The Department of Radiation Oncology at Moffitt Cancer Center offers a fellowship in Brachytherapy for radiation oncologists who wish to develop additional technical skills and experience in brachytherapy.
Brachytherapy Facilities/Equipment
Moffitt Cancer Center was ranked No. 11 on U.S. News & World Report's Best Hospitals for Cancer in 2020. Moffitt has been included in the annual Best Hospitals list for 21 years in a row. With a unique blend of research and clinical expertise, Moffitt is a high-volume cancer center. Utilizing High-Dose Rate (HDR) brachytherapy, incoming fellows will have an opportunity to participate in over 250 cases per year, gaining proficiency in prostate and gynecologic brachytherapy while encountering extraordinary experiences in head and neck, skin, and sarcoma.
Procedures are primarily performed in the radiation oncology department or in the operating rooms at the main campus. Fellows will participate in intracavitary and interstitial techniques during open procedures and/or the use of ultrasound guidance. Planning is commonly CT-based, with MRI fusion and fluoroscopic imaging capabilities to facilitate target delineation. The HDR brachytherapy suite offers broad implementation of treatment for almost all disease sites.
- Intracavitary/interstitial brachytherapy training for gynecologic malignancies include experience with standard tandem ovoid, tandem & ring, Vienna/Utrecht/Venezia based hybrid interstitial implants, double tandem, and single/multi-channel cylinder.
- Interstitial brachytherapy training for prostate cancer includes ultrasound guided implant, fiducial and hydroseal gel placement.
- Surface brachytherapy training for skin cancers include experience with Valencia applicators, Freiburg flaps and custom molds.
- Interstitial brachytherapy for soft-tissue sarcoma include intraoperative trochar based implants in both the staged and immediate reconstruction settings.
- Interstitial brachytherapy for head/neck cancer includes definitive implants in the lip, oral cavity, oropharynx, and neck.
Goals and Objectives
- Expand knowledge of the indications for brachytherapy through clinical experience, formal lecture series and journal club, across a broad range of malignancies including prostate cancer, gynecologic cancers, head and neck cancers, skin cancers, and sarcomas.
- Develop procedural skills to safely and effectively perform brachytherapy treatments for patients.
- Participate in brachytherapy related research, integrating innovative techniques and technology (e.g. radiomics, genomics, etc.), with the goal of advancing the field forward.
Brachytherapy Faculty
- Section Chair, Brachytherapy
- Program Director, Brachytherapy Fellowship
- Former Co-Director of GYN brachytherapy Clinical Workshop
- Brachytherapy Expertise:
- Intracavitary, interstitial, and hybrid implants for gynecologic malignancies
- Interstitial: prostate, lip, and soft tissue sarcoma
- Endoluminal GI brachytherapy: endobiliary, esophogeal, endorectal
- Intraoperative: intracavitary breast
- Education: trained 25+ resident and fellows
- Chairman, Department of Radiation Oncology
- Former Chief of Brachytherapy, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
- Ulrich Henschke Award Winner (2003)
- ASTRO President (2006)
- Awarded ASTRO Gold medal
- Brachytherapy Expertise:
- All interstitial, intraoperative, and surface brachytherapy
- Interstitial: head-neck cancer and soft tissue sarcoma
- Education: trained countless residents and fellows
- Sarcoma Section Chair, Department of Radiation Oncology
- Assistant Program Director, Brachytherapy Fellowship
- Sarcoma Editor, American Brachytherapy Society editorial Board
- Brachytherapy Expertise:
- Interstitial: soft tissue sarcoma, prostate, and head-neck cancer
- Cutaneous Section Chair, Department of Radiation Oncology
- Former Residency Program Director, Ohio State University
- Melanoma Committee Member, National Comprehensive Cancer Network
- NRG Oncology Radiation Oncology Committee Co-chair
- Brachytherapy Expertise:
- Surface brachytherapy: for skin cancers (e.g. basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma)
- Collaborating with industry partners to develop 3-D printed custom surface brachytherapy molds
- Endoluminal GI brachytherapy: esophageal and endorectal
- Gynecology Section Chair, Department of Radiation Oncology
- Department Section Chair, Moffitt International Plaza
- Brachytherapy Expertise:
- Intracavitary and hybrid interstitial implants: postoperative, definitive, and recurrent gynecologic cancers
Length of Program
1 year, beginning July 1
Number of Positions
1
Eligibility
Applicants must have completed an accredited Radiation Oncology residency program. Foreign medical graduates are welcome to apply, but they must be ECFMG-certified.
Application Requirements
- Curriculum Vitae
- Personal Statement
- Three Letters of Recommendation
- USMLE results
Applications are due by January 15 of the year in which the applicant wishes to start the fellowship.
Please submit applications materials to angie.courtney@moffitt.org or mail to:
Moffitt Cancer Center
Attn: Angie Courtney
12902 USF Magnolia Drive
MCC-GME
Tampa, FL 33612
813-745-8535
Program Director
Daniel Fernandez MD, PhD
Brachytherapy Fellowship Director
12902 USF Magnolia Drive, MCC-Rad Onc
Tampa, FL 33612
813-745-3547
Daniel.Fernandez@moffitt.org
Assistant Program Director
Arash Naghavi, MD, MS
Arash.Naghavi@moffitt.org
Graduating Fellows
2019-2020: Ranjani Padmanabhan, MD
- Education/Training:
- 2002: Government Medical College, Trivandrum, Kerala, India, Bachelor of medicine and surgery (MBBS), Medical Degree
- 2004: Graduate Internship - Clinical Management in Internal Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecological, Pediatrics, Psychiatry and Community Medicine.
