Loren Godfrey, MD

Loren Godfrey, M.D., specializes in the treatment of head and neck, gynecologic, and breast cancers. He is an authority on the use of concomitant chemotherapy with image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) to treat head and neck and gynecologic cancers. He is skilled in the use of brachytherapy, in which implanted seeds or thin catheters are used to deliver radiation therapy directly into tumors. For example, he employs high-dose-rate intra-cavitary and interstitial brachytherapy for gynecologic cancers, and accelerated partial breast irradiation brachytherapy for breast cancers. Dr. Godfrey is also experienced in Gamma knife radiosurgery, stereotactic body radiotherapy, endobronchial brachytherapy (in the lungs) for lung cancer, intracranial brachytherapy (in the brain) for malignant brain tumors, intraoperative radiotherapy for abdominopelvic cancers (delivered during surgery), and radioisotope therapies for bone metastases.

At John Theurer Cancer Center, he has developed organ-preserving treatments for certain types of head and neck cancers, including oropharyngeal and laryngeal cancers. Organ preservation therapy combines chemotherapy with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and IGRT to salvage organs such as the larynx, tongue, and other structures that are required for vital functions like speech, swallowing, and eating. Investigations into less intensive therapies to maximize both outcomes and quality of life for patients are ongoing.