Genitourinary team

Administrative Assistant: Rachel Amodeo
Phone: 416-480-4982
Email: rachel.amodeo@sunnybrook.ca

Education:

• B.Sc., 1995, pharmacology, University of Toronto, Canada
• MD, 1999, U of T, Canada
• FRCPC, 2004, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada

Appointments and Affiliations:

• Affiliate scientist, Physical Sciences, Odette Cancer Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute
• Radiation oncologist, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
• Assistant professor, department of radiation oncology, U of T

Research Focus:

• Prostate brachytherapy
• Stereotactic body radiotherapy for oligometastases and liver metastases

Research Summary:

Dr. Chung's clinical focus is genitourinary and gastrointestinal malignancies. His specialized skills include high-dose rate (HDR) and low-dose rate prostate brachytherapy and stereotactic body radiotherapy for liver cancers. His research interests include leading clinical studies in salvage HDR brachytherapy and stereotactic body radiotherapy for liver metastases.

Dr. Chung is the co-chair of RTOG-0924, a North American cooperative phase 3 trial studying the impact of whole pelvic radiotherapy in patients with unfavourable intermediate-risk and favourable high-risk prostate cancer in the setting of dose-escalated radiotherapy.

Dr. Chung is the principal investigator of a single-institution pilot study on focal and whole gland salvage HDR brachytherapy for local recurrence of prostate cancer after external beam radiotherapy. This study is open for accrual. 

In partnership with Dr. Greg Czarnota and his team, Dr. Chung is studying the use of quantitative ultrasound to identify prostate cancer. He is also studying the effects of definitive radiotherapy for prostate cancer as measured by ultrasound spectroscopy and elastography.

In collaboration with Dr. Y. Ko, Dr. Chung is the co-principal investigator in a single-institution pilot study of the imaging effects of bevacizumab as a radiosensitizer with stereotactic body radiotherapy for liver metastases secondary to colorectal cancer. Novel imaging techniques such as dynamic contrast-enhanced computed tomography, contrast-enhanced ultrasound and quantitative ultrasound are being used.

Selected Publications:

See current publications list at PubMed.

1. Warren B, Munoz-Schuffenegger P, Chan KKW, Chu W, Helou J, Erler D, Chung HT. Quantifying health utilities in patients undergoing stereotactic body radiation treatment for liver metastases for use in future economic evaluations. Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol). 2017 Sep;29(9):e141–e147.
2. Thibault I, Wronski M, Korol R, Chu W, Helou J, Erler D, Chung HT. Dosimetric comparison of volumetric modulated arc therapy and intensity-modulated radiation therapy for liver stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy. J Radiat Oncol. 2016 Mar;5(1):63–9.
3. Helou J, D’Alimonte L, Loblaw A, Chung H, Cheung P, Szumacher E, Danjoux C, Ravi A, Deabreu A, Zhang L, Morton G. High dose-rate brachytherapy boost for intermediate risk prostate cancer: long-term outcomes of two different treatment schedules and early biochemical predictors of success. Radiother Oncol. 2015 Apr 1;115(1):84–9.
4. Helou J, Karotki A, Milot L, Chu W, Erler D, Chung HT. 4DCT simulation with synchronized contrast injection in liver SBRT patients. Technol Cancer Res Treat. Epub 2015 Mar 2. doi: 10.1177/1533034615572341.
5. Sadeghi-Naini A, Sofroni E, Papanicolau N, Falou O, Sugar L, Morton G, Yaffe MJ, Nam R, Sadeghian A, Kolios MC, Chung HT, Czarnota GJ. Quantitative ultrasound spectroscopic imaging for characterization of disease extent in prostate cancer patients. Transl Oncol. 2015 Feb 1;8(1):25–34.
6. Klein J, Korol R, Lo SS, Chu W, Lock M, Dorth JA, Ellis RJ, Mayr NA, Huang Z, Chung HT. Stereotactic body radiotherapy: an effective local treatment modality for hepatocellular carcinoma. Future Oncol. 2014 Nov 1;10(14):2227–41.
7. Créhange G, Roach M 3rd, Martin E, Cormier L, Peiffert D, Cochet A, Chapet O, Supiot S, Cosset JM, Bolla M, Chung HT. Salvage reirradiation for locoregional failure after radiation therapy for prostate cancer: who, when, where and how? Cancer Radiother. 2014 Oct 1;18(5-6):524–34.

Related Links:

• U of T profile, department of radiation oncology