Clinical Evidence & Publications
Advancing Evidence-Based Neuro-Oncology
My clinical practice is closely integrated with clinical investigation aimed at improving the treatment of patients with primary and metastatic brain tumors. This work spans stereotactic radiosurgery, intraoperative radiotherapy, focused ultrasound, image-guided surgery, and emerging therapeutic technologies. Through investigator-initiated studies, prospective clinical trials, international collaborations, and outcomes research, these efforts seek to refine patient selection, optimize treatment delivery, and translate technological advances into meaningful improvements in patient care.
Stereotactic Radiosurgery
Stereotactic radiosurgery has become an integral component of contemporary neuro-oncology, providing highly focused treatment for brain metastases and selected primary and benign intracranial tumors while limiting radiation exposure to surrounding normal tissue. My clinical research in radiosurgery focuses on treatment selection, optimization of multidisciplinary treatment strategies, integration of radiosurgery with systemic therapy and surgery, and the evolving role of radiosurgery across increasingly complex intracranial disease.
Green S, Lehrer EJ, Cifarelli CP et al, Congress of Neurological Surgeons Systematic Review and Evidence-Based Guidelines for the Role of Radiosurgery for Patients With Functioning Pituitary Adenomas. Neurosurgery. 2025 View Article
Bunevicius A, Pikis S, Kondziolka D, Patel DN, Bernstein K, Sulman EP, Lee CC, Yang HC, Delabar V, Mathieu D, Cifarelli CP et al, Stereotactic radiosurgery for IDH wild type glioblastoma: an international, multicenter study. J Neurooncol. 2021 View Article
Cifarelli CP, Vargo JA, Fang W, Liscak R, Guseynova K, Warnick RE et al, Role of Gamma Knife Radiosurgery in Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Multi-Institutional Retrospective Study of the International Radiosurgery Research Foundation (IRRF). Neurosurgery. 2020 View Article
Focused Ultrasound & Blood-Brain Barrier Modulation
Magnetic resonance–guided focused ultrasound provides a noninvasive approach to transiently disrupt the blood-brain barrier and potentially improve delivery of therapeutics to the central nervous system. My work in this field has included clinical investigation of focused ultrasound–mediated blood-brain barrier disruption in patients with brain tumors, including early clinical studies establishing the feasibility and safety of this emerging technology and subsequent multicenter investigation of its integration with systemic therapy.
Woodworth GF, Anastasiadis P, Ozair A, Chen C, Gandhi D, Meng Y, Abrahao A Jr, Carpenter JS, Cifarelli CP et al, Acoustic emissions dose and spatial control of blood-brain barrier opening with focused ultrasound. Device. 2025 View Article
Woodworth GF, Anastasiadis P, Ozair A, Chabros J, Bettegowda C, Chen C, Gerstl JVE, Douville C, Mekary RA, Smith TR, Meng Y, Hawkins C, Pople CB, Abrahao A, Llinas M, Heyn C, Bunevicius A, Rezai AR, Ball AJS, Henry K, Sahgal A, Torio E, Ren H, Ahmad H, Arora H, Eisenberg H, Perry J, Carpenter JS, Hynynen K, Pham LC, Anketell MB, Lim-Fat MJ, Xu Z, Cifarelli CP et al , Microbubble-enhanced transcranial focused ultrasound with temozolomide for patients with high-grade glioma (BT008NA): a multicentre, open-label, phase 1/2 trial. Lancet Oncol. 2025 View Article
Intraoperative Radiotherapy
Intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) provides an opportunity to deliver highly localized radiation directly to the surgical cavity at the time of tumor resection. My work has focused particularly on the integration of low-energy IORT into the treatment of glioblastoma, including clinical outcomes, treatment-related effects, and its potential to consolidate surgery and radiation within a more efficient therapeutic paradigm. This work includes participation in the international randomized Phase III INTRAGO II trial and ongoing analyses examining factors associated with treatment response and radiation-related toxicity.
Giordano FA, Ganslandt O, Münter MW, Combs SE, Diehl C, Meyer B, Herrlinger U, Schneider M, Kahl KH, Shiban E, Goenka A, Schulder M, Lucas A, Plans G, Brehmer S, Ruder AM, García-Cabezas S, Solivera J, Cifarelli CP, et al; INTRAGO-II Study Group. Dose escalation with intraoperative radiotherapy in newly diagnosed glioblastoma (INTRAGO-II): an open-label, multicentre, randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial. Lancet Oncol. 2026 View Article
Cifarelli CP, Brehmer S, Vargo JA, Hack JD, Kahl KH, Sarria-Vargas G, Giordano FA. Intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) for surgically resected brain metastases: outcome analysis of an international cooperative study. J Neurooncol. 2019 View Article
Cifarelli CP, Jacobson GM. Intraoperative Radiotherapy in Brain Malignancies: Indications and Outcomes in Primary and Metastatic Brain Tumors. Front Oncol. 2021 View Article
Explore the Broader Research Program
These clinical investigations are complemented by translational research in tumor metabolism, mitochondrial therapeutics, surgical technology, and healthcare systems.