Message From the Chair
The mission of Fox Chase Cancer Center Radiation Oncology is to alleviate the burden of cancer by safely and compassionately delivering state-of-the-art radiation therapy with a commitment to clinical excellence, research expertise, and education in an inclusive environment that embraces diversity.
The Department of Radiation Oncology at Fox Chase Cancer Center and the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University offer many of the most sophisticated radiation techniques, including intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), stereotactic body radiation therapy (SbRT), high-dose-rate (HDR) and low-dose-rate (LDR) brachytherapy, the CyberKnife and GammaKnife radiosurgery systems, hyperthermia, and high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU). We have some of the most extensive experience in hypofractionated IMRT and brachytherapy in the region and country.
But we believe caring for people with cancer is more than just a collection of technologies. Although crucial to delivering state-of-the-art treatment, advanced technologies are just one component of what we have to offer our patients. As part of a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, we believe that cancer care is truly multidisciplinary, so we work with our Fox Chase colleagues, many of whom are national and international experts in surgical and medical oncology. This level of expertise and care offers our patients the best opportunity for treatment success.
The Fox Chase Department of Radiation Oncology is one department located at four sites in Northeast Philadelphia, Bucks County, Montgomery County, and North Philadelphia. This gives cancer patients in Southeastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware access to Fox Chase Radiation Oncology regardless of location.
In addition to providing state-of-the-art care, Fox Chase radiation oncologists are involved in developing new treatments through research. The foundation of modern cancer care rests on clinical, basic science, and translational research. We have a decades-long history of developing many of the treatments that are now standard, including 3D conformal radiation therapy, IMRT, and image-guided radiation therapy. We are a department of firsts, including the first CT simulator (1989) and the first MRI simulator (2000) in the United States. The first temporary HDR prostate implant on the East Coast was performed at Fox Chase in 1998, and now we are the first and only department in the United States developing and treating patients with radiodynamic therapy.
Fox Chase Radiation Oncology is also looking to the future, as evidenced by its commitment to train the next generation of radiation oncologists, medical physicists, and radiation therapists. We have been training radiation oncologists in our residency program for more than 40 years and we remain a top choice for elite medical students from around the country. Education is a priority for the radiation oncology and medical physics faculty, and preparing the next generation of clinicians and physicists is one of our key missions.
Through clinical excellence, research innovation, and educational distinction, Fox Chase Radiation Oncology offers the highest level of care for our patients in their time of need.
Eric M. Horwitz, MD, FABS, FASTRO
Chair, Department of Radiation Oncology
Fox Chase Cancer Center and Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple UniversityGerald E. Hanks Chair in Radiation Oncology
Fox Chase Cancer Center
