Since its inception in 1968, Saint Louis University鈥檚 Division of Radiation Oncology has been an integral part of our cancer treatment and academic medical practice. Radiation oncology works closely with SLUCare surgeons and other health care professionals to treat patients who have brain, head and neck tumors, as well as those with prostate, lung, breast and liver cancer.
The state-of-the-art Center for Radiation Medicine is adjacent to the West Pavilion Cancer Center Outpatient Services. The Varian TrueBeam Linear Accelerators expanded our capabilities including techniques like respiratory gating, Rapid Arc, Calypso, ExacTrac Dynamic, Vision RT, and cone-beam CT for faster and precise treatment.
In 2017, Saint Louis University transitioned its stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for brain and stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) to the pinpoint accuracy of Varian TrueBeam. Our history of intra and extracranial stereotactic radiation started in 2004 with the CyberKnife and now. Now, the TrueBeam has grown to offer open face masks, continual optical surface monitoring, radiofrequency guidance and cone-beam CT localization. These accurate TrueBeam treatments are noninvasive, faster, and gated to help the radiation avoid organs at risk and target the tumor.
Our Faculty
John Dombrowski, M.D., Ph.D.
Associate professor
Division director
SSM SLUCare Radiation Oncology
St. Mary's Hospital Division
Jeevin Shahi, M.D.
Division director
SSM SLUCare Radiation Oncology
SLU Hospital
Christen R. Elledge, M.D.
Assistant professor
Nabil Khater
Chief physicist
Assistant professor
Bruce Walz, M.D.
Professor emeritus
Joint Appointments
Richard Bucholz, M.D.
Department of Neurosurgery
Major Clinical Research
NRG/RTOG
Children's Oncology Group (In collaboration with SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital)
Industry Related - Accuray
Other collaborative trials with medical oncology and surgical oncology
Selected Research and Peer Reviewed Articles
A. Piening, A. Swaminath, J. Dombrowski, RM Teague, N. Al-Hammadi, J. Shahi, "Overall survival in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma treated with concomitant systemic therapy and stereotactic body radiation therapy or systemic therapy alone," Frontiers in Oncology, November 2023; Volume 13: 1290691.
J. Shahi, I. Poon, Y.C. Ung, M. Tsao, G. A. Bjarnason, N. H. Malik, L. Zhang, A. V. Louie, P. Cheung, "Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Mediastinal and Hilar Lymph Node Metastases," International Journal of Radiation Oncology 路 Biology 路 Physics, Online Publication, October 25, 2020.
J. Shahi, J. Peng, E. Donovan, J. Vansantvoort, R. Wong, T. Tsakiridis, K. Quan, S. Parpia, A. Swaminath, "Overall and Chemotherapy-free survival following stereotactic body radiation therapy for abdominopelvic olgiometastases," Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Oncology, Volume 64, Issue 4, pgs 563-569, August 2020.
M.C.Tjong, D. Y. Mak, J. Shahi, G. J. Li, H. Chen, A.V.Louie, "Current Management and Progress in Radiotherapy for Small Cell Lung Cancer," Frontiers in Oncology, Volume 10, Article 1146, July 2020.
K.M. Polednik, M.C. Simpson, E.A. Boakye, K.A. Mohammed, J.J.Dombrowski, M.A. Varvares, N.Osazuwa-Peters, "Radiation and Second Primary Thyroid Cancer Following Index Head and Neck Cancer," The Laryngoscope, Volume 129, Pages 1014-1020, April 2019. Epub September 12, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1002/lary.27467
R.M., Meier, D.A. Bloch, C. Cotrutz, A.C. Beckman, G.T. Henning, S.A. Woodhouse, S.K. Williamson, N. Mohideen, J.J. Dombrowski, R.L. Hong, D. G. Brachman, P.W. Linson, I.D. Kaplan, "Multi-Center Trial of Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for Low- and Intermediate-Risk Prostate Cancer: Survival and Toxicity Endpoints," International Journal of Radiation Oncology 路 Biology 路 Physics (2018),doi: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2018.05.040.
S.A. Byrd, M.J. Xu, L.M. Cass, D.J. Wehrmann, M. Naunheim, K. Christopher, J. J. Dombrowski, R. J. Walker, L.Wirth, J.Clark, P.Busse, A.Chan, D.G. Deschler, K. Emerick, D.T. Lin, M.A. Varvares, "Oncologic and functional outcomes of pretreatment tracheotomy in advanced laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma: A multi-institutional analysis," Oral Oncology, March 2018, 78, pages 171-176.
R. Bhatia, S. Ravulapati, A. Befeler, J. Dombrowski, S. Gadani, N. Poddar, "Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Bone Metastases: Incidence, Prognostic Significance, and Management--Single-Center Experience," Journal of Gastrointestinal Cancer, September 11, 2017.
A. Hassaini, J. Dombrowski, E. Bolesta, R. Walker, M. Varvares, "Esthesioneuroblastoma with Bilateral Metastases to the Parotid Glands," Head & Neck, Volume 38, Issue 3, March 2016. Head Neck.doi: 10.1002/hed.24425.
S. McBride, D. Wong, J. Dombrowski, B. Harkins, P. Tapella, H. Hanscom, S. Collins, I. Kaplan, "Hypofractionated Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy in Low-Risk Prostate Adenocarcinoma: Preliminary Results of Multi-Institution Phase 1 Feasibility Trial," Cancer, Volume 118, Issue 15, Pages 3681-3690, August 1, 2012.