Dr. Brian Lawenda
Radiation Oncology
Kennewick, WA
26 years experience male
Locations
21st Century Oncology/Northwest Cancer Clinic
Kennewick, WA
My office hours
Thursday: 7:00am - 5:00pm
Show morePhone
Practice website
Insurances accepted
Humana
Medicare
UnitedHealthcare
Aetna
Medicaid
Tricare
About
Bio
I received my training in radiation oncology at Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts General Hospital (Dana Farber Cancer Institute), where I was Chief Resident. I am the medical director at 21st Century Oncology/Northwest Cancer Clinic, in Kennewick, Washington. Previously, I served as a Commander, in the United States Navy, during which time I was the director of the multi-disciplinary Breast Health Center and Radiation Oncology clinic (Naval Medical Center San Diego). I have an strong interest in integrative oncology, a specialty of cancer care that combines conventional oncologic treatments with evidence-based complementary therapies with a rational approach that focuses on the entire patient: mind, body and spirit. I am an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology, at Indiana University School of Medicine and am on the Board of Trustees of the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine. I am the founder of IntegrativeOncology-Essentials (www.integrativeoncology-essentials.com).
SpecialtiesDoctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Doctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Radiation Oncology
Integrative Medicine
Doctor Q&A
145 Answers
179 Agrees
The number of answers this doctor has agreed with.
A 28-year-old female asked:
Dr. Brian Lawendaanswered
Radiation Oncology 26 years experience
Either: Both of this technologies do essentially the same thing. Although these two machines look different, their ability to accurately and rapidly treat mos... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 22-year-old male asked:
Dr. Brian Lawendaanswered
Radiation Oncology 26 years experience
Likely normal: Any coloration of the skin (or mucosa, in your case) that does not change over time is most likely normal for you. Nevertheless, any time you notice a... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 43-year-old member asked:
Dr. Brian Lawendaanswered
Radiation Oncology 26 years experience
Depends on stage: Following surgery (for stage 1), either radiation therapy or chemotherapy gives excellent long term results. The side effects of both treatments are q... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 46-year-old member asked:
Dr. Brian Lawendaanswered
Radiation Oncology 26 years experience
Depends...: There are different types of cancers of the bone. The 3 most common primary bone cancers are osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma and ewing sarcoma. Cancers t... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 47-year-old member asked:
Dr. Brian Lawendaanswered
Radiation Oncology 26 years experience
Diagnostic vs Treat: Radiology (uses radiography) to diagnose and evaluate the tissues and organs in the body.
Radiation therapy uses radiation to treat cancers (and occa... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 40-year-old member asked:
Dr. Brian Lawendaanswered
Radiation Oncology 26 years experience
Depends...many ways: Radiation causes side effects by causing inflammation in the irradiated tissues. This inflammation can lead to a variety of symptoms and side effects ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. Brian Lawendaanswered
Radiation Oncology 26 years experience
Damages tumor DNA: Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill cancer cells. These x-rays interact with water molecules in the cancer cells, creating chemicals (fr... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 30-year-old member asked:
Dr. Brian Lawendaanswered
Radiation Oncology 26 years experience
Unfortunately, no: The standard treatments for cancers of the penis include: surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, cryotherapy.
Natural medicines fall into the cate... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Brian Lawendaanswered
Radiation Oncology 26 years experience
Depends: Surgery is often the first treatment in managing mesothelioma. Radiation can be used to treat the areas that the surgeon couldn't remove entirely or h... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:
Dr. Brian Lawendaanswered
Radiation Oncology 26 years experience
Nutrition & bowel fx: After a total gastrectomy, nutritional problems can occur from nutrient deficiencies due to malabsorption in the gut. The bowels tend to move more qui... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 52-year-old female asked:
Dr. Brian Lawendaanswered
Radiation Oncology 26 years experience
Yes: Certain cancer drugs are known to be toxic to the kidneys, which is why your kidney function is closely monitored on them.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 32-year-old male asked:
Dr. Brian Lawendaanswered
Radiation Oncology 26 years experience
Depends: If it is not bothering you, you leave it alone. You will likely pass it. If it is causing pain, infection or obstruction, it needs to be treated.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A female asked:
Dr. Brian Lawendaanswered
Radiation Oncology 26 years experience
Years: Cancer, in general, takes many years-to-decades to develop. An infection with h. Pylori may never cause a cancerous change in the stomach.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 23-year-old female asked:
Dr. Brian Lawendaanswered
Radiation Oncology 26 years experience
Not likely : It is possible that these blue skin spots could be related to your childhood cancer, but it is not likely as you are so far out from your treatment. T... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 48-year-old member asked:
Dr. Brian Lawendaanswered
Radiation Oncology 26 years experience
Generally, no: If your margins were clear and there were no involved metastatic lymph nodes, then we would not recommend any radiation therapy.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 22-year-old member asked:
Dr. Brian Lawendaanswered
Radiation Oncology 26 years experience
Unlikely: Most breast cancers do not cause pain. Compression of the breast can be painful with or without any breast masses, cysts, etc.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. Brian Lawendaanswered
Radiation Oncology 26 years experience
TNM Staging: Thyroid cancers are staged based on their size, involvement of surrounding tissues and their spread to lymph nodes or distant tissues.
