FROG - FLORIDA RADIATION ONCOLOGY GROUP is the premier Radiation Oncology practice in America. It has grown from a single physician over 50 years ago,
to our current group of 25 board certified Radiation Oncologists practicing in clinics throughout Florida.
Mitchell Terk special area of expertise is with prostate cancer. He is the medical director of our world renowned
prostate cancer program.
He has been performing prostate seed implants since 1994. He has personally performed well over 2500 seed implants in recent
years alone, and routinely performs hundreds of implants a year.
He is an internationally acclaimed lecturer on this topic and has presented personal research at major medical centers
and a myriad of conferences. He has been involved with training physicians throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, and
Africa in the Procision™ technique of prostate seed implantation and in Intra-operative Dosimetry.
He has also published research on breast, gynecological, and gastrointestinal cancers.
His personal interests include the arts, antique automobiles and travel. He was elected a member to the Explorers Club
in 1991. He enjoys spending time with his wife, family, and his two Australian Shepherds.
Dr. Augspurger is a Jacksonville native. After graduating from Terry Parker High School, he attended the University
of Florida on an academic scholarship. While there, he pledged Phi Delta Theta Fraternity and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa
Honor Society. Following in Dr Paryani’s footsteps, Dr. Augspurger was admitted early to medical school in the Junior Honors
Program. After finishing medical school in 1995, he completed an internship at Georgia Baptist Medical Center in Atlanta,
followed by a Radiation Oncology residency at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. Here, Dr. Augspurger served
as Chief Resident during his final year of training.
Following the completion of his training in June of 2000, Dr. Augspurger served an active duty commitment with the United
States Air Force. While stationed at Keesler AFB in Biloxi, Mississippi, he became Chair of the Radiation Oncology Department.He
started the first IMRT program in the Air Force and later earned the Meritorious Service Medal. Dr. Augspurger is board certified
in Radiation Oncology. He is an active member of the American College of Radiology and the American Society for Therapeutic
Radiology and Oncology. His cancer interests are wide ranged but include prostate cancer, IMRT and Gamma Knife radiosurgery.
His time away from the office is primarily spent with his wife and two sons. He also enjoys jogging, salt-water fishing,
and spending time with his parents and sister who live on Amelia Island.
Ryan J. Burri, M.D., was born in St. Joseph, Missouri, and grew up in Marquette, Michigan. He graduated summa cum
laude with a B.S. in biochemistry from Northern Michigan University. He was awarded A.O.A. membership during medical school
at Michigan State University's College of Human Medicine, where he received his M.D. degree. Dr. Burri did his internship
training at St. Vincent's Hospital in Manhattan. He then completed his residency in radiation oncology at the Mount Sinai
School of Medicine in New York City, where he served as Chief Resident. He was on faculty in the Department of Radiation Oncology
at Columbia University in New York for two years before moving to Florida in 2011.
While at Mt. Sinai, Dr. Burri became
a highly skilled prostate brachytherapist under the tutelage of Dr. Richard Stock, an international authority on prostate
cancer. He is involved in several research projects involving prostate cancer treatment. Dr. Burri has authored several peer-reviewed
scientific articles on prostate cancer treatment, with additional articles on the genetic basis for radiation side effects.
He recently authored a chapter on salvage prostate brachytherapy in the latest edition of Scardino's Comprehensive Textbook
of Genitourinary Oncology.
Dr. Burri has a special interest in the application of image guided radiation therapy, intensity
modudulated radiation therapy, and prostate brachytherapy. In addition, he is a member of the Children's Oncology Group, the
American Society of Radiation Oncology and the American Board of Radiology. He has given lectures across the United States
on how to successfully cure prostate cancer using seed implants. He also has a particular interest in helping patients make
the right personal decision regarding their cancer care among an often-overwhelming array of potential treatment choices.
Dr. Cesaretti A native of Blue Springs, Missouri, Dr.
Cesaretti is now in private practice in Jacksonville Florida, where he and his partners perform over 500 prostate seed implants
per year. He learned his technique while a resident at Mount Sinai. He stayed on as faculty for four years during which time
he studied the reasons behind why patients develop side effects during and following radiation therapy for prostate cancer.
The Department of Defense awarded Dr. Cesaretti a large grant that allowed him to complete important investigations in this
area. He and his research group were also awarded funding by the American Cancer Society, the National Institutes of Health,
and the American Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology.
