Department News
Announcements:
Penn Radiation Oncology Valley Forge: "Rads for Respite" Annual Walk
(April 16, 2025)
Recent Press Releases:
Radiation Bridging in CAR T: Where Are We Now?(July 7, 2025) While the use of radiation bridging therapy in CAR T cell therapy for blood cancer is expanding, plenty of unanswered questions remain on topics such as ideal timing and doses. The lack of guidelines has immediate clinical implications, said John P. Plastaras, MD, PhD, a professor of Radiation Oncology, in a presentation at the 18th International Conference on Malignant Lymphoma (ICML) 2025. Radiation Oncology Chair Speaks at Juniata College Commencement(May 21, 2025) James Metz, MD, chair of Radiation Oncology, served as the 2025 commencement speaker for his alma mater, Juniata College in Huntingdon, PA, where his experiences—both in the classroom and on the football field—helped prepare him for a career on the forefront of cancer treatment. FOX29’s Mike Jerrick Rings the Bell After Completing Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer(May 7, 2025) Months after sharing the news of his prostate cancer diagnosis, “Good Day Philadelphia” anchor Mike Jerrick celebrated the end of his cancer treatment by ringing the bell with his friends and care team cheering him on. His Penn Medicine doctors, including urologist Daniel Lee, MD, and radiation oncologist Neha Vapiwala, MD, joined the show to explain why men should talk to their doctor about getting a PSA blood test to screen for prostate cancer. The easy and affordable test can help identify men who may be at risk for prostate cancer, Vapiwala explained. PA Breast Cancer Coalition Awards Grant to Penn Medicine Researcher(May 7, 2025) The PA Breast Cancer Coalition (PBCC) presented a grant of $100,000 to Ioannis Verginadis, PhD, a research assistant professor of Radiation Oncology, to advance his research on FLASH proton radiation therapy for breast cancer. With this grant, the PBCC has awarded a total of more than $1 million in grants to Penn Medicine researchers. Penn Medicine Breaks Ground on University City Proton Therapy Center(May 5, 2025) Penn Medicine celebrated the ceremonial groundbreaking of the Roberts Proton Therapy Center at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center last week. The state-of-the-art, $224 million center will be Penn Medicine’s fourth proton therapy location, and is expected to open for patient care in late 2027. “This new center will allow us to fully serve patients with the most advanced radiation therapy treatment options," said John Plastaras, MD, PhD, chief of Radiation Oncology and Proton Therapy at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. Pennsylvania Business Report • DOTmed.com • PHILADELPHIA Today Bladder Cancer Treatment Options Debated(April 30, 2025) For patients with bladder cancer where the cancer has entered the muscle layer of the bladder wall, patients can undergo removing the bladder or a combination of bladder surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. While removing the bladder is effective, doctors say the combination approach promises a better quality of life for patients and potentially fewer complications. Neha Vapiwala, MD, the Eli Glatstein Professor in Radiation Oncology, moderated a debate, at the American Urological Association’s annual meeting, on whether all patients are good candidates for the combination approach. Yi Fan, MD, PhD, Elected to American Society for Clinical Investigation(February 3, 2025) PHILADELPHIA— Seven physician-scientists from the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) have been elected to the American Society of Clinical Investigation, joining one of the nation’s oldest and most respected medical honor societies composed of more than 3,000 physician-scientists representing all medical specialties, of them: Yi Fan, MD, PhD, a professor of Radiation Oncology. His research focuses on understanding how the body regulates blood vessel growth and immune responses, particularly in tumors and damaged tissues. By figuring out how these processes are controlled, his team hopes to find new ways to treat diseases by “reprogramming” the environment within tissues. This approach could help stop cancer from spreading or repair damaged heart tissue. Using advanced tools like 3D imaging, gene editing, and genetic and metabolic analysis, the researchers aim to develop safer, more effective treatments for patients facing serious health challenges. His work has been recognized with several awards, including the Research Excellence Award from the American Heart Association, the Sharpe Award for Glioblastoma Research from the National Brain Tumor Society, the Springer Award for Junior Investigators from the North American Vascular Biology Organization, and the Judah Folkman Award from the American Association for Cancer Research. The Ultra-fast Cancer Treatments Which Could Replace Conventional Radiotherapy(January 22, 2025) Researchers at Penn Medicine are part of a leading group of scientists and physicians across the world who are exploring the potential of FLASH, an ultra-high dose form of radiation therapy delivered in less than a second, to treat a wide range of cancer types. Alexander Lin, MD, the Morton M. Kligerman Professor of Radiation Oncology, and Constantinos Koumenis, PhD, the Richard H. Chamberlain Professor of Radiation Oncology, are working to launch a clinical trial at Penn Medicine using FLASH to treat recurrent head and neck cancer, to find out if the advanced therapy is able to successfully kill tumors, with fewer side effects than conventional radiation therapy. |