Dr. Steven Seung, a radiation oncologist with The Oregon Clinic since 1998, has provided medical direction to the Gamma Knife Center of Oregon at Providence Portland Medical Center since 2004. Dr. Seung is responsible for setting the clinical guidelines for Gamma Knife treatment and for educating physicians in the appropriate use of the technology for managing various diseases. He also is working on updating the center’s database software to enable it to generate outcome studies of patients treated in the center.
As a doctoral candidate at the University of Chicago, Dr. Seung focused his studies on tumor immunology. After receiving his Ph.D., he went on to earn a medical degree from the University. He completed an internship at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chicago, and a residency in radiation oncology at the University of California – San Francisco. His research during his residency included analyzing Gamma Knife treatment outcomes in melanoma metastases to the brain.
Currently, Dr. Seung is involved in research focusing on improving the outcomes of patients with brain metastases by combining Gamma Knife treatment with new oral anti-cancer drugs. He also is a member of Providence’s Thoracic Oncology Program and is the co-investigator for an esophageal cancer and lung cancer trial.
- In the course of his doctoral work in tumor immunology, Dr. Seung discovered a novel mechanism by which tumors escape surveillance by the immune system.
- Dr. Seung developed and published the esophageal cancer treatment protocol that has been adopted as the standard of care by Providence Portland Medical Center.
- While attending the University of Chicago, Dr. Seung received the Francis L. Lederer M.D./Ph.D. Fellowship, a full scholarship for medical and graduate school. One student per class is singled out to receive the merit-based award.
"My vision for the Gamma Knife Center of Oregon," says Dr. Seung, "is to maximize the healing potential of this community resource, both by pioneering new Gamma Knife treatments for brain malignancies and by expanding the roles for this technology beyond brain malignancies to include functional radiosurgery for intractable pain, essential tremors and other conditions. Conducting outcome studies also will be a major emphasis of the center, enabling us to contribute toward a better understanding of the best uses of this technology in the future."