvd, Bldg 421
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Univ of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine
3400 Civic Center Blvd, Bldg 421
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Office: 215-898-1035
Fax: 215-349-5445
Lab: 215-898-0838
Fax: 215-349-5445
Lab: 215-898-0838
Publications
Education
BS (Biology)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1991.
BS (Biochemistry)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1991.
MS (Cellular/Molecular Biology)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1993.
PhD (Cellular/Molecular Biology)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1998.
MD (Medical)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2001.
Permanent linkBS (Biology)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1991.
BS (Biochemistry)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1991.
MS (Cellular/Molecular Biology)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1993.
PhD (Cellular/Molecular Biology)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1998.
MD (Medical)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2001.
Description of Research Expertise
RESEARCH INTERESTS:1. Defining Mechanisms and Reducing Toxicity from Normal Tissue Damage Caused by Ionizing Radiation: These projects center on modeling the physical patterns of dose deposition by x-rays, gamma rays and charged particles and determining the mechanism(s) that lead to normal tissue toxicity. From a greater understanding of these mechanisms, these projects seek to identify and formulate potential radiation protectors and mitigators for use in human medicine.
2. Cellular Signaling and PDT cytotoxicity: This project is focused on defining the molecular mechanism by which PDT-initiated growth factor and anti-oxidant signaling leads to decreased PDT-mediated cytotoxicity in human cancer cells and tumors.
3. Clinical trials of RT and PDT: These projects involve using insights gained from pre-clinical studies to design early phase interventional trials for patients with cancers that are difficult to treat using current standard modalities.
Description of Clinical Expertise
Photodynamic TherapyRadiation therapy for neuroendocrine and thoracic tumors
Selected Publications
Hongjing Sun 1 2, Michele M Kim 1, Andreea Dimofte 1, Sunil Singhal 3, Keith A Cengel 1, Timothy C Zhu 1: 3D Reactive Oxygen Species Dosimetry in Pleural Photodynamic Therapy: Integration of Macroscopic Kinetic Modeling and Deformable Registration. Antioxidants (Basel) . May 2026.Cole Friedes 1, Michelle Iocolano 1, Nikhil Yegya-Raman 1, John C Kucharczuk 2, Taine T V Pechet 2, Roger B Cohen 3, Charu Aggarwal 3, Melina E Marmarelis 3, William P Levin 1, Keith A Cengel 1, Christine A Ciunci 3, Christopher D'Avella 3, Aditi P Singh 3, Christiana W Davis 3, Corey J Langer 3, Jeffrey Bradley 1, Steven J Feigenberg 3: Real World Radiographic Response Rates and Preoperative Attrition in Patients With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) Treated With Neoadjuvant Chemoimmunotherapy. Am J Clin Oncol . May 2026.
Wei Zou 1, Lei Dong 2, Arnaud Pin 3, Rasmus Nilsson 4, Michele Kim 2, Ontida Apinorasethkul 2, Julia Pakela 2, Andrew Friberg 2, Brandon Koger 2, Rudi Labarbe 3, Carolina Llina Fuentes 3, Keith Cengel 2, Erik Traneus 4, Swati Girdhani 3, Costas Koumenis 2, Francois Vander Stappen 3, Eric Diffenderfer 2, Jeffrey Bradley 2, Boon-Keng Kevin Teo 2, Alexander Lin 2: Deliverable proton conformal FLASH radiotherapy treatment planning for head and neck re-irradiation patients. Radiother Oncol . March 2026.
Cole Friedes 1, Nikhil Yegya-Raman 2, Michelle Iocolano 2, William P Levin 2, Keith A Cengel 2, Jeffrey D Bradley 2, Steven J Feigenberg 2: Primary Tumor Failure After Definitive Chemoradiation in Locally Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Brief Report on the Implications for NRG LU-008. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys . Feb 2026.
Cole Friedes 1, Nikhil Yegya-Raman 2, Michelle Iocolano 2, William P Levin 2, Keith A Cengel 2, Jeffrey D Bradley 2, Steven J Feigenberg 2: Primary Tumor Failure After Definitive Chemoradiation in Locally Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Brief Report on the Implications for NRG LU-008. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys . Feb 2026.
Zou W, Dong L, Pin A, Nilsson R, Kim M, Apinorasethkul O, Pakela J, Friberg A, Koger B, Labarbe R, Fuentes CL, Cengel K, Traneus E, Girdhani S, Koumenis C, Vander Stappen F, Diffenderfer E, Bradley J, Teo BK, Lin A.: Deliverable proton conformal FLASH radiotherapy treatment planning for head and neck re-irradiation patients. Radiother Oncol 216: 111349, Dec 2025.
Friedes C, Iocolano M, Yegya-Raman N, Kucharczuk JC, Pechet TTV, Cohen RB, Aggarwal C, Marmarelis ME, Levin WP, Cengel KA, Ciunci CA, D'Avella C, Singh AP, Davis CW, Langer CJ, Bradley J, Feigenberg SJ.: Real World Radiographic Response Rates and Preoperative Attrition in Patients With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) Treated With Neoadjuvant Chemoimmunotherapy. Am J Clin Oncol Nov 2025.
Friedes C, Yegya-Raman N, Iocolano M, Levin WP, Cengel KA, Bradley JD, Feigenberg SJ.: Primary Tumor Failure After Definitive Chemoradiation in Locally Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Brief Report on the Implications for NRG LU-008. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys Sep 2025.
Friberg AM, Tan HS, Diffenderfer ES, Verginadis I, Kim MM, Cengel K, Wiersma R, Dong L, Koumenis C, Teo BK, Zou W.: Physicochemical indication of the FLASH effect from shoot-through proton pencil beam scanning parameters delivered under ultra-high dose rates. Phys Med Biol 70: 175002, Aug 2025.
Feigenberg SJ, Costabile F, Tanes C, Bittinger K, O'Connor R, Agarwal D, Skoufos G, Salaris S, Hatzigeorgiou A, Kostopoulos N, Lloyd S, Friedes C, Chen L, Yegya-Raman N, Cengel K, Levin W, Valentić B, Quarton T, Shestov AA, Berman A, Bradley J, Maity A, Koumenis C, Ben-Josef E, Facciabene A.: Enhancing outcomes in medically inoperable early-stage NSCLC with gut-targeted antibiotics and stereotactic body radiotherapy: results from a randomized pilot study. J Immunother Cancer 13: e011356, Jul 2025.