Message from the Chair

Penn Radiation Oncology is dedicated to a three-part mission of excellence in patient care, basic and translational research, and the education of residents and students. We are committed to delivering excellence in every area and as such we steadfastly believe that “Excellence is Standard.”

Penn Radiation Oncology is one of the most comprehensive radiation oncology programs in the world. The outstanding faculty and staff, combined with Penn’s extensive collection of advanced technology, gives patients access to nearly every treatment option available for their cancer. The broad range of radiation treatments available include proton therapy, intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), high-dose rate (HDR) and low-dose rate brachytherapy, partial breast irradiation, stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), and Gamma Knife radiation. With the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania, Penn Radiation Oncology provides patient care at the Ruth and Raymond Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine and seven community-based sites.

Located directly across the street from the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, the Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine offers the latest radiation oncology equipment and technology, including five of the most advanced linear accelerators, two CT simulators, a PET CT simulator and an MRI simulator.

With the addition of the Roberts Proton Therapy Center in 2009, Penn further expanded the array of treatments offered thereby providing adult and pediatric patients with options that previously didn’t exist. Penn's Roberts Proton Therapy Center is completely integrated with its conventional radiation therapy services. The Roberts Proton Therapy Center is the largest proton therapy center in the country with five treatment rooms, delivering one of the most advanced and targeted forms of radiation to patients.

Penn Radiation Oncology is not only committed to delivering top-flight radiation therapy, but also to enhancing and improving upon the patient experience by providing a full range of clinical services and supportive programs. An integral component of the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania, Penn Radiation Oncology draws upon the center's full resources to deliver the best possible comprehensive care.

Penn Radiation Oncology is particularly proud of its outstanding research program. Penn is committed to developing new biological and physical approaches for improving radiation therapy and bringing these advances to the clinic to benefit patients directly. In particular, Penn's researchers are known for developing novel approaches to biologically target molecular pathways and, thereby, enhance the effect of radiation on tumor cells, while not increasing side effects. Penn's work in tumor hypoxia and the tumor microenvironment is well recognized in the oncology research community, as are its programs in photodynamic therapy, radioprotection and DNA damage.

The four-year residency program in radiation oncology is one of the most competitive in the nation, allowing Penn Medicine to recruit the most outstanding candidates. Effective teaching of residents by its faculty is a priority and is emphasized as an important component of academic life at Penn. The residents are highly dedicated to patient care and research, and they leave the program with important skills that allow them to function independently as radiation oncologists in academia or private practice. They are exposed to the most modern technologies and master oncology literature across many disciplines.

No matter whether someone comes to the Department as a patient, a candidate or as a research or clinical collaborator, we hope to make your experience at Penn’s Department of Radiation Oncology the finest possible.  In our department, Excellence is Standard.

James M. Metz, M.D.
Henry K. Pancoast Professor
Chair of Radiation Oncology