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Duke Radiation Oncology News

Duke Radiation Oncology is the first clinic in the world to use the Novalis Tx™ System. The Novalis Tx™ radiosurgery system delivers high-energy radiation beams to the tumor target at twice the resolution of conventional treatment machines. The increased precision of the Novalis Tx™ is a dramatic improvement in radiosurgery technology, which allows physicians to aim high-dose radiation beams at tumors while minimizing damage to nearby healthy tissue. In addition to minimizing radiation-treatment side effects, this system provides greater ease and comfort for the patient. Radiosurgery treatments that used to take hours to set up and verify are now completed in one hour, and with greater accuracy. The system can quickly verify patient position within one millimeter. Duke Radiation Oncology is leading the way in this new treatment technology.

Varian Novalis Tx System

Announcements and Awards for 2009

Associate Professor Zeljko Vujaskovic, M.D., Ph.D., received the 2009 R. Wayne Rundles Award for Excellence in Cancer Research. The Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center gave him this award in October in recognition for his outstanding research on the effects of radiation therapy on normal tissue and the use of hyperthermia treatment.
On July 29, the Department of Radiation Oncology lost a good friend and colleague, Dr. Thad Samulski. Dr. Samulski began his career at Duke Radiation Oncology in 1986 as an Assistant Professor. He rose in rank to Professor and Director of the Radiation Physics Section before leaving in 2004. He served as 1998-1999 President of the North American Hyperthermia Societyand was awarded the society's J. Eugene Robinson Award in 1999. Dr. Samulski held 2 U.S. Patents and was first author or contributing author for over 90 journal articles. He was a pioneer in researching the use of hyperthermia to treat cancer.

The Thaddeus V. Samulski Lectureship is being set up in his honor. Please send contributions c/o Terry Brewer, Radiation Oncology Business Manager, Box 3640 Duke University Medical Center, Durham NC 27710.
Radiation Oncology nurse Betsy Robinson passed her board exams in August to become an Oncolocy Certified Nurse.
In August, Chief Resident Paiman Ghafoori, M.D., r eceived the ASTRO Translational Advances in Radiation Oncology and Cancer Imaging Symposium Travel Grant. The Symosium will be held in St. Louis, Missouri, in September.
In April, Pavel Yarmolenko, a Duke graduate student, received one of five New Investigator Awards for 2009 at the annual meeting of the Society for Thermal Medicine. Pavel is a doctoral candidate in Biomedical Engineering who is conducting his research in Mark Dewhirst's Tumor Microenvironment Laboratory.
In March, Kavitha Arunachalam received the International Journal of Hyperthermia Informa–Yamamoto Editor’s Award in Physics/Engineering. Kavitha is a Research Associate in the Hyperthermia Division of Radiation Oncology.
An article by Radiation Oncology faculty and research associates was selected for the Physics in Medicine and Biology Highlights of 2008. At the end of each year, 25 articles are selected for the Highlights based on outstanding research quality, high praise from referrees, and the highest number of downloads from the journal's website. The featured research article was a collaborative effort by members of Radiobiology and Radiation Physics divisions: E. Kim (Radiobiology), James Bowsher (Physics), Harshad Sakhalkar (Physics), Mark Dewhirst (Radiobiology), and Mark Oldham (Physics).

Awards in 2008

James Oleson, M.D., Ph.D., was awarded the ASTRO Fellow Award in September. To be eligible for this prestigious award, ASTRO members must be a part of the Society for at least 20 years and have served in a leadership role in the organization and have made significant contributions to radiation oncology.
Mark W. Dewhirst, D.V.M., Ph.D., received the 2008 Faila Award and Lectureship, which is awarded by the Radiation Research Society for distinguished careers in radiation research. Dr. Dewhirst was presented with the Faila Award at the 54th Annual Meeting of the Radiation Research Society in Boston on September 21. Dr. Dewhirst is the Gustavo Montana Professor of Radiation Oncology at Duke University and program director for the Hyperthermia Research and Treatment Program.
Greg Palmer won the Jack Fowler award from the Radiation Research Society. Greg Palmer, Ph.D., is a Research Associate in the Tumor Microcirculation Laboratory. The Jack Fowler award recognizes an outstanding junior investigator for exceptional research efforts in radiation oncology, medical physics, or radiobiology.
In January, David G. Kirsch, M.D., Ph.D., received one of the first Damon Runyon-Rachleff Innovation Awards. These new awards apply venture-capital type "investing" in young researchers with innovative approaches to curing cancer. Dr. Kirsch is an Associate Professor at Duke Radiation Oncology who combines research with clinical practice in the treatment of bone and soft tissue sarcomas.
Several Radiation Oncology clinical nurses have been recognized for their outstanding efforts.
Carolyn Scott was named one of the 100 Great Nurses in North Carolina for 2008. This achievement was featured in Inside Duke Medicine.
Betsy Wyman and Eileen Duffy were both nominated this year for Duke's Friends of Nursing Excellence in Nursing Award.

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