Newswise — DETROIT – Internationally renowned radiation oncologist Parag J. Parikh, M.D., has joined the Henry Ford Cancer Institute Radiation Oncology Department to lead its MR-guided Radiation Program.

Dr. Parikh, a well-recognized expert in the management of gastrointestinal cancers, also will serve as Director of Henry Ford’s Gastrointestinal Radiation Oncology Program. He comes to Henry Ford from Washington University, where he was associate professor of Radiation Oncology and Biomedical Engineering.

He will see patients at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit and at Henry Ford Medical Center – Cottage in Grosse Pointe Farms, home of the world-first ViewRay MRIdian Linac® System.

Under the leadership of Benjamin Movsas, M.D., Chair, Radiation Oncology Department, Henry Ford was the first treat to patients with ViewRay MRIdian Linac®, an advanced radiation therapy unit that uses an FDA-approved real-time magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and linear accelerator delivery for more precise and accurate radiation treatment.

The ViewRay system combines the effectiveness of MRI, which produces high-quality images of organs and structures inside the body, with a state-of-the-art linear accelerator to deliver radiation at the intended target, while allowing for treatments to be changed in real-time while the patient is on the treatment table. The result is a more accurate, precise treatment.

“I’ve performed hundreds of adaptive radiation treatments with an earlier version of this novel device and I’m convinced this is the future of radiation therapy. I’m so excited to return home to Michigan where I grew up and join the longest running MRI linear accelerator program in the world, right here at the Henry Ford Cancer Institute,” says Dr. Parikh.

“We are so excited to have Dr. Parag Parikh join our stellar HFCI Radiation Oncology team to lead our MR-guided radiation program here. He is internationally recognized for his expertise in this area and is a wonderful addition to our dedicated team," says Dr. Movsas.

Dr. Parikh also is leading a multi-center prospective clinical trial planned for locally advanced pancreatic cancer using MR-guided adaptive radiation. This novel trial is exploring new opportunities to improve survival and quality of life for patients with this devastating disease.

He holds roles with several prominent academic organizations, such the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Pancreas Task Force, the NRG Upper and Lower GI Clinical Trials Focus Group, American Society of Therapeutic Radiation Oncology and Biology, and American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Additionally, he serves as a reviewer for publications at the International Journal of Radiation Oncology and Biology, Medical Physics, Practical Radiation Oncology, and Physics in Medicine and Biology. Dr. Parikh is an author on hundreds of research articles, abstracts and book chapters and has led several clinical trials.

Dr. Parikh received his medical degree and completed his post-graduate training in radiation oncology at Washington University, as well as served on faculty to the level of Associate Professor with tenure for 12 years.

For more information about ViewRay and radiation cancer care provided by the Henry Ford Cancer Institute Radiation Oncology Department, or to schedule an appointment, visit henryford.com/PreciseRadiation.

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