Dr. Cesaretti joined FROG in 2008. He has a special interest in the application of both stereotactic body radiosurgery
and prostate brachytherapy. In addition, he is a member of the Children's Oncology Group, the Annual Meeting Subcommittee
of the American Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology and the American Brachytherapy Society. He has given many talks
about how to successfully cure prostate cancer using seed implants in Japan, South Africa, Spain, Italy, Germany, Portugal,
and throughout the United States. He has authored many articles, written several protocols, and contributed the prostate brachytherapy chapter to the most recent edition of the Johns Hopkins
textbook about the treatment of prostate cancer. In addition, at the 2009 World Brachytherapy Conference he served as a course
instructor for the prostate seed procedure. He also has a particular interest in helping patients make the right personal
decision regarding their cancer care among an often-overwhelming array of potential treatment choices.
Dr. Deshmukh: After graduating as Valedictorian of his class at the Bolles School in Jacksonville, Florida, Dr. Deshmukh
went on to complete his undergraduate degree with honors at Harvard University. He attended Cornell University Medical College,
where he was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. As a medical student, he became interested in the field of Radiation
Oncology, and spent time during his vacations in Jacksonville with Drs Paryani, Wells, and Johnson. He ultimately completed
his residency in Radiation Oncology at Stanford University Medical Center, California. Dr. Deshmukh is board certified in
Radiation Oncology.
Dr. Deshmukh's clinical interests include prostate cancer, lymphomas, breast cancer, and Gamma Knife therapy for brain
neoplasms. He is a member of the Duval County Medical Society, Florida Medical Association and the American Society for Therapeutic
Radiology and Oncology. He is active with the local American Cancer Society and Community Hospice of Northeast Florida.
After work, Dr. Deshmukh enjoys tennis, sailing, jogging, and music, and sharing time with his medically oriented family:
His father practices neurology and his mother is an anesthesiologist in private practice. Even his siblings could not avoid
the medical "bug": Abhijit's two younger brothers have completed their M.D.'s at Harvard Medical School as well!
Alan R. Forbes, M.D. Ph.D. completed his Radiation Oncology training at Harvard University's Joint Center. He is
a graduate of the University of Miami School of Medicine. Dr. Forbes has both a Masters and a Doctorate degree from the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology in Nuclear Engineering and Applied Nuclear Physics. He was on faculty at the M.D. Anderson Cancer
Center Orlando where he was Chief of Radiation Oncology.
Dr. Forbes' clinical interests are centered on the use of highly
targeted treatments such as IGRT (image guided radiation therapy) and brachytherapy for the most effective minimally invasive
treatment. Dr. Forbes believes strongly in the physician team approach, to provide the best care for the patient's cancer
and individual needs. Dr. Forbes has extensive experience in the use of IGRT and intensity modulated radiotherapy in the treatment
of prostate cancer. He was a primary developer of gold fiducial markers, which are placed in the prostate for image guided
treatment. He has more than 20 years experience performing prostate seed implants, having first brought them to Central Florida
in 1991.
Dr. Forbes has extensive publications in the areas of prostate cancer, lung cancer, head & neck, brain
and gynecological cancers. His research has appeared in journals such as the Journal of Clinical Oncology, and the International
Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics. He has been on the board of researchers for multiple national multi-institutional
research boards such as NIH and was a Principal Investigator for RTOG. He is on the Medical Staff of Orlando Health including
Orlando Regional Medical Center, Dr. Phillips hospital, and, South Seminole Hospital.
He has been named one
the Best Physicians in Orlando for many years by Orlando Magazine.
Johnny Kao, M.D. is originally from New York City and graduated with honors from Dartmouth College. He completed
medical school training at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and radiation oncology residency training at University of Chicago.
He
served as Assistant Professor at Mount Sinai School of Medicine for 5 years where he started an active stereotactic body radiation
therapy program. At Mount Sinai, he developed and tested several new treatment combinations of radiation therapy and
biologically targeted anticancer treatments. For example, Dr. Kao was principal investigator of the first clinical trial
to combine stereotactic body radiation therapy with Sutent for patients with metastases to the lung, liver, bone or lymph
nodes. Although metastatic cancers have historically been considered incurable, approximately 30% of treated patients
continue to be in a complete remission more than 2 years after treatment. Dr. Kao also developed new treatment regimens
for patients with advanced or recurrent head and neck cancers, including patients that recurred after previous radiation.
