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Robert Gao, MD

MRO | Mercy
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Residency

Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN

Internship

Hennepin Healthcare, Minneapolis, MN

Medical school

University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN

Undergraduate

B.S., Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, summa cum laude, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN

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I am honored to partner with patients throughout their cancer journey. Their courage and resilience inspire me to deliver the highest quality care. I treat patients as if they were my family member and provide them with all of the information they need to choose the treatment plan best suited to their goals.

Dr. Gao received his undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Minnesota. He then completed his Radiation Oncology residency at the Mayo Clinic, where he learned from world-renowned physicians and served as Chief Resident during his final year. Dr. Gao has published in numerous prestigious journals and presented at national conferences on topics ranging from breast cancer to prostate cancer to stereotactic body radiation therapy.

A Minnesota native, he is grateful to return to the Twin Cities and serve the community he calls home. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family, staying active, traveling, and cheering on his favorite Minnesota sports teams.

Learn more about treating your cancer.

Professional Memberships

American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO)

Publications

  1. Deek MP, Sutera P, Jing Y, Gao RW, Rothman E, Day H, Chang D, Dirix P, Armstrong AJ, Campbell B, Lopez Campos F, Berenguer M, Ramotar M, Conde-Moreno A, Berlin A, Giovanni Bosetti D, Corcoran N, Koontz B, Mercier C, Siva S, Pryor D, Ost P, Anh Huynh M, Kroeze S, Stish B, Kiess A, Trock B, Tran PT, Gillessen S, Sweeney C. Multi-institutional analysis of metastasis-directed therapy with or without androgen deprivation therapy in oligometastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer. Eur Urol Onc 2024. doi:10.1016/j.euo.2024.03.010.

 

  1. Kowalchuk RO, Mullikin TC, Spears GM, Johnson-Tesch BA, Rose PS, Siontis BL, Kun Kim D, Costello BA, Morris JM, Gao RW, Shiraishi S, Lucido JJ, Olivier KR, Owen D, Stish BJ, Waddle MR, Laack NN, Park SS, Brown PD, Merrell KW. Assessment of minimum target dose as a predictor of local failure after spine SBRT. Radiother Oncol 2024;195:110260. doi:10.1016/j.radonc.2024.110260.

 

  1. Gao RW, Ma J, Pisansky TM, Kruse JJ, Stish BJ, Kowalchuk RO, McMenomy BP, Waddle MR, Phillips RM, Choo R, Davis BJ. Dosimetric features of ultra-hypofractionated intensity modulated proton therapy for prostate cancer. Int J Particle Therapy 2024;120:100015. doi:10.1016/j.ijpt.2024.100015.

 

  1. Yang Y, Gergelis KR, Shen J, Afzal A, Mullikin TC, Gao RW, Aziz K, Shumway DA, Corbin KS, Liu W, Mutter RW. Study of linear energy transfer effect on rib fracture in breast patients receiving pencil-beam scanning proton therapy. ArXiv 2023.

 

  1. Gao RW, Mahmoud AM, Ahmed ME, Orme JJ, Rincon MM, Harmsen WS, Johnson GB, Cassivi SD, Kwon ED, Phillips RM, Andrews JR, Childs DS. Metastasis-directed therapy for metachronous lung metastases in prostate cancer. JU Open Plus 2023. doi:10.1097/JU9.0000000000000057.

 

  1. Mutter RW, Giri S, Fruth B, Remmes NB, Boughey JC, Harless CA, Ruddy KJ, McGee LA, Afzal A, Gao RW, Shumway DA, Vern-Gross TZ, Villarraga HR, Kenison SL, Kang Y, Wong WW, Stish BJ, Merrell K, Yan E, Park SS, Corbin KS, Vargas CE. Conventional versus hypofractionated postmastectomy proton radiotherapy in the USA (MC1631): a randomised phase 2 trial. Lancet Oncol 2023;24(10):1083-1093. doi:10.1016/S1470-2045(23)00388-1.

