Research Summary

Within my department, I am the vice chair of strategic advisory and hold the Jacobs Distinguished Professorship in Head and Neck Cancer Radiation Oncology. I am a full-time practicing clinician and my research draws from what I learn from my patients. My primary interests include head and neck, thoracic, and cutaneous malignancies, where I have developed and led multiple clinical trials, both within UCSF and across sites nationwide and overseas. I am interested in the development and evaluation of new therapeutic techniques, which to me include novel molecular targeted agents and immunotherapies as well as state-of-the-art technical advances in radiation therapy. I have special interests in virally driven malignancies associated with humanpapillomavirus (HPV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV). My research has entailed collaborating with laboratory-based investigators to identify patient, tumor, and technical characteristics that influence prognosis and response to specific therapies, including tissue-, blood-, and imaging-based biomarkers. I have also conducted clinical trials focused on symptom management, radioprotectants, and supporting patients' quality of life and decision making.

University responsibilities include co-leading the site committee for clinical trial development in head and neck cancers at the UCSF HDFCCC and serving as the principal investigator for NRG Oncology cooperative group activities at UCSF. I previously served on the Cancer Committee which maintains our accreditation through the American College of Surgeons. Nationally, I am the Editor in Chief of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics, Chair of the NRG Oncology Head and Neck Cancer Committee, and a Board Member and the Guidelines and Protocols Committee Co-Chair for the Head and Neck Cancer International Group. I am a member of the NCCN Head and Neck Cancers guidelines committee as well as the Head and Neck Cancer Resource Panel, Education and Science Education Committees, and Education Committee of the Health Equity Diversity Inclusion Education Council of the American Society of Radiation Oncology. I was previously co-chair of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) steering committee for head and neck cancers, president of the American Radium Society (ARS), chair of the scientific program and nominating committees of ARS, chair of the Appropriateness Committee guidelines for radiation oncology at the American College of Radiology, and member of the NCI's Head and Neck Recurrent/Metastatic Disease Task Force. I have been on the scientific program committees of the American Society for Radiation Oncology, the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer, and the American Head and Neck Society, among others. I am a national boards examiner for the American Board of Radiology. I have contributed to about 250 publications in the medical literature.

Research Funding

  • June 13, 2022 - May 31, 2027 - Oral microbiome and inflammatory status in antimicrobially-treated oral cancer patients , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R01CA269950

Education

2002, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, M.D., Ph.D., Medicine/English
2003, U. T. – M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Internship, Medicine/Surgery
2007, U. T. – M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Residency, Radiation Oncology

Honors & Awards

  • 1992
    Mellon Fellow in the Humanities, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
  • 1995
    Benjamin Franklin Medical Scholar Fellowship, University of Pennsylvania
  • 2004
    Thomas Barkley Award, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
  • 2004
    Clinical Biostatistics and Trial Design Workshop, Cancer Education Consortium
  • 2005
    Fellowship, Korean American Society for Therapeutic Radiology & Oncology
  • 2006
    Jesse H. Jones Fellowship in Cancer Education, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
  • 2006
    Outstanding Resident Presentation Award, Texas Radiological Society
  • 2006
    A. Lavoy Moore Endowment Fund, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
  • 2006
    Eleanor Montague Distinguished Resident Award, American Association of Women Radiologists
  • 2007
    Vail Workshop on Methods in Clinical Cancer Research, American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)/American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
  • 2008
    Joan F. Giambalvo Memorial Scholarship, AMA Women Physicians Congress
  • 2009
    Best Doctors in America, 2009-2014
  • 2011
    Educator of the Year Award, Association of Residents in Radiation Oncology
  • 2019
    Duke TIP Distinguished Alumni Award, Duke Talent Identification Program (TIP)
  • 2019
    Exceptional Mentor Award, American Medical Women's Association (AMWA)
  • 2019
    Steven A. Leibel Memorial Award, American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) and American Board of Radiology (ABR) Foundation
  • 2020
    Fellow of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (FASTRO), American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO)
  • 2021
    Lawrence Margolis Lifetime Teaching Award
  • 2021
    Fellow of the American Association for Women in Radiology (FAAWR)
  • 2022
    Fellow of the American College of Radiology (FACR)
  • 2024
    Lawrence Margolis Lifetime Teaching Award
  • 2024
    AAWR Arleo Advocacy Award (A4)