Dr. Kao joined Florida Radiation Oncology Group in 2010 and is committed to bringing cutting edge treatment options to patients
in Hillsborough County.
Dr. Kao is a member of numerous professional organizations, including American Society
for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, American Society of Clinical Oncologists and the American Association of Cancer Research.
Dr. Kao was a past president of the New York Roentgen Society Section of Radiation Oncology and is board certified in radiation
oncology by the American Board of Radiology. He has authored more than 30 peer-reviewed papers and 10 book chapters
in the areas of prostate, head and neck and breast cancers, stereotactic body radiation for metastatic tumors and cancer biology.
He has been invited to speak at numerous local, national and international cancer meetings. In addition to receiving
nearly $2,000,000 in research grants, Dr. Kao was awarded the Patients’ Choice award based on high patient satisfaction.
Dr. Anand Kuruvilla: Originally from India, Dr. Anand Kuruvilla has been in the United States since 1982. After completing
his undergraduate medical training in India, he attended Derbyshire Royal Infirmary and the Royal Berkshire Hospital in England
for specialized post-graduate training in Radiation Oncology. After his arrival in the United States, he spent another four
years studying Radiation Oncology as a resident at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York, and served as
Chief Resident there in his final year.
After obtaining Radiation Oncology Board Certification in 1986, he practiced at Kaiser Permanente in Los Angeles, California,
until his move to Florida in 1991 to join the Florida Radiation Oncology Group.
In 1999, Dr Kuruvilla also achieved Board Certification in Palliative and Hospice Medicine. In 2000, he was awarded Fellowship
in the American College of Radiation Oncology. Dr. Kuruvilla has a special interest in genitourinary cancers. He helped pioneer
the use of radioactive seed implants for treatments of prostate cancer in North Florida. "This is a tremendous option for
many men with localized prostate cancer, and in many cases can be completed without major surgery in one day as an outpatient,"
he says.
Dr. Kuruvilla is currently the Director of the Cancer Center of Putnam, and has served as Chief of Staff of Putnam Community
Medical Center, and as a member of the Palatka Rotary Club, the Putnam & Duval County Medical Societies, Florida Medical
Association, American Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, American College of Radiation Oncology, American Society
of Clinical Oncology and American College of Radiology and the American College of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Dr. Kuruvilla
is also Putnam County's Honorary Medical Advisor to Hospice of North Central Florida. He is an active volunteer and board
member with the local chapter of the American Cancer Society where he has chaired the Community Outreach program for screening
and early cancer detection.
Dr. Kuruvilla and his wife Sheila have two children, a daughter and a son, attending college. When not at work, he can
be found exploring the fairways and greens of the area's numerous golf courses.
April Smith Mendoza was born in San Antonio, Texas but spent most of her formative years right here in Florida. She
graduated from Leesburg High School with honors and was designated a Florida Academic Scholar. She accepted a Presidential
Scholarship at West Virginia University graduating Summa Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and
Accounting. Upon passing the Certified Public Accountant examination, she spent a year with a large accounting firm in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania.
However, a love of science and medicine compelled her to return to West Virginia University to pursue pre-medical studies.
Dr. Mendoza graduated from Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia where she stayed to complete her residency
in radiation oncology and serve as chief resident.
Dedicated to clinical research, Dr. Mendoza has authored publications and directed studies on multiple topics including
prostate cancer, breast cancer, thyroid cancer and colorectal cancer.
Returning to Florida to be near her family, Dr. Mendoza joined the Florida Radiation Oncology Group in 2005 and is currently
Co- Director of the Flagler Cancer Center in St. Augustine. She is a member of the Flagler Hospital Cancer Committee, and
serves as the Community Outreach Coordinator. She is also a member of several professional organizations including the American
Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, American Society for Clinical Oncology, American Medical Association and American
College of Radiology.
Dr. Mendoza and her husband have a son, a daughter, two dogs and a cat, who are all very happy to be in the warm Florida
weather. Their spare time usually revolves around the children and includes visits to the beach, historical sites or just
enjoying the outdoors.
Mike Olson is a native of the Northeast. He earned a B.S. in Chemistry with highest honors from Harvey Mudd College
in Claremont, California. Seeking to apply his love for science to the treatment of disease, Mike transitioned from a graduate
program at the California Institute of Technology (CalTech) to Duke University where Mike accepted a position at Duke's Medical
Scientist Training Program. He obtained his M.D. and Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, researching processes of cellular
death critical to the treatment of human cancers. Having experienced the rewards and satisfactions gained by helping patients
every day, Mike decided to hang up his lab coat and pursue a career in clinical medicine.
