Bradley Ackerson, MD

Oncology: Radiation
503-216-2195
Areas of Focus: 
Image-Guided & Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IGRT/IMRT)
Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT/SABR)
3D Conformal Radiotherapy
Benign & Malignant Diseases of the Central Nervous System (Brain & Spine)
Thoracic Cancers, including Lung, Thymus, Lymphoma

About Me

As an oncologist, I strive to empower patients by teaching them about their diagnosis and treatment options. I am grateful to work with a multidisciplinary team that utilizes the latest technological advances to prioritize individualized and compassionate care for each patient.

- Bradley Ackerson, MD

While in training, Dr. Ackerson connected deeply with his oncology patients. He decided early to dedicate his career to helping individuals navigate what can be an unexpected and unknown diagnosis. He was drawn to radiation oncology, a specialty that focuses on individualized treatment plans for each patient. Dr. Ackerson finds the relationships that he develops with patients and their families particularly rewarding. He also values the team-based approach that he has in the specialty. 

Dr. Ackerson has an interest in exercise medicine/oncology and earned his Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) certification while in training. He was fortunate to train at one of the largest brain tumor centers in the world where he completed a special certification in treating primary and metastatic tumors of the central nervous system. 

Dr. Ackerson truly values the personal connections that he makes with people. Helping patients navigate difficult situations like a cancer diagnosis creates a special bond that he is grateful for. He feels very fortunate to be in a field of medicine that strongly prioritizes compassion and connection.

 

Other Interests: 

Dr. Ackerson was born at Providence St. Vincent hospital and raised in Beaverton. A 15-year hiatus for school and advanced training gave him a deep appreciation for how wonderful it is to live in the Portland Metro area. Dr. Ackerson and his wife love the culture, food, professional sports, and access to the beautiful outdoors that Portland provides. 

Dr. Ackerson enjoys staying active through endurance running, biking, and playing tennis/soccer. He also likes to spend time with his wife and children by backpacking, traveling, and coaching youth sports. They all cheer hard for everything Duke, most notably college basketball. 

 

My Work

Office Locations: 
Radiation Oncology - West
Radiation Oncology - Clackamas
Hospitals Served: 
Providence Portland Medical Center
Providence St. Vincent Medical Center
Specialties: 
Oncology: Radiation
Areas of Focus: 
Image-Guided & Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IGRT/IMRT)
Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT/SABR)
3D Conformal Radiotherapy
Benign & Malignant Diseases of the Central Nervous System (Brain & Spine)
Thoracic Cancers, including Lung, Thymus, Lymphoma
Breast Cancer
Genitourinary Cancers, including Prostate, Bladder, Testis
Exercise Medicine
Gastrointestinal Cancers, including Esophagus, Stomach, Colorectal, Anal, Pancreas, Hepatobiliary
Gynecologic Cancers, including Uterine, Cervical, Vaginal, Vulvar
Head & Neck Cancers
Lymphomas
Benign Conditions treated with Radiotherapy

Education & Honors

Board Certification: 
Radiation Oncology – Board Eligible
Education & Training: 
  • Chief Resident, Duke University School of Medicine Department of Radiation Oncology, Durham, NC, 2023
  • Residency, Duke University School of Medicine Department of Radiation Oncology, Durham, NC, 2022
  • Internship, Intermountain Medical Center, Salt Lake City, UT, 2019
  • Doctor of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 2018
  • Bachelor of Science, Neuroscience, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, 2013
Honors: 
  • Full Tuition Merit Scholarship, BYU (2013)
  • Duke University Henry A. Page Scholarship (2014)
  • Duke University Samuel Earl Upchurch Scholarship (2015)
  • Radiation Research Society Scholar in Training Grant (2017)
  • Duke School of Medicine Dean’s Choice Award Scholarship (2017)
  • Duke School of Medicine Senior Merit Scholarship (2017)
  • Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society (2017)
  • Duke Radiation Oncology Award for Outstanding Physics Research (2022)
  • Chief Resident, Duke University Radiation Oncology (2022)
Publications: 
  • Bradley G. Ackerson, William Sperduto, M.D., Rachel D’Anna, M.S., Donna Niedzwiecki, Ph.D., Jared Christensen, M.D., M.B.A., Pranalee Patel, B.S., Trey C. Mullikin, M.D., Chris R. Kelsey, M.D. “Divergent Interpretations of Imaging after Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Lung Cancer.” Practical Radiation Oncology, 2023.
  • Colin E. Champ, MD, CSCS, David J. Carpenter, MD, CSCS, Alexander K. Diaz, MD, PhD, CSCS, Jared Rosenberg, MS, CSCS, Bradley G. Ackerson, MD, CSCS, Parker N. Hyde, PhD, CSCS. “Resistance Training for the Cancer Patient: A Conceptual Framework for Maximizing Strength, Power, Functional Mobility, and Body Composition to Optimize Health and Outcome.” Sports Medicine, 2022.
  • Andrew Fairchild MD, Joseph K Salama MD, Walter F. Wiggins MD PhD, Bradley Ackerson MD, Peter Fecci. MD PhD, John Kirkpatrick MD PhD, Scott Floyd MD PhD, Devon Godfrey PhD. “A Deep Learning Based Computer Aided Detection (CAD) System for Difficult-to-Detect Brain Metastases.” International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics, 2022.
  • Brett Erickson, Bradley G. Ackerson, Yunfeng Cui, Fang-Fang Yin, Christopher Kelsey, Justus Adamson. The effect of various dose normalization strategies when implementing linear Boltzmann transport equation dose calculation for lung SBRT planning. Practical Radiation Oncology 12 (5), 446-456, 2022.
  • Bradley G. Ackerson, Qiuwen Wu, Oana Craciunescu, Colin Champ, Chris Kelsey. Treatment of Mycosis Fungoides using a Recumbent Total Skin Electron Beam Technique: A Comparison of Dosimetric and Clinical Outcomes. Advances in Radiation Oncology, Volume 6, Issue 4, 2021
  • AJ Petty, Bradley G. Ackerson, Reed Garza, Michael Peterson, Beyu Liu, Cindy Green, Michelle Pavlis. Meta-analysis of number needed to treat for diagnosis of melanoma by clinical setting. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 82 (5), 1158-1165, 2020.
  • Kyle Lafata, Julina Hong, R Geng, Bradley G. Ackerson, JG Liu, Z Zhou, Jordon Torok, Chris Kelsey, Fang-Fang Yin. Association of pre-treatment radiomic features with lung cancer recurrence following stereotactic body radiation therapy. Physics in Medicine & Biology 64 (2), 025007, 2019.
  • Bradley G Ackerson, Betty Tong, Julian Hong, Lin Gu, Junzo Chino, Chris Kelsey. Stereotactic body radiation therapy versus sublobar resection for stage I NSCLC. Lung Cancer 125, 185-191. 2018.
  • Daniel Tandberg, Betty Tong, Bradley G. Ackerson, Chris Kelsey. Surgery versus stereotactic body radiation therapy for stage I non-small cell lung cancer: a comprehensive review. Cancer 124 (4), 667-678. 2018.
  • Dan Tandberg, Y Cui, CN Rushing, Julian Hong, Bradley G. Ackerson, Brian G. Czito, Christopher W. Willett, Manisha Palta. Intratreatment response assessment with 18F-FDG PET: correlation of semiquantitative PET features with pathologic response of esophageal cancer to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy, IJROBP 102 (4), 1002-1007, 2018.
Volunteer Activities: 
  • Scientific Article Reviewer for the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics, Advances in Radiation Oncology, Cancer Biology and Therapy
Other Activities: 
  • Member, American Society of Radiation Oncology (ASTRO)
  • Member, American Board of Radiology
  • Member, American Medical Association
  • Member, International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC)
  • Member, National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA)