About the Department
The key strength of the Department of Radiation Oncology is our highly collaborative environment. This has fostered world-class multidisciplinary oncology clinics here at UNC, where every new cancer patient receives a comprehensive treatment recommendation on the day of initial consultation that includes input from members of all the oncologic specialties including radiation oncology. As such, we serve as the specialty oncology referral center for the entire state of North Carolina. The Department also has close ties with the world-renowned UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, which have significantly enhanced our research and bench-side to bed-side focus. Innovation has been the long-standing strength of the Physics and Computing Division, exemplified by our pioneering work in image-based treatment planning systems during the 1980’s (PLanUNC), and today, in the development of nanotechnology-based radiation research technology. Our Cancer Biology Division has as its focus the molecular underpinnings of cancer etiology and radiation response, and applies this knowledge to new cancer drug discovery. Members of our Clinical Division develop and participate in innovative translational clinical trials at both the institutional and national levels. Our departmental educators enjoy national reputations for teaching excellence for trainning the next generation of physicians, scientists, radiation therapists and medical dosimetrists. Together, we all work toward the common goals of providing the best possible care for our patients today, and finding cures for cancer in the future.
| Clinical Division | Physics & Computing Division | Cancer Biology Division |
| Seven board-certified radiation oncologists spearhead our Clinical Division. These physicians specialize in different disease sites: Dr. Marks in breast and lung cancer; Dr. Tepper in gastrointestinal cancers and sarcomas; Dr. Rosenman in head and neck cancer; Dr. Morris in pediatrics, lymphoma, and central nervous system cancers; Dr. Varia in gynecological cancers; and Dr. Halle in lung and breast cancer; Dr. McNab in genitourinary cancers. We employ state-of-the-art equipment and treatment planning systems to deliver a large number of IMRT (intensity modulated radiation therapy) and IGRT (image guided radiation therapy)- utilizing both CT-on-rails and CyberKnife stereotactic techniques. We also have active high-dose rate remote afterloading brachytherapy and Mobetron intraoperative radiotherapy programs. Of particular interest are clinical trials. Some of our trials are developed by Departmental faculty, and can be offered only at UNC, thus providing our patients with unique treatment opportunities. Some of the other trials are initiated by members of our department and are available nationally, offered through cooperative clinical trials groups such as the CALGB. Approximately 20% of our patients participate in such trials.
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The Division consists of a busy clinical physics section that supports state of the art radiotherapy clinical treatment programs and a strong research section featuring a variety of multidisciplinary research programs. The Division has seven faculty members with diverse areas of expertise including both radiotherapy and basic physics, image analysis, radiation oncology, mathematics and nanotechnology. We also have more than ten highly-skilled professional staff members as well as a group of capable postdoctoral fellows, graduate students and other trainees.
Our research strategy is to focus on a few well-selected, multidisciplinary areas that have the potential to significantly impact both radiotherapy and cancer research in general. For example, during the 1980’s we developed one of the first 3-D image-based radiotherapy treatment planning systems (PLanUNC) under the leadership of the previous Division Head Dr. Edward Chaney and in collaboration with Dr. Stephen Pizer of the UNC Department of Computer Science. Currently, the group’s research focus is on fast and accurate medical image segmentation software. Since 2002 an exciting nanotechnology-based radiation research and therapy technology development program has been initiated by the current Division Head Dr. Sha Chang in collaboration with Dr. Otto Zhou from the UNC Department of Physics and Astronomy. The program currently includes the development of carbon nanotube field emission technology based radiation and cancer research tools including a single cell irradiator and a micro-CT-RT for imaging and radiotherapy of laboratory rodents that serve as models of human cancer. |
Our cancer biology research efforts encompass both mechanistic studies of the basis of cancer development and maintenance, and translational research into molecular target validation and new drug discovery. Similarly, our research on cellular responses to radiation bridges both types of research. Our internationally-recognized investigators use state-of-the-art model systems and animal-, cell- and in vitro-based biological, biochemical and molecular biology techniques to study oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes; Dr. Adrienne Cox concentrates on signaling from Ras and Rho family small GTPases in pancreatic and colorectal cancer models, Dr. Carolyn Sartor studies EGFR/HER-2 family members in breast cancer and Dr. Yanping Zhang’s specialty is the p53/Mdm2/Arf tumor suppressor pathway in leukemias and solid tumor models. Dr. James Raleigh, Professor Emeritus, remains active in the area of tumor physiology, in particular the detection and prognostic significance of hypoxic cells in cervical cancer.
We are a highly collaborative group and maintain research associations with colleagues within the Department, the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, and with top investigators both nationally and internationally from academia and the pharmaceutical industry. One particularly exciting intra-Departmental collaboration is on nanotechnology-based radiation research technology spearheaded by Dr. Sha Chang (Physics and Computing Division). Such technology has the potential to change completely our ability to investigate cellular responses to therapeutically-relevant doses of radiation by allowing us to observe these responses in real time in living cells. |