After completing his internship in Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Mike joined the prestigious
Department of Radiation Oncology at Stanford University Medical Center for his residency in Radiation Oncology. While at Stanford,
Mike developed his interests in Stereotactic Body/Cyberknife Radiotherapy for prostate, lung, and gastrointestinal cancers.
He also pursued research interests in lung cancer and Hodgkin's disease. He served as Chief Resident and became a member of
the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American College
of Radiology.
In his spare time Mike likes to play volleyball, read and see new parts of Florida with his wife and daughter.
Janelle Park, M.D. was born in Columbia, Missouri, and grew up in Avon Lake, Ohio. She obtained her B.A. in Biology,
with a minor in Art History, from Columbia University in New York City, and her M.D. from the Ohio State University College
of Medicine. Dr. Park completed her medical internship at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital in New York City, and then traveled
to Los Angeles to the University of Southern California for her radiation oncology training. While at U.S.C., she served as
the Chief Resident.
Upon completion of her training, Dr. Park did a brief stint in private practice in Southern California, and then returned
to New York City in order to be closer to family. While in New York, she was an assistant professor at the Mount Sinai School
of Medicine and Clinical Director of the Bronx Veterans' Administration's Radiation Therapy clinic. She also served as the
chair of the Radiation Safety Committee and director of the Tumor Registry. During her 3 years at the Bronx VA, Dr. Park treated
several hundred prostate cancer patients, and created the foundations of a radiosurgical program.
Dr. Park is board-certified in Radiation Oncology, and currently participates on the American College of Radiology's Guidelines
and Standards Committee, as well as on the American College of Radiology's Physics Committee. In addition, she is a member
of American Society for Therapeutic Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), American College of Radiology (ACR), and the American Medical
Association (AMA).
In addition to prostate cancer, Dr. Park also has a strong interest in stereotactic radiosurgery. Dr. Park is based at
the Brandon Cyberknife Cancer Center, and is looking forward to further integrating this technology in the Tampa area.
Dr. Paryani came to Jacksonville at the age of eleven. He attended Ft. Caroline Junior High School and Terry Parker
High School where he graduated at the top of his class. He then attended the University of Florida where he received a bachelor's
degree in Electrical Engineering and a Master's degree in Nuclear Engineering/Radiation Physics. In his second year of college,
Dr. Paryani was admitted early to medical school in The Junior Honor's Program. After graduation from medical school near
the top of his class and being inducted into the National Honor's Society of Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA), he traveled west to
Houston, Texas for his internship. He received training in internal medicine at the University of Texas and M.D. at Anderson
Hospital. Following this, he landed in Stanford, California where he received his training in Radiation Oncology. In 1983,
he returned to Jacksonville to join his father and Dr. Scott in practice.
He is currently the Director of Radiation Oncology at Memorial Medical Center and Co-Director of Radiation Oncology at
Baptist Medical Center.
Dr. Paryani is board certified in Radiation Oncology. He earned a Master of Health Administration degree from the University
of North Florida in 2002. He is a member of the Duval County Medical Society, Florida Medical Association, American Society
for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, American Society for Clinical Oncology, American Endocurietherapy Society, American
College of Radiation Oncology, American College of Radiology and The American Association for Physicists in Medicine. He was
inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Radiation Oncology in 2000. He is also actively involved in the Baptist Health
Foundation as a trustee.
He is married to Dr. Sharon Goldman Paryani, who is a pediatric infectious disease specialist locally. They have three
children and enjoy the beach, golfing, and the arts.
Neenad Shah was born in India, but left before age one, taking his parents with him. After brief sojourns in such
exotic locales as England and New Jersey, he settled in rural Pennsylvania where he spent his formative years. Having little
else to do, Dr. Shah cultivated interests in music, literature, outdoor recreation, and orthography. His true loves, however,
were science and medicine, and he was accepted into Medical School while still in high school. After two years at the Pennsylvania
State University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree, Dr. Shah received his M.D. degree from the Jefferson Medical College
of the Thomas Jefferson University, in Philadelphia.
After medical school, Dr. Shah completed an internship and residency in Internal Medicine at the Medical Center of Delaware.
