After completing his Bachelor of Science in biology in 2010 at Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, Vladimir Avkshtol, MD, earned his Doctor of Medicine at University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences in Toledo, Ohio, in 2014. He followed by completing his residencies in Internal Medicine at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, in 2015 and in Radiation Oncology at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 2019. Board certified by the American Board of Radiology, Dr. Avkshtol joined Kelsey-Seybold in August 2023.

Dr. Avkshtol was inspired to become a physician to be there for patients in their time of need. He provides personalized, patient-centered care for patients with diseases that can benefit from radiation treatment, including cancers and non-cancerous conditions. His favorite parts of practicing medicine are empowering patients with education and building relationships with them through the consultation, treatment, and the follow up process.

Awards & Publications

Awards

• ASTRO’s Meet the Expert GU Session, 2018
• RSNA Roentgen Resident/Fellow Research Award, 2018
• Best of ASTRO Abstract Selection, 2018
• ASTRO’s Annual Meeting Travel Award, 2018
• Chief Resident, Department of Radiation Oncology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, 2017 – 2018
• NCCN Fellows Recognition Program, 2016

Publications

• Zhao L, Day AT, Moon D, Avkshtol A, Sumer BD, Hughes R, Sher DJ. “Survival and Disease Progression Following Solitary Locoregional Recurrence After Head and Neck Radiotherapy” Head & Neck. 2002. PMID: 35212070.
• Yan F, Tillman BN, Nijhawan RI, Srivastava D, Sher DJ, Avkshtol V, Homsi J, Bishop JA, Wynings EM, Lee R, Myers LL, Day AT. “High-Risk Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck: A Clinical Review.” Annals of Surgical Oncology. 2021. PMID: 34195900.
• Lee DY, Abraham J, Ross E, Ridge JA, Lango MN, Liu JC, Bauman JR, Avkshtol V, Galloway TJ. “Rapid Recurrence in Head and Neck Cancer: Underappreciated Problem with Poor Outcome.” Head & Neck. 2020;1–11. PMID: 32989878.
• Avkshtol V, Ruth KJ, Ross EA, Hallman MA, Greenberg RE, Price, RA, Leachman B, Uzzo RG, Ma C, Chen D, Geynisman DM, Sobczak ML, Zhang E, Wong JK, Pollack A, Horwitz EM. “10-year Update of a Randomized Prospective Trial of Conventional Fractionated Versus Moderate Hypofractionated Radiation Therapy for Localized Prostate Cancer.” Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2020;38(15):1676-1684. PMID: 32119599.
  • Best of Journal of Clinical Oncology 2020 Radiation Oncology Edition.
• Avkshtol V, Handorf EA, Ridge JA, Leachman B, Liu JC, Bauman J, Galloway TJ. “Examining Adjuvant Radiation Dose in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma.” Head & Neck. 2019;41(7):2133-2142. PMID: 30737968.
• Avkshtol V, Dong Y, Hayes SB, Hallman MA, Price RA, Sobczak ML, Horwitz EM, Zaorsky NG. “A Comparison of Robotic Arm Versus Gantry Linear Accelerator Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer.” Research and Reports in Urology. 2016 Aug 18;8:145-58. PMID: 27574585.
• Johnson MD, Avkshtol V, Baschnagel AM, Meyer K, Ye H, Grills IS, Chen PY, Maitz A, Olson RE, Pieper DR, Krauss DJ. “Surgical Resection of Brain Metastases and the Risk of Leptomeningeal Recurrence in Patients Treated with Stereotactic Radiosurgery.” Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2016 Mar 1;94(3):537-43. PMID: 26867883.
• Zaorsky NG, Shaikh T, Handorf E, Eastwick G, Hesney A, Scher ED, Jones RT, Showalter TN, Avkshtol V, Rice SR, Horwitz EM, Meyer JE. “What Are Medical Students in the United States Learning About Radiation Oncology? Results of a Multi-Institutional Survey.” Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2016 Feb 1;94(2):235-42. PMID: 26684409.

Book Chapters

• Avkshtol V, Sher DJ. “Reirradiation of Head and Neck Cancer.” Multidisciplinary Management of Head and Neck Cancer. Accepted for publication.