Selected Publications

  1. Xu MJ, Haddadi S, Mushi BP, Zhang L, Sama G, Nyagabona SK, Ng D, Muya S, Malango AE, Richard E, Ha P, Yom SS, Massawe W, Mmbaga EJ, Van Loon K, Nkya A. Treatment initiation and completion among head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients in Tanzania. BMC Res Notes. 2024 Dec 23; 17(1):380.  View on PubMed
  2. Guan L, Torres-Saavedra PA, Zhao X, Major MB, Holmes BJ, Nguyen NK, Kumaravelu P, Hodge T, Diehn M, Zevallos JP, Holsinger FC, Emami B, Jordan RC, Hayward MC, Sagar SM, Morrison W, Schultz C, Caudell JJ, Jones CU, Bratman SV, Galloway TJ, Ma DJ, Yom SS, Kudrimoti M, Kim HE, Harris J, Le QT, Hayes DN. Association between Locoregional Failure and NFE2L2/KEAP1/CUL3 Mutations in NRG/RTOG 9512: A Randomized Trial of Radiation Fractionation in T2N0 Glottic Cancer. Clin Cancer Res. 2024 Dec 10.  View on PubMed
  3. Vasudevan HN, Lazar AA, Reyes K, Rong DA, Arevalo S, Federman S, Chan JW, Chiu CY, Miller S, Yom SS. Comparison of Plasma Metagenomic Next-generation Sequencing and PCR Methods for Epstein-Barr Virus Viral Load Monitoring in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma. Anticancer Res. 2024 Dec; 44(12):5445-5453.  View on PubMed
  4. Weng J, Ryckman J, Katz MS, Saeed H, Estes C, Naqa IE, Moreno A, Yom SS, Dose Planning and Radiation Optimization (Dose-PRO) Consensus Group. Dose Planning and Radiation Optimization for Thoracic Conventional, Twice Daily, and Stereotactic Radiation Therapy: A Delphi Consensus from a National Survey of Practitioners. Pract Radiat Oncol. 2024 Nov 28.  View on PubMed
  5. Mell LK, Torres-Saavedra PA, Wong SJ, Kish JA, Chang SS, Jordan RC, Liu T, Truong MT, Winquist EW, Takiar V, Wise-Draper T, Robbins JR, Rodriguez CP, Awan MJ, Beadle BM, Henson C, Narayan S, Spencer SA, Powell S, Dunlap N, Sacco AG, Hu KS, Park HS, Bauman JE, Harris J, Yom SS, Le QT. Radiotherapy with cetuximab or durvalumab for locoregionally advanced head and neck cancer in patients with a contraindication to cisplatin (NRG-HN004): an open-label, multicentre, parallel-group, randomised, phase 2/3 trial. Lancet Oncol. 2024 Dec; 25(12):1576-1588.  View on PubMed
  6. Jabbour SK, Higgins KA, Yom SS, Goodman KA. Recapping Radiation Related Abstracts at ASCO 2024: A Commentary about the Fundamental Role of Radiation Therapy in Esophageal and Lung Cancers. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2024 Oct 01; 120(2):309-314.  View on PubMed
  7. Yom SS. The Top 20 Cited and Downloaded Red Journal Articles of 2023. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2024 Oct 01; 120(2):306-308.  View on PubMed
  8. Momodu JI, Carvajal C, Pryma DA, Anie HA, Michalski JM, Yom SS, Pawlicki T, Corn BW. The Lancet Oncology Commission: Radiotherapy & Theranostic Services in LMICs: Minding & Mending the Gaps. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2024 Nov 15; 120(4):931-935.  View on PubMed
  9. Barker CA, Yom SS. Reply to M. Boileau et al. J Clin Oncol. 2024 Nov 10; 42(32):3883-3884.  View on PubMed
  10. Akaike T, Thakuria M, Silk AW, Hippe DS, Park SY, So NA, Maloney NJ, Gunnell L, Eschholz A, Kim EY, Sinha S, Hall ET, Bhatia S, Reddy S, Rodriguez AA, Aleshin A, Choi JS, Tsai KY, Yom SS, Yu SS, Choi J, Chandra S, Nghiem P, Zaba LC. Circulating Tumor DNA Assay Detects Merkel Cell Carcinoma Recurrence, Disease Progression, and Minimal Residual Disease: Surveillance and Prognostic Implications. J Clin Oncol. 2024 Sep 10; 42(26):3151-3161.  View on PubMed
  11. Li JS, Blanchard P, Wong CHL, Ahn YC, Bonomo P, Bresson D, Caudell J, Chen MY, Chow VLY, Chua MLK, Corry J, Dupin C, Giralt J, Hu CS, Kwong DLW, Le QT, Lee AWM, Lee NY, Li YZ, Lim CM, Lin JC, Mendenhall WM, Moya-Plana A, O'Sullivan B, Ozyar E, Pan JJ, Qiu QH, Sher DJ, Snyderman CH, Tao YG, Tsang RK, Wang XS, Wu PA, Yom SS, Ng WT. International Recommendations on Postoperative Management for Potentially Resectable Locally Recurrent Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2024 Dec 01; 120(5):1294-1306.  View on PubMed