 

  1. Gao RW, Mullikin TC, Aziz KA, Afzal A, Smith NL, Routman DM, Gergelis KR, Harmsen WS, Remmes NB, Tseung HS, Shiraishi S, Boughey JC, Ruddy KJ, Harless CA, Garda AE, Waddle MR, Park SS, Shumway DA, Corbin KS, Mutter RW. Postmastectomy intensity modulated proton therapy: 5-year oncologic and patient-reported outcomes. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2023;117(4):846-856. doi: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2023.05.036.

 

  1. Rummel KA, Gao RW, Francis LN, Petersen IA, Mutter RW, Corbin KS. Secondary breast angiosarcoma following accelerated partial breast irradiation with intracavitary multi-catheter applicator brachytherapy. Brachytherapy 2023;22(4):487-490. doi: 10.1016/j.brachy.2023.04.007.

 

  1. Kowalchuk RO, Mullikin TC, Florez M, De BS, Spears GM, Rose PS, Siontis BL, Kim DK, Costello BA, Morris JM, Marion JT, Johnson-Tesch BA, Gao RW, Shiraishi S, Lucido JJ, Trifiletti DM, Olivier KR, Owen D, Stish BJ, Waddle MR, Laack NN, Park SS, Brown PD, Ghia AJ, Merrell KW. Development and validation of a recursive partitioning analysis-based pretreatment decision-making tool identifying ideal candidates for spine stereotactic body radiation therapy. Cancer 2023;129(6):956-965. doi: 10.1002/cncr.34626.

 

  1. Gao RW, Routman DM, Harmsen WS, Ebrahimi S, Foote RL, Ma DJ, Neben-Wittich M, McGee LA, Patel SH, Moore EJ, Choby GW, Tasche KK, Price KA, Gamez ME, Lester SC. Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the head and neck: patterns of recurrence and implications for intensity modulated radiotherapy. Head and Neck 2022;45(1):187-196. doi: 10.1002/hed.27223.

 

  1. Gao RW, Day CN, Yu NY, Bush A, Amundson AC, Prodduturvar P, Majeed U, Butts E, Oliver T, Schwecke AJ, Moffett JN, Routman DM, Breen WG, Potter AL, Rivera-Concepcion J, Hoppe BS, Schild SE, Sio TT, Lou Y, Ernani V, Ko S, Olivier KR, Merrell KW, Garces YI, Manochakian R, Harmsen WS, Leventakos K, Owen D. Dosimetric predictors of pneumonitis in locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with chemoradiation followed by durvalumab. Lung Cancer 2022;170:58-64. doi: 10.1016/j.lungcan.2022.06.003.

 

  1. Kowalchuk RO, Mullikin TC, Harmsen WS, Rose PS, Siontis BL, Kim DK, Costello BA, Morris JM, Marion JT, Johnson-Tesch BA, Gao RW, Shiraishi S, Lucido JJ, Olivier KR, Owen D, Stish BJ, Laack NN, Park SS, Brown PD, Merrell KW. Development and internal validation of an RPA-based model predictive of pain flare incidence after spine SBRT. Practical Radiat Oncol 2022;12(4):e269-277. doi: 10.1016/j.prro.2022.01.011.

 

  1. Kowalchuk RO, Johnson-Tesch BA, Marion JT, Mullikin TC, Harmsen WS, Rose PS, Siontis BL, Kim DK, Costello BA, Morris JM, Gao RW, Shiraishi S, Lucido JL, Sio TT, Trifiletti DM, Olivier KR, Owen D, Stish BJ, Waddle MR, Laack NN, Park SS, Brown PD, Merrell KM. Development and assessment of a predictive score for vertebral compression fracture after stereotactic body radiation therapy for spinal metastases. JAMA Oncol 2022;8(3):412-419. doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2021.7008.

 

  1. Gao RW, Foote RL, Garces YI, Ma DJ, Neben-Wittich M, Routman DM, Patel SH, Ko SJ, McGee LA, Bible KC, Chintakuntlawar AV, Ryder M, Morris JC, Van Abel KM, Rivera M, Abraha F, Lester SC. Outcomes and patterns of recurrence for anaplastic thyroid cancer treated with comprehensive chemoradiotherapy. Practical Radiat Oncol 2022;12(2):113-119. doi: 10.1016/j.prro.2021.10.006.