- Research:
- Padmanabhan R, Pinkawa M and Song DY. Hydrogel Spacers in Prostate Radiotherapy: A Promising Approach to Decrease Rectal Toxicity. Future Oncol. Dec, 2017. 13(29): 2697-2708. [PMID:29168659]
- Current Position:
- 2020: Clinical Fellowship in the Future of Radiation Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center
2018-2019 Francis Adumata Asamoah M.D.
- Education/Training:
- 2010: University of Ghana School of Medicine and Dentistry, Ghana (M.B. Ch.B.)
- 2016: Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons – Faculty of Radiology, Oncology and Radiotherapy; Ghana
- Awards:
- 1999: National Best Basic Schools Examination Candidate, Western Region, Ghana
- 2009: National Executive Chairman, Federation of Ghana Catholic Health Trainees
- 2012: President, Junior Doctors' Association - Tamale Teaching Hospital
- Research:
- Asamoah FA, Yarney J, Awasthi S, Vanderpuye V, Venkat PS, Fink AK, Naghavi AO, Abrahams A, Mensah JE, Sasu E, Tagoe SNA, Johnstone PAS and Yamoah K. Contemporary Radiation Treatment of Prostate Cancer in Africa: A Ghanaian Experience. J Glob Oncol. Jul, 2018. 4(1-13. [PMID:30085846]
- Vulpe H, Asamoah FA, Maganti M, Vanderpuye V, Fyles A and Yarney J. External Beam Radiation Therapy and Brachytherapy for Cervical Cancer: The Experience of the National Centre for Radiotherapy in Accra, Ghana. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. Apr 1, 2018. 100(5): 1246-1253. [PMID:29395628]
- Asamoah FA, Yarney J, Awasthi S, Vanderpuye V, Dadzie MA, Fink A, Naghavi AO, Abrahams A, Mensah JE, Sasu E, Tagoe SN, Dhillon J, Johnstone PAS and Yamoah K. Definitive Radiation Treatment Patterns and Outcomes for Low and Intermediate Risk Prostate Cancer Patients: A Cross-Continental Comparative Study. Am J Clin Oncol. Dec, 2019. 42(12): 937-944. [PMID:31584456]
- Awasthi S, Gerke T, Park JY, Asamoah FA, Williams VL, Fink AK, Balkrishnan R, Lee DI, Malkowicz SB, Lal P, Dhillon J, Pow-Sang JM, Rebbeck TR and Yamoah K. Optimizing Time to Treatment to Achieve Durable Biochemical Disease Control after Surgery in Prostate Cancer: A Multi-Institutional Cohort Study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. Mar, 2019. 28(3): 570-577. [PMID:30413401]
- Awasthi S, Gerke T, Williams VL, Asamoah F, Fink AK, Balkrishnan R, Park JY and Yamoah K. Interrelationship between Health Insurance Status and Prostate Cancer Grade Can Have Critical Impact on Prostate Cancer Disease Control: A Retrospective Cohort Study. Cancer Control. Jan-Dec, 2019. 26(1): 1073274819837184. [PMID:30935222]
- Coordinated intra-operative and post implant prostate biopsies on MCC protocol 19435 (phase I/II NCT03543189 Trial) studying the benefit of adding Nivolumab to androgen deprivation in Gleason grade group 5 prostate cancers
- Current Position:
- 2020: Clinical Oncologist, National Radiotherapy Oncology and Nuclear Medicine Center, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital
2017-2018 Anupam Rishi, M.D.
- Education/Training:
- 2011: Calcutta University, Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, West Bengal, India (MBBS), M.D.
- 2015: Senior residency in radiation oncology, Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
- 2016: Head and neck clinical fellowship in radiation oncology, Princess Margaret Cancer Center, Toronto, Canada
- 2017: Clinical Fellowship in the Future of Radiation Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center
- Awards:
- 2011: Medal of Academic Excellence in Residency
- 2013: ASTRO Annual Meeting Scientific Abstract Travel Award
- 2013: ASTRO Travel Grant
- 2013: Council of Scientific & Industrial Research Travel Grant
- 2014: Best Scientific Abstract Award, Indian Society of Neuro-Oncology Annual Meeting
- 2017: Best Poster Award, Moffitt Scientific Symposium
- Research:
- Caudell JJ, Torres-Roca JF, Gillies RJ, Enderling H, Kim S, Rishi A, Moros EG and Harrison LB. The Future of Personalised Radiotherapy for Head and Neck Cancer. Lancet Oncol. May, 2017. 18(5): e266-e273. [PMID:28456586]
- Rishi A, Hui Huang S, O'Sullivan B, Goldstein DP, Lu L, Ringash J, Waldron J, Wells W, Sun A, Hope A, Chung P, Giuliani M, Spreafico A, Tong L, Xu W and Bayley A. Outcome Following Radiotherapy for Head and Neck Basal Cell Carcinoma with 'Aggressive' Features. Oral Oncol. Sep, 2017. 72(157-164. [PMID:28797452]
- Kayaleh R, Krzyston H, Rishi A, Naziri J, Frakes J, Choi J, El-Haddad G, Parikh N, Sweeney J and Kis B. Transarterial Radioembolization Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer Patients with Liver-Dominant Metastatic Disease Using Yttrium-90 Glass Microspheres: A Single-Institution Retrospective Study. J Vasc Interv Radiol. Jul, 2020. 31(7): 1060-1068. [PMID:32534978]
- Krzyston H, Morse B, Deperalta D, Rishi A, Kayaleh R, El-Haddad G, Smith J, Druta M and Kis B. Liver-Directed Treatments of Liver-Dominant Metastatic Leiomyosarcoma. Diagn Interv Radiol. Jul 7, 2020. [PMID:32673206]
- Current Position:
- 2020: Radiation oncology resident (PGY3), Moffitt Cancer Center