Oral Presentations

• Avkshtol V, Veltchev I, Yu JQ, Doss M, Cohen GS, Panaro JN, Denlinger CS, Anaokar J, Handorf EA, Anderson A, Williams GR, Fourkal E, Meyer JE. “Prospective Study Evaluating Liver Radioembolization Dose with Positron Emission Tomography and Disease Response.”
  • Oral presentation at the 2019 101st American Radium Society Meeting, Dana Point, CA.
• Avkshtol V, Li T, Hallman MA, Greenberg RE, Price RA, Uzzo RG, Ma C, Chen D, Geynisman DM, Pollack A, Horwitz EM. “10-year Update of a Randomized Prospective Trial of Conventional Versus Hypofractionated Radiation Therapy for Localized Prostate Cancer.”
  • Oral presentation and expert representative during the Meet the Expert GU Session at the 2018 ASTRO’s 60th Annual Meeting, San Antonio, TX.
  • Selected for discussion at the 2018 Best of ASTRO Meeting, San Francisco, CA.
• Avkshtol V, Krauss DJ, Baschnagel AM, Ye H, Marvin KS, Wallace M, Chen PY. “Surgical Resection and the Risk of Meningeal Recurrence in Patients Treated with Gamma Knife.”
  • Oral presentation at the 2014 17th International Leksell Gamma Knife Society Meeting, New York City, NY.

Other Presentations

• Lee DY, Abraham J, Ridge JA, Ross E, Lango M, Liu J, Avkshtol V, Galloway TJ. “Rapid Recurrence in Head and Neck Cancer: an Underappreciated Problem with Poor Outcome.”
  • Poster presentation at the 2019 ASTRO’s 61st Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL.
• Arora S, Demidova E, Avkshtol V, Lesh RW, Browne AJ, Handorf EA, Golemis EA, Meyer JE. “Correlation of peripheral blood markers of DNA damage and immune response with chemoradiation response in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer.”
  • Poster presentation at the 2019 ASCO’s 55th Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL.
• Avkshtol V, Veltchev I, Yu JQ, Doss M, Cohen GS, Panaro JN, Denlinger CS, Anaokar J, Handorf EA, Anderson A, Williams GR, Fourkal E, Meyer JE. “Measuring Liver Radioembolization Dose with Positron Emission Tomography.”
  • Poster presentation at the 2019 Multidisciplinary Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium, San Francisco, CA.
• Avkshtol V, Handorf EA, Ridge JA, Leachman B, Liu JC, Bauman J, Galloway TJ. “Examining Adjuvant Radiation Dose in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma – More is Not Always Better.”
  • Poster presentation at the 2018 Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancers Symposium, Scottsdale, AZ.
• Shulman R, Avkshtol V, DeMora L, Esnaola NF, Hall MJ, Handorf EA, Meyer JE. “Microsatellite Instability as a Predictive Marker for Response to Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation in Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer.”
  • Poster presentation at the 2018 Multidisciplinary Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium, San Francisco, CA.
• Shaikh T, Li T, Avkshtol V, Weiss S, Sigurdson ER, Hayes SB, Anderson PR. “Outcomes After Salvage Mastectomy for an Ipsilateral Breast Tumor Recurrence After Breast Conservation Therapy.”
  • Poster presentation at the 2017 American Radium Society’s 99th Annual Meeting, Colorado Springs, CO.
• Avkshtol V, Arora S, Lesh RW, Golemis EA, Egleston BL, Meyer JE. “Peripheral Blood Lymphocyte Gamma-H2AX as a Predictor for Treatment Response in Rectal Cancer Patients.”
  • Poster presentation at the 2017 ASTRO’s 59th Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA.
• Avkshtol V, Doss M, Devarajan K, Eastwick G, Cohen SJ, Cooper HS, Sigurdson ER, Yu JQ, Meyer JE. “Using Metabolic Tumor Velocity to Pre-Operatively Predict the Neoadjuvant Rectal Score.”
  • Poster presentation at the 2016 ASTRO’s 58th Annual Meeting, Boston, MA.
• Avkshtol V, Johnson M, Ruth K, Hussien A, Weiss S. “Lacrimal Gland Radiation Dose and Toxicity after Whole Brain Radiation.”
  • Poster presentation at the 2014 ASTRO’s 56th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA.
• Zaorsky NG, Shaikh T, Eastwick G, Hesney A, Scher ED, Jones RT, Showalter TN, Avkshtol V, Berhane HW, Rice S, Meyer JE. “A National Assessment of Medical Student Knowledge in Radiation Oncology and Comparison to Primary Care and Radiation Oncology Attending Physicians.”
  • Poster presentation at the 2014 ASTRO’s 56th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA.
• Avkshtol V, Tanny S, Reddy K, Chen C, Parsai E. “Comparison of 3D Angiogram and MRI in Delineating the AVM Target for Frameless Stereotactic Radiosurgery.”
  • Poster presentation at the 2014 AAPM’s 56th Annual Meeting, Austin, TX.

Hobbies & Interests

Dr. Avkshtol enjoys cycling, working out, skiing, playing tennis, and watching the NFL and NBA. He also loves spending time with his family and friends and trying the great food all around Houston.