"Fred Hutch Cancer Center" "Cures Start Here"

Smith Apisarnthanarax, MD

Provider

Smith Apisarnthanarax, MD

Medical Director, Radiation Oncology, Fred Hutch
Professor, Vice Chair of Faculty Affairs, Clinical Research Director, Division of Radiation Oncology, University of Washington School of Medicine

Specialty:

Radiation Oncology

Proton Therapy

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“At Fred Hutch, we really do our best to make sure that we’re always thinking outside the box, doing what’s right for each individual patient.”

— Dr. Apisarnthanarax

What personal experiences have informed your approach to care?

Several years ago, I was hospitalized for a life-threatening illness, and it gave me a greater appreciation for what my patients go through. For example, I had to wear compression boots that squeezed my calves every 30 minutes to prevent blood clots from forming. They were standard procedure for someone like me who was in the hospital for a long period of time and couldn’t move around, but they were incredibly uncomfortable and made it impossible to sleep. Sometimes it’s the little things —like those cuffs —that we as physicians may not think twice about, but they can have a big impact on a person’s well-being. Having had that experience in the hospital, I never dismiss any of my patients’ complaints or concerns as trivial. Being diagnosed with and treated for cancer is one of the most arduous experiences there is; your quality of life is always a priority for me.

Why do you practice radiation oncology?

My first real exposure to cancer was through my grandmother, who lived in Thailand. She had metastatic thyroid cancer that left her paralyzed for most of the time that I knew her, and I think that experience planted the seed for what would become my calling. What I like about radiation oncology is that it’s a very visual field of medicine; we rely on anatomy and imaging, and that speaks to the artist in me. This specialty is also a nice combination of sophisticated technology, biology, direct patient care and teamwork. At Fred Hutch, we really do our best to make sure that we’re always thinking outside the box, doing what’s right for each individual patient.

Provider Background

Area of Clinical Practice
Genitourinary cancers, skin cancers, gastrointestinal cancer, liver cancer

I am a board-certified radiation oncologist with expertise in several radiation modalities including proton therapy, a type of external beam radiation that precisely targets tumors while minimizing exposure to healthy tissue. I treat patients with prostate cancer and gastrointestinal cancers, which can affect organs such as the esophagus, liver and pancreas. Prior to joining Fred Hutch, I was an assistant professor and associate residency program director at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine.

My research is focused on optimizing proton radiation treatments for liver cancer. Historically, radiation wasn’t used to treat liver tumors, so there is much to learn about safely delivering potentially curative radiation doses and how to integrate radiation with other available treatments. I’m also interested in how functional imaging of the liver, which examines the organ’s physiological activities, can be used to improve radiation treatment planning and predict responses to cancer therapy.

Diseases Treated

Esophageal Cancer

Gastrointestinal Cancer

Liver Tumors and Cancer

Prostate Cancer

Pancreatic Cancer

Languages

English
Thai

Education, Experience and Certifications

Undergraduate Degree
Brown University

Medical Degree
Brown University Warren Alpert Medical School

Residency
University of North Carolina, Radiation Oncology

Fellowship
MD Anderson Cancer Center, Radiation Oncology

Board Certification
Radiation Oncology, 2010, American Board of Radiology

Other
Internship, Northwestern University, Evanston Hospital

Awards

Seattle Met's 2023 Top Doctors award
Dr. Apisarnthanarax has received this peer-nominated award for exceptional patient care.

Seattle Magazine's 2022 Top Doctors award
Dr. Apisarnthanarax has been recognized as a Top Doctor in this peer-nominated award multiple years in a row.

Stories

All news

The Beam: Particle therapy conference comes to Seattle, Obliteride recap and meet Candice Day-Darby

The Beam: Particle therapy conference comes to Seattle, Obliteride recap and meet Candice Day-Darby Our leaders will present at PTCOG-NA; staff share thoughts on Obliteride; meet our patient access lead August 23, 2023

Michael Mendiola almost gave up – until he talked to “Dr. A”

Michael Mendiola almost gave up – until he talked to “Dr. A” “I recommended proton therapy both times for Mr. Mendiola because he had multiple prior treatments to the liver,” says Apisarnthanarax. July 28, 2023

We make promising new treatments available to you through studies called clinical trials led by Fred Hutch physicians. Many of these trials at Fred Hutch have led to FDA-approved treatments and have improved standards of care globally. Together, you and your physician can decide if a study is right for you.

View Clinical Trials Led by Dr. Apisarnthanarax

Many of our Fred Hutch physicians conduct ongoing research to improve standards of patient care. Their work is evaluated by other physicians and selected for publication to the United States National Library of Medicine, the largest medical library in the world. See scientific papers this Fred Hutch physician has written.

View Dr. Apisarnthanarax's Publications

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