Ramesh Rengan, MD, PhD
Dr. Ramesh Rengan is a radiation oncologist at the University of Washington and Fred Hutch Cancer Center. He specializes in radiation treatment of lung cancer and thoracic malignancies including pleural mesothelioma, as well as melanoma, ocular tumors, renal cell carcinoma, and prostate cancer. In addition to treating patients using innovative radiation tools, Dr. Rengan oversees all cancer programs, research, projects, and activities within the proton therapy center.[1]
Dr. Rengan’s treatment philosophy revolves around the patient and using clinical and translational initiatives to improve outcomes. He says, “I try to spend time getting to know each patient from their initial visit through their entire journey through the treatment process. Each patient has distinct mental and emotional needs, and I try to do my best to tailor my approach to suit those needs.”[1]
Education and Career
Dr. Rengan earned both his medical degree and his Ph.D. at the University of Michigan Medical School and the Rackham School of Graduate Studies in Biological Chemistry and then completed an internship and residency in Radiation Oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.[1]
After completing his training, he joined the University of Pennsylvania, where he became the Chief of Thoracic Service and Assistant Director of Clinical Operations for the Department of Radiation Oncology and worked in the Roberts Proton Therapy Center. He joined the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance in 2013 and was named the medical director of the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance Proton Therapy Center the following year.[1]
He also serves as professor and Chair for the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Washington School of Medicine, a radiation oncologist at the University of Washington Medical Center, and an associate member of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
Professional Memberships and Activities
Dr. Rengan is actively involved in several professional organizations dedicated to excellence in radiation oncology. These include:[1]
- American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), Member of the Science Council, the Education Committee, and the Thoracic Strategic Planning Committee
- Particle Therapy Cooperative Oncology Group – North America (PTCOG-NA), Executive Committee
- Particle Therapy Cooperative Oncology Group (PTCOG), Thoracic, Optic Subcommittee
- Proton Collaborative Group (PCG) Member, Executive Council
Research
Dr. Rengan is actively involved in researching photon- and proton-based radiation treatment for thoracic malignancies to improve the benefits and minimize adverse effects of radiation protocols. He is also exploring the use of immunotherapy in combination with radiation to trigger anti-cancer immune responses.
Dr. Rengan has a record of developing new strategies for visualizing and gauging radiation therapy’s impact on both cancerous and healthy tissue.
Dr. Rengan’s recent publications include:[2]
- Prospective Feasibility and Phase 1/2 Trial of Preoperative Proton Beam Therapy With Concurrent Chemotherapy for Resectable Stage IIIA or Superior Sulcus Non-Small Cel…Charles B Simone 2nd, Nikhil Yegya-Raman, Shwetha Manjunath, Vivek Verma, Jacob E Shabason, Lee Xu, Keith A Cengel, William P Levin, Abigail T Berman, John P Christodo…>; International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics. 2023 Nov 1
- Improved lateral penumbra for proton ocular treatments on a general-purpose spot scanning beamline. Jatinder Saini, Dominic Maes, Rajesh Regmi, Angela Fung, Charles Bloch, Marco Schwarz, Andrew Stacey, Jonathan Chen, Ramesh Rengan, Lia Halasz>; Physica Medica. 2023 Mar 1
- Predicted Inferior Outcomes for Lung SBRT With Treatment Planning Systems That Fail Independent Phantom-Based Audits. Matthew D Greer, Brandon Koger, Mallory Glenn, John Kang, Ramesh Rengan, Jing Zeng, Eric Ford>; International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics. 2023 Apr 1