Realizing his mistake, he then immediately began his residency in Radiation Oncology at Tufts University in Boston. Dr. Shah
served as chief resident and received awards for his research in Radiation Oncology from the American Brachytherapy Society,
National Comprehensive Cancer Network, and American College of Radiation Oncology. His research interests include prostate
cancer, total body irradiation, and accelerated partial breast irradiation. Dr. Shah has presented his data on breast brachytherapy
at several national meetings and has published articles in “Cancer” and “Seminars in Radiation Oncology.” Dr. Shah is board
certified in both Internal Medicine and Radiation Oncology.
Dr. Shah is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and
Oncology, American Society for Clinical Oncology, American College of Radiation Oncology, Florida Medical Society, and the
Capital Medical Society. He has served on the Board of Directors of, and has been a Medical Advisor for, the American Cancer
Society.
Dr. Shah and his wife have three children and an enormous dog, who conspire to keep them busy most of the time. Given a
chance, Dr. Shah will try to hit the ski slopes, tickle the ivories, and work on his pilot’s license. He rarely does all three
simultaneously.
Dr. Simmons: Born in Abilene, Texas, Dr. Simmons
earned his undergraduate degree at Florida State University in Tallahassee in 1994. He went on to receive his M.D. at the
University of Florida, and performed an Internal Medicine Internship at Emory University in Atlanta. He later returned to
Gainesville to complete a Radiation Oncology Residency and Fellowship at the University of Florida, and subsequently was on
the faculty of the University of Florida as an Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology. Dr. Simmons is board certified in
Radiation Oncology. In 2002, he left academics to join the Florida Radiation Oncology Group, where he currently serves as
the co-director of the Florida Cancer Center—Orange Park. He maintains a strong interest in clinical research, and has
a special interest in Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy and prostate cancer.
Outside the office, Dr. Simmons is a devoted
family man and enjoys the outdoors and spending time with his daughter.
Dr. Vargas trained in Radiation Oncology at William Beaumont Hospital, in the Detroit metropolitan area. Upon completion of
training, Dr. Vargas relocated to Jacksonville, Florida as faculty at the University of Florida Shands Hospital in Jacksonville.
At the Shands Proton Center in Jacksonville, Dr. Vargas developed and ran their proton beam program for prostate cancer for
many years.
Dr. Vargas is an internationally recognized expert on the use of proton beam radiation for prostate
cancer and other diseases. He has over 40 publications regarding the treatment of prostate cancer, having made important contributions
to the advancement of proton beam radiation, brachytherapy, seed implants, external radiation, IMRT, and image guided prostate
cancer treatment (IGRT). Dr. Vargas has additional expertise in the use image guidance and stereotactic treatments for
brain and lung cancers. He also helped in the development of a sophisticated intensity modulated image guided adaptive process
for head and neck patients.
Dr Vargas is the principal investigator for several prostate cancer research studies. His
research includes the uses of different forms of radiation and image guidance, as well as combined treatment with systemic
agents. He is frequently invited to speak at both national and international meetings about using radiation to cure prostate
cancer. He has multiple publications and presentations that can found in peer review journals. Click Here
In his free time, Dr. Vargas enjoys spending time with his family, playing golf, and the other activities in the Jacksonville
area.
John Wells, Jr. was born in Brunswick, Georgia. Before
becoming a Naval Aviator and F4 Phantom pilot in the United States Marine Corps, he earned both a BS and MS in Mathematics
at Auburn University. After his military service, he taught Mathematics at Columbus College, Georgia, for a year while studying
for Medical School. After completing his medical degree and internship at the Medical College of Georgia, he traveled west
to Stanford University to complete his residency in Radiation Oncology in 1982.
At Stanford, in 1980, he met Drs. Paryani and Johnson. They have been colleagues and friends ever since, and have enjoyed
creating "Stanford East" in Jacksonville along with Drs. Schoeppel and Deshmukh, both of whom later trained at Stanford as
well.
Dr. Wells has practiced in Jacksonville since 1984 and presently is Chief of Radiation Oncology at Orange Park Medical
Center. He is board certified in Radiation Oncology, and is a member of the Duval County Medical Center, Florida Medical Association,
American Medical Society, American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, American Society of Clinical Oncology,
and American Endocurietherapy Society.
He is active in the American Cancer Society, Boy Scouts, The Baptist Health System Foundation, and the Rotary Club of Southeast
Jacksonville.
In his spare time, Dr. Wells enjoys boating, an occasional game of golf, reading, the great outdoors, and traveling with
his wife, Shari.
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