 

  1. Gao RW, Tollefson MK, Thompson RH, Potretzke AM, Quevedo FJ, Choo R, Davis BJ, Pisansky TM, Harmsen WS, Stish BJ. Predictors of locoregional recurrence and delineation of adjuvant radiation therapy fields for patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma receiving nephroureterectomy. Practical Radiat Oncol 2021;11(5):e468-476. doi: 10.1016/j.prro.2021.02.005.

 

  1. Deek MP, Taparra K, Dao D, Chan L, Phillips R, Gao RW, Kwon ED, Deville C, Song DY, Greco S, Carducci MA, Eisenberger M, DeWeese DL, Denmeade S, Pienta K, Paller CJ, Antonarakis ES, Olivier KR, Park SS, Stish BJ, Tran PT. Patterns of recurrence and modes of progression after metastasis-directed therapy in oligometastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2021;109(2):387-395. doi: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2020.08.030.

 

  1. Deek MP, Taparra K, Phillips R, Velho PI, Gao RW, Deville C, Song DY, Greco S, Carducci M, Eisenberger M, DeWeese TL, Denmeade S, Pienta K, Paller CJ, Antonarakis ES, Olivier KR, Park SS, Tran PT, Stish BJ. Metastasis-directed therapy prolongs efficacy of systemic therapy and improves clinical outcomes in oligoprogressive castration-resistant prostate cancer. Eur Urol Oncol 2021;4(3):447-455. doi: 10.1016/j.euo.2020.05.004.

 

  1. Gao RW, Olivier KR, Park SS, Davis BJ, Pisansky TM, Choo R, Kwon ED, Karnes RJ, Harmsen WS, Stish BJ. Single-fraction stereotactic body radiation therapy versus conventionally fractionated radiation therapy for the treatment of prostate cancer bone metastases. Adv Radiat Oncol 2019;4(2):314-322. doi: 10.1016/j.adro.2019.02.002.

 

  1. Gao RW, Weisdorf DJ, DeFor TE, Ehler E, Dusenbery KE. Influence of total body irradiation dose rate on idiopathic pneumonia syndrome in acute leukemia patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2019;103(1):180-189. doi: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2018.09.002.

 

  1. Gao RW, Witt JS, Sudmeier LJ, Rosenberg SA, Francis DM, Wallace CR, Das RK, Anderson BM. Low cardiac and left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) dose achieved with left sided multi-catheter interstitial accelerated partial breast irradiation. Brachytherapy 2018;18(1):50-56. doi: 10.1016/j.brachy.2018.08.014.

 

  1. Gao RW, Dusenbery KE, Cao Q, Smith AR, Yuan J. Augmenting total body irradiation with a cranial boost before stem cell transplantation protects against post-transplant central nervous system relapse in acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant 2018;24(3):501-506. doi: 10.1016/j.bbmt.2017.11.013.

 

  1. Gao RW, Park SS, Jakub JW, Hieken TJ, Conners AL, Neal L, Pruthi S, Corbin KS, Yan ES, Mutter RW, Stish BJ. Durable response of early-stage breast cancer to bilateral definitive SBRT in a medically inoperable patient. Practical Radiat Oncol 2018;8(6): 361-365. doi: 10.1016/j.prro.2018.03.006.

 

  1. Gao RW, Edlund S, Yuan J. Dramatic regression of a fungating breast lesion treated with radiation therapy. Cureus 2017;9(6):e1360. doi: 10.7759/cureus.1360.

 

  1. House CM, Gao RW, Ahmed I, Nelson WB, Zhu DW. Safety of continuing warfarin therapy in patients undergoing cardiac resynchronization therapy device implantation. Int J Heart Rhythm. http://www.ijhronli ne.org/article.asp?issn=23524197;year=2017; volume=2;issue=2;spage=68;epage=72 ;aulast=House.