Subspecialty comparison in RadOnc
Started by mainsail
Gracias
Coming out of residency my research fit well with thoracic. During residency I did Monte Carlo dosimetry research for lung cancer and skull base stereotactic radiosurgery. There were no CNS jobs, however, there were 3 opening in thoracic rad onc at MD Anderson. I was able to secure start-up funds. Once at MDACC the dept chair made it clear the Monte Carlo research was going to be lead by the radiation physics chair, who had a rule against physicians doing physics research (but not vice versa). I had to develop my own independent research programs -- which I did. I chose deformable image registration, which fits well with thoracic, and obtained an adjunct appointment in applied math at Rice University. I do applied math research, not physics. A couple of NIH grants later I can say it worked out well.
Other problems I'm looking at in thoracic have been around since the 1920's and we've made little progress, e.g. radiation pneumonitis (RP). Clearly, dosimetric parameters don't work as predictors. I have 2 discoveries (PMRR and exhaled NO as biomarkers) and currently 1 NIH grant on that topic. My interest in this topic arose in my first year at MDACC after my first patient death from RP. Now 8 yrs later, I currently have one recently treated patient in the ICU who has been on a ventilator these past 2 weeks. Both of those patients were the nicest folks and had the most supportive families. Radiation therapy hurt them, we must improve.
