Dr. Gottschalk is involved in a number of clinical research projects. First, he has studied several methods of image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT), including ultrasound, electronic portal imagining using gold seed fiducial markers and megavoltage cone-beam CT (MVCBCT). His research is one of the first to evaluate prostate bed motion in patients undergoing radiotherapy after prostatectomy. Dr. Gottschalk has investigated the use of MVCBCT for dose calculation and re-calculation as well as a novel high quality, low dose, imaging beam line. The dose re-calculation can be used for dose guided radiation therapy (DGRT). Second, using the Radiation Oncology clinical database, Dr. Gottschalk has studied: the effectiveness of intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) in the management of extremity sarcomas and renal cell carcinoma recurrences, permanent seed brachytherapy and high dose-rate brachytherapy (HDR) for the treatment of prostate cancer both as primary therapy and as salvage after radiation failures. Third, he has been involved as a co-investigator in three trials: a phase II, single-center, open-label phase I/II study to evaluate efficacy and safety in patients who have resectable esophageal cancer and are treated with neoadjuvant cisplatin, irinotecan (CPT-11), ZD1839 (IRESSA®), and radiotherapy followed by surgical resection; a phase II study of radiation therapy, paclitaxel poliglumex and carboplatin in stage III non-small cell lung cancer; and a phase I/II open-label dose escalation study of anti-CTLA4 antibody with radiation for metastatic hormone refractory prostate cancer. Fourth, Dr. Gottschalk is involved with several RTOG (Radiation Therapy Oncology Group) studies. These have included several prostate cancer trials that investigate: high-dose vs standard-dose radiation for intermediate-risk prostate cancer; brachytherapy vs external-beam radiation plus brachytherapy for intermediate-risk prostate cancer; and standard fractionation vs hypofractionation for low-risk prostate cancer. Finally, as Director of the CyberKnife Radiosurgery Program Dr. Gottschalk oversees several of the stereotactic body radiosugery (SBRT) trials for lung and prostate cancer. He has a particular interest in the use of CyberKnife SBRT for the treatment of prostate cancer, kidney cancer, and lung cancer. Dr. Gottschalk also specializes in the treatment of Dupuytren’s and Ledderhose disease using superficial radiation
