Breast Specialists

Douglas W. Arthur, MD
Professor and Chairman
Department of Radiation Oncology
VCU Medical Center/Massey Cancer Center
Dr. Arthur’s Interests include brachytherapy, management of breast malignancies and soft tissue malignancies.
Dr. Arthur has provided clinical trial leadership for several national trials. Most notably as a co-PI for the NSABP B-39/RTOG 0413 phase III trial comparing the effectiveness of whole breast irradiation vs partial breast irradiation in women with stage 0, I or II breast cancer who have undergone lumpectomies and the phase II trial, NRG 1014, evaluating repeat lumpectomy and partial breast irradiation in women with an in-breast failure following WBI.
Jennifer Bellon, MD
Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology
Director, Breast Radiation Oncology
Harvard Medical School
Dr. Jennifer Bellon’s research interests predominantly focus on breast cancer, and in particular the integration of systemic therapy and radiation therapy. This includes both the optimal sequencing of the modalities, as well as the toxicities of combining radiation with novel chemotherapeutic agents. In addition, her work has focused on minimizing the toxicity of radiation therapy by shielding the heart during treatment, improving patient set-up during radiation therapy, and minimizing the volume of normal tissue with partial breast irradiation.

Abram Recht, MD
Professor of Radiation Oncology, Harvard Medical School
Deputy Chief, Department of Radiation Oncology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Dr. Recht’s has written, edited, or been co-author of more than 300 publications on all aspects of the local-regional therapy of breast cancer. He has served on breast-cancer related panels and committees of the American Joint Committeee on Cancer, the American College of Radiology, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (co-chairing its panel on the use of postmastectomy radiotherapy), the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group, the European Organization for Research in Treatment of Cancer (most recently as American co-chair of its consensus meetings on ductal carcinoma in situ), and the Integration Panel of the Breast Cancer Research Program of the US Department of Defense.

Alphonse G. Taghian, MD, PhD
Professor, Harvard Medical School
Chief, Breast Service, Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital
Dr. Alphonse Taghian gained his medical degree from Alexandria University in Egypt. He did his residency in Radiation Oncology in France (Alexis Vautrin Cancer Center, Gustave Roussy Institute). He obtained his PhD in Radiobiology from Paris XI University. He is the chief of Breast Radiation Oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital and an Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Taghian has published more than 140 peer reviewed articles, general reviews and chapters. He has edited a book on the multidisciplinary approach in the treatment of breast cancer. He has been awarded several NIH grants for research totaling $2.2 Million for research in lymphedema. He is internationally recognized as a leader in breast radiation oncology, the field of Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation. His other interests include, cardiac exposure to radiation, post-mastectomy radiation and early intervention for lymphedema.
Kathleen Horst, MD
Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology
Stanford University Medical Center
Dr. Horst’s clinical and research interests includes

Benjamin D. Smith, MD
Professor of Radiation Oncology
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Dr. Smith is a Professor of Radiation Oncology at MD Anderson and a board-certified radiation oncologist with clinical and research expertise in breast cancer and health services research. He is currently Chair of the American Society of Radiation Oncology Clinical Affairs and Quality Council and has led ASTRO’s efforts to develop evidence-based guidelines on accelerated partial breast radiation and fractionation of whole breast irradiation. He has authored or co-authored over 200 peer reviewed original research papers. He is interested in promoting value of breast radiation and has studied hypofractionated whole breast and partial breast irradiation is a series of clinical trials.