CHAIRMAN'S MESSAGE

Alan Pollack, M.D., Ph.D.

The faculty and staff in the Department of Radiation Oncology are dedicated to providing the most sophisticated treatments available in a caring environment built on multidisciplinary disease site teams. The treatment of cancer is technically demanding. Our pledge is to be at the forefront, evaluating and adopting these advances so that our patients benefit as soon as possible. To this end, we recently installed a new Trilogy linear accelerator with the latest image-guidance capabilities using second generation cone beam CT methods and RapidArc®. We also offer the Calypso® system, the best real-time tracking system available. While the Calypso® system is currently only approved for prostate cancer, there is tremendous potential for use in the treatment of other tumors.

Our faculty have specialty expertise in a variety of technical procedures and techniques including stereotactic radiosurgery, the implantation of radioactive material and the incorporation of newer functional imaging methods (MRI-Magnetic Resonance Imaging and PET-Positron Emission Tomography) into treatment planning and treatment delivery. Many of our faculty members are involved in clinical and laboratory research which aims to dramatically alter patient treatments in the future. The department’s many areas of research include studies of novel compounds and methods to increase tumor cell killing in response to radiation and new biomarker methods to predict patient outcome and response to specific treatments. Funds from the National Cancer Institute, the Department of Defense and donors support these projects.

Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center offers a unique academic environment in South Florida because of the collaboration between disease site specialists including Radiation Oncologists, Medical Oncologists, Surgical Oncologists, as well as Pathologists and Radiologists. This team approach is critical to our mission to offer the best care possible and the latest clinical trials. In the Department of Radiation Oncology, we create an environment conducive to optimizing the experience of the individual patient, maximizing the chance for cure and contributing to advances in patient care on a global level.

Alan Pollack, M.D., Ph.D.
Chairman and Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine