Best Radiation Oncology Specialists in Iowa

Dr. Krishnan practices in Des Moines and is affiliated with MercyOne Waterloo Medical Center. Her background includes work in cancer imaging, which is central to modern radiation therapy because careful imaging is what lets a radiation beam spare healthy tissue around a tumor. Her contributions to standardizing kidney function scans ¹ and to building a computer-assisted reading system for those scans ² are useful for patients whose cancers or treatments put pressure on the kidneys. She has also written on ultrasound assessment of abdominal pain ³, which matters when cancer care involves the liver or gallbladder.

Dr. Harris practices in Marion and sees radiation oncology patients through St Lukes Hospital, CHI Health Mercy Council Bluffs, and Jackson County Regional Health Center. That three-hospital footprint is useful for patients in rural parts of the state who want a specialist who regularly travels to community cancer programs. Families often prefer staying close to home during a multi-week radiation course, and his practice pattern supports that.

Dr. Burr is based in Cedar Rapids and practices across St Lukes Hospital, CHI Health Mercy Council Bluffs, and Jones Regional Medical Center. If you live in eastern or western Iowa and need a second opinion, his multi-site practice makes it easier to schedule a consultation without traveling out of state. Ask whether he treats your specific cancer type regularly, and how decisions are coordinated between the hospitals he covers.

Dr. Schweiger practices in Cedar Rapids with privileges at St Lukes Hospital, CHI Health Mercy Council Bluffs, and Jones Regional Medical Center. He has a long research record in cancer imaging. Earlier studies looked at how to use color Doppler ultrasound to see whether kidney cancer has spread into major veins ⁵ and how to time CT scans so the liver is clearly visible ⁸. He has also worked on teaching physical exam of the liver with ultrasound ⁴, improved CT reconstruction for image-guided procedures ⁷, and rural teleradiology ⁶. Those imaging decisions matter in radiation planning, because knowing exactly where a tumor sits relative to healthy organs drives the treatment map.

Dr. Holdsworth practices in Des Moines and is affiliated with UnityPoint Health – St. Luke's Sioux City. Much of his research has focused on using functional MRI to map the brain before surgery or radiation, especially the parts of the brain that control language and movement ^10111213. That kind of pre-treatment mapping helps radiation oncologists avoid side effects like weakness or trouble speaking when treating brain tumors or vascular lesions near critical areas. He has also contributed to basic research on nerve injury ⁹.

Dr. Ocel practices in Charles City and is affiliated with MercyOne and Floyd County Medical Center. His published work spans procedural skills training ¹⁴¹⁵, a study of patients undergoing both heart and liver biopsy with implications for transplant candidates ¹⁶, and two imaging studies — one on rib fractures as a signal of major vessel injury ¹⁷ and one on tumor-related embolism to the lungs ¹⁸. That range is helpful for patients whose cancer treatment has to take heart, liver, or vascular conditions into account, which is common in older adults.