  12. Gaudy-Marqueste C, Grob JJ, Garbe C, Ascierto PA, Arron S, Basset-Seguin N, Bohne AS, Lenoir C, Dummer R, Fargnoli MC, Guminski A, Hauschild A, Kaufmann R, Lallas A, Del Marmol V, Migden M, Penicaud M, Rembielak A, Stratigos A, Tagliaferri L, Zalaudek I, Arance A, Badinand D, Bossi P, Challapalli A, Clementi M, Di Stefani A, Ferrándiz-Pulido C, Giuffrida R, Gravina GL, Ha P, Heinzerling L, Mallet S, Paradisi A, Mohr P, Piccerillo A, Rutkowski D, Saiag P, Sollena P, Trakatelli M, Wojcieszek P, Yom SS, Zelin E, Peris K, Malvehy J. Operational classification of cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas based on unsupervised clustering of real cases by experts. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2025 Mar; 39(3):612-621.  View on PubMed
  13. Lim AM, McDowell L, Hurt C, Le Tourneau C, Homma A, Shenouda G, Thomson DJ, Moya-Plana A, Henson C, Szturz P, Day AT, Bates JE, Lazarakis S, Thariat J, Psyrri A, Mehanna H, Yom SS, HNCIG. Assessment of endpoint definitions in curative-intent trials for mucosal head and neck squamous cell carcinomas: Head and Neck Cancer International Group consensus recommendations. Lancet Oncol. 2024 Jul; 25(7):e318-e330.  View on PubMed
  14. Lim AM, Le Tourneau C, Hurt C, Laskar SG, Steuer CE, Chow VLY, Szturz P, Henson C, Day AT, Bates JE, Lazarakis S, McDowell L, Mehanna H, Yom SS, HNCIG. Assessment of endpoint definitions in recurrent and metastatic mucosal head and neck squamous cell carcinoma trials: Head and Neck Cancer International Group consensus recommendations. Lancet Oncol. 2024 Jul; 25(7):e308-e317.  View on PubMed
  15. Henson C, Abou-Foul AK, Yu E, Glastonbury C, Huang SH, King AD, Lydiatt WM, McDowell L, Nagelschneider AA, Nankivell PC, O'Sullivan B, Rhys R, Xiao Y, Andrew D, Asmussen JT, Bidault F, Dankbaar JW, de Graaf P, Gebrim ES, Hu C, Ding J, Kanda T, Kim J, Kuno H, Medrano-Martorell S, Oikonomopoulos N, Goh JP, Santos-Armentia E, Schafigh DG, Subramaniam RM, Wu XC, Yom SS, Mehanna H. Criteria for the diagnosis of extranodal extension detected on radiological imaging in head and neck cancer: Head and Neck Cancer International Group consensus recommendations. Lancet Oncol. 2024 Jul; 25(7):e297-e307.  View on PubMed
  16. Abou-Foul AK, Henson C, Chernock RD, Huang SH, Lydiatt WM, McDowell L, O'Sullivan B, Perez-Ordonez B, Robinson M, Nankivell PC, Ruiz-Bravo E, Chiosea SI, Green TM, Hunter KD, Hwang JS, Koljenovic S, Koppes SA, Larsen SR, Lo AWI, Costes-Martineau V, Mittal N, Mori T, Nagao T, Panayiotides IG, Pinto CAL, Scheckenbach K, Seethala RR, Ulhøi BP, Vingiani A, Zhang Y, Yom SS, Mehanna H. Standardised definitions and diagnostic criteria for extranodal extension detected on histopathological examination in head and neck cancer: Head and Neck Cancer International Group consensus recommendations. Lancet Oncol. 2024 Jul; 25(7):e286-e296.  View on PubMed
  17. Kline B, Yadav S, Seo Y, Ippisch RC, Castillo J, Aggarwal RR, Kelley RK, Behr SC, Flavell RR, Lawhn-Heath C, Melisko M, Rugo HS, Wang V, Yom SS, Ha P, Jiang F, Hope TA. 68Ga-FAP-2286 PET of Solid Tumors: Biodistribution, Dosimetry, and Comparison with 18F-FDG. J Nucl Med. 2024 Jun 03; 65(6):938-943.  View on PubMed
  18. Lichter KE, Charbonneau K, Lewy JR, Bloom JR, Shenker R, Sabbagh A, Chino J, Rodrigues A, Hearn J, Grover S, Sheu RD, Witztum A, Qureshi MM, Yom SS, Anand C, Thiel CL, Mohamad O. Quantification of the environmental impact of radiotherapy and associated secondary human health effects: a multi-institutional retrospective analysis and simulation. Lancet Oncol. 2024 Jun; 25(6):790-801.  View on PubMed
  19. Arron ST, Cañueto J, Siegel J, Fitzgerald A, Prasai A, Koyfman SA, Yom SS. Association of a 40-Gene Expression Profile With Risk of Metastatic Disease Progression of Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Specification of Benefit of Adjuvant Radiation Therapy. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2024 Nov 01; 120(3):760-771.  View on PubMed
  20. McDowell L, King MT, Hutcheson KA, Ringash J, Yom SS, Corry J, Henson C, Mehanna H, Rischin D. A Hard Truth to Swallow: Critically Evaluating the MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI) as an Endpoint in Human Papillomavirus-associated Oropharyngeal Cancer Trials. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2024 Nov 01; 120(3):805-822.  View on PubMed

Go to UCSF Profiles, powered by CTSI