Nikhil Rao, MD

Dr. Rao's clinical research interests include monitoring toxicities and developing novel ways of delivering radiation to improve efficacy while reducing side effects. He has studied the role and extent of the neck dissection following definitive chemoradiation. He is interested in using functional imaging to improve radiation targeting and to assess responses to therapy. Additionally, Dr. Rao is interested in the role of radiation in rare skin tumors.

• May JT, Rao N, Sabater RD, Boutrid H, Caudell JJ, Merchant F, Han G, Padhya TA, McCaffrey JC, Tanvetyanon T, Deconti R, Kish J, McCaffrey TV, Trotti A. Intensity-modulated radiation therapy as primary treatment for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. Head Neck. 2013 Mar. Pubmedid: 23468387.
• Han D, Zager JS, Yu D, Zhao X, Walls B, Marzban SS, Rao NG, Sondak VK, Messina JL. Desmoplastic Melanoma: Is There a Role for Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy?. Ann Surg Oncol. 2013 Feb. Pubmedid: 23389470.
• Zhang RR, Feygelman V, Harris ER, Rao N, Moros EG, Zhang GG. Is wax equivalent to tissue in electron conformal therapy planning? A Monte Carlo study of material approximation introduced dose difference. J Appl Clin Med Phys. 2013;14(1):3991. Pubmedid: 23318384.
• Sanguineti G, Sormani MP, Marur S, Gunn GB, Rao N, Cianchetti M, Ricchetti F, McNutt T, Wu B, Forastiere A. Effect of radiotherapy and chemotherapy on the risk of mucositis during intensity-modulated radiation therapy for oropharyngeal cancer. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2012 May;83(1):235-242. Pubmedid: 22104358.
• Rao NG, Yu HH, Trotti A, Sondak VK. The role of radiation therapy in the management of cutaneous melanoma. Surg Oncol Clin N Am. 2011 Jan;20(1):115-131. Pubmedid: 21111962.
• Rao NG. Review of the role of radiation therapy in the management of Merkel cell carcinoma. Curr Probl Cancer. 2010 Jan;34(1):108-117. Pubmedid: 20371078.
• Rao N, Sanguineti G, Chaljub G, Newlands S, Qiu S. Do neck levels negative on initial CT need to be dissected after definitive radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy. Head Neck. 2008 Aug;30(8):1090-1098. Pubmedid: 18528904.
• Sandhu A, Rao N, Giri S, He F, Karakla D, Wadsworth T, McGaughey D, SilverbergM. Role and extent of neck dissection for persistent nodal disease following chemo-radiotherapy for locally advanced head and neck cancer: how much is enough. Acta Oncol. 2008;47(5):948-953. Pubmedid: 17906982.
• Rao N, Pariser R. Annular erythema responding to tacrolimus ointment. J Drugs Dermatol. 2003 Aug;2(4):421-424. Pubmedid: 12884468.
• Gonzalez RJ, Kudchadkar R, Rao NG, Sondak VK. Adjuvant Immunotherapy and Radiation in the Management of High-risk Resected Melanoma. Ochsner J. 2010 Summer;10(2):108-116. Pubmedid: 21603365. Pmcid: PMC3096199.