Floyd Assumes Leadership Role at DCBSM

Scott Floyd, MD, PhD, associate professor of Radiation Oncology, has joined the Duke Center for Brain and Spine Metastasis (DCBSM) as associate radiation director.

"As a talented physician scientist in Radiation Oncology at Duke Cancer Institute, Floyd is helping lead the basic and translational effort in central nervous system radiation oncology research, as well as the development of clinical trials involving imaging and the integration of novel systemic agents with radiation therapy,"  said Peter Fecci, MD, PhD, overall director of the center, and John Kirkpatrick, MD, PhD, radiation director at the DCBSM, in a statement. "We look forward to an ongoing productive partnership with Dr. Floyd, as our center evolves — developing new therapies and delivering improved outcomes for our patients with brain and spine metastases."

They also noted that mentoring students, residents and early-career staff who will help lead the fight against metastatic disease is also a critical part of Floyd's work.

Rates of brain metastasis diagnoses and spine metastasis diagnoses have been steadily rising over the past decade. For around half of all brain metastasis patients, the cancer originates in the lung. Other types of cancer that commonly spread to the brain include breast cancer and melanoma, followed by other cancers including kidney, other urologic cancers, colorectal, gynecologic and pancreatic cancers. The most common cancers that spread to the spine are breast, prostate, lung, kidney, and myeloma.

Other faculty leaders of the DCBSM, in addition to Fecci and Kirkpatrick, include Carey Anders, MD, medical director, C. Rory Goodwin, MD, PhD, surgical director, and April Salama, MD, associate medical director. David Ashley, MBBS, PhD (director of the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke), Michael Kastan, MD, PhD (executive director of Duke Cancer Institute), and John Sampson, MD, PhD (chair of the Department of Neurosurgery) make up the center’s executive leadership team.