BUSM Establishes New Department of Radiation Oncology

BUSM has established  a Department of Radiation Oncology, effective October 1, 2010. The new department will play a pivotal role in advancing cancer research and care initiatives at BUSM and Boston Medical Center (BMC), the primary teaching affiliate of BUSM and the Cancer Center.

The department, chaired by Lisa Kachnic, MD, a professor of radiology at BUSM and chief of radiation oncology at BMC, comprises four faculty, each of whom will be conducting research in their respective fields.

Lisa Kachnic
Lisa Kachnic

Dr. Kachnic is the principal investigator of more than $11 million in research grants from the Department of Defense, as well as a new $2.2 million award from the National Cancer Institute to launch a minority-based community clinical oncology program at BU/BMC. Other research funding is from the American Cancer Society and the Radiology Society of North America.

“This new department will allow for the further growth of innovative research and individualized care in radiation oncology at BUSM,” said Kachnic. “Together with our BMC multidisciplinary clinical colleagues and BUSM scientists, we will work to improve cancer prevention and treatment outcomes for our most vulnerable patients.”

The Department of Radiation Oncology is also a national leader in medical student radiation oncology education. BUSM is one of the few medical schools in the United States to provide formal instruction in radiation oncology to all medical students starting in their first year.

“We are pleased with the designation of departmental status for Radiation Oncology at BUSM, which will facilitate greater research collaborations and expand our understanding of the causes and progression of cancer in the diverse population we serve” said Karen Antman, MD, Dean of BUSM.

The Department of Radiation Oncology provides outpatient services in its state-of-the-art facility located in the Moakley Building. Each year, the department receives approximately 4,000 radiation oncology visits, and provides 11,000 radiation treatments. Specialty services available include Intensity-Modulated RT (IMRT), Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT), Stereotactic CyberKnife Radiosurgery (Brain and Body), Partial Breast Irradiation (PBI), Prostate Seed Implantation, and High Dose Brachytherapy (HDR).