The internatio... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 37-year-old female asked:
Dr. Brian Lawendaanswered
Radiation Oncology 26 years experience
Possibly: It depends on whether the inner ear was radiated to a dose higher than its tolerance (typically, starting above 45 gy or 4500 cgy.) you can ask your r... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 18-year-old female asked:
Dr. Brian Lawendaanswered
Radiation Oncology 26 years experience
Depends...: If this cancer is a primary stage 4 liver cancer, treatments consist mainly of chemotherapy drugs, biologic drugs, radiation therapy or other palliati... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 54-year-old female asked:
Dr. Brian Lawendaanswered
Radiation Oncology 26 years experience
CRP is non-specific : Elevations in CRP are very non-specific, as many things can lead to increased production of the inflammatory blood marker: infections, trauma, burns, ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 20-year-old male asked:
Dr. Brian Lawendaanswered
Radiation Oncology 26 years experience
CT is better: Barium enema detects about 30%–50% of cancers detected by colonoscopy (the "gold standard".)
at centers of excellence, ct colonography (or "virtual c... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:
Dr. Brian Lawendaanswered
Radiation Oncology 26 years experience
No: The science behind this theory is not strong.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 51-year-old female asked:
Dr. Brian Lawendaanswered
Radiation Oncology 26 years experience
Not likely: Esophageal cancer is a fast growing cancer and would likely be very advanced after 1.5 years of symptoms.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. Brian Lawendaanswered
Radiation Oncology 26 years experience
Surgery: Salivary gland tumors are typically treated with surgery. This can entail removing the gland and possibly lymph nodes in the area. Depending on the ex... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Brian Lawendaanswered
Radiation Oncology 26 years experience
Depends: If the radiation therapy is treating any part of the body covered with hair, there is a possibility that you can lose the hair in that region. Your ra... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 40-year-old member asked:
Dr. Brian Lawendaanswered
Radiation Oncology 26 years experience
Yes: This depends on the cancer type, but most early stage cancers have the potential to spread if not treated.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 19-year-old female asked:
Dr. Brian Lawendaanswered
Radiation Oncology 26 years experience
Days-to-months: Depending on the cause of the swelling of the lymph nodes, they can last for days-to-months (for infections.).
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A male asked:
Dr. Brian Lawendaanswered
Radiation Oncology 26 years experience
Check this out: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22859563
i've wanted to try concomitant boost on patients who don't want brachytherapy or can't have it. Maybe she... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 56-year-old female asked:
Dr. Brian Lawendaanswered
Radiation Oncology 26 years experience
Maternal or paternal: Either of your parents can transfer cancer genes (i.e. Brca1/2), including breast cancer genes.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Brian Lawendaanswered
Radiation Oncology 26 years experience
Not likely: Although radiation therapy has been around for many years, it continues to be very important for the treatment of many cancer types.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. Brian Lawendaanswered
Radiation Oncology 26 years experience
None: The terms are often used interchangeably.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. Brian Lawendaanswered
Radiation Oncology 26 years experience
No: Radiation therapy is generally delivered with x-ray based treatment. This type of radiation is gone immediately after the treatment is done.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 48-year-old member asked:
Dr. Brian Lawendaanswered
Radiation Oncology 26 years experience
Depends: Most oncologists consider legitimate therapies those that are safe, effective & published in high quality peer reviewed journals. There are many thera... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. Brian Lawendaanswered
Radiation Oncology 26 years experience
Possible, but rare: Have your doctor exam the breast. It is very rare for breast cancer to present at such a young age.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 46-year-old member asked:
Dr. Brian Lawendaanswered
Radiation Oncology 26 years experience
It is allowed & safe: All radiation workers are monitored closely for their exposure to radiation dose. It is very rare for a radiation therapist to come close to the estab... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 35-year-old member asked:
Dr. Brian Lawendaanswered
Radiation Oncology 26 years experience
Depends: Radiation can cause a variety of side effects and complications when treating the brain. These depend on the dose, areas of the brain treated, cancer ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 40-year-old member asked:
Dr. Brian Lawendaanswered
Radiation Oncology 26 years experience
Pain, etc.: The tissues of the head and neck can be very sensitive to radiation. Depending on the site(s) treated and the dose received by those tissues, one can ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 38-year-old member asked:
Dr. Brian Lawendaanswered
Radiation Oncology 26 years experience
Yes: The vp shunt is not directly effected by the radiation treatment. Indirectly, a shunt can be blocked by pressure placed on it from surrounding tissues... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 33-year-old member asked:
Dr. Brian Lawendaanswered
Radiation Oncology 26 years experience
Integrative oncology: Most oncologists consider legitimate therapies those that are safe, effective & published in high quality peer reviewed journals. There are many thera... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 38-year-old member asked:
Dr. Brian Lawendaanswered
Radiation Oncology 26 years experience
A common skin cancer: Basal cell carcinoma is the most common skin cancer type. It is frequently slow growing. They rarely metastasize. Typically, they occur in areas of th... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 44-year-old member asked:
Dr. Brian Lawendaanswered
Radiation Oncology 26 years experience
Dyspnea, cough: Osteosarcoma is rare cancer of the bone. When it metastasizes, one of the first places it may show up is in the lungs. If these metastatic lesions are... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 30-year-old female asked:
Dