An ACU student is now a published author in the Radiotherapy and Oncology Journal.
Sam Mulder, senior medical physics and pre-med major from Spring, contributed a published article regarding research on cancer treatment and radiotherapy from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
ACU Student Sam Mulder
Mulder joined principal investigator and ACU graduate, Dr. Clifton D. Fuller, and a research team of 16 members in contributing a collection of data and analyses to the article.
Published in the summer of 2017, this is Mulder’s first published piece. With 97 studied patients, the study deals with the model MD Anderson Cancer Center uses to find the correlation with throat problems of patients treated by radiotherapy.
Through research additional investigation, Mulder and company found the model to be accurate. Patients suffering with cancer and tumors in the head and neck area have had more health complications with their throat when taking larger doses of radiotherapy.
“This study will provide treatment planners with clinical intuitions about how different structures in the head and neck can lead to difficulty swallowing as a result of radiation therapy,” Mulder said.
Mulder said the article could be useful for patients who want to understand the treatment they will undergo.
MD Anderson serves as one of the nations distinguished and original advanced cancer research centers, with additional branches throughout Texas including the Fuller Research Lab.
Victoria Garcia, student success manager in the Department of Engineering and Physics, said, “[Sam] is an excellent example of what we want ACU students to achieve while studying here; participating in research and then being published in an article like this can boost a student’s opportunity in their path towards success post-graduation. Being in a published article is a key accomplishment, and the department is very proud of him.”
The title of the article is “Radiotherapy Dose-Volume Parameters Predict Videofluoroscopy-Detected Dysphagia per DIGEST after IMRT for Oropharyngeal Cancer: Results of Prospective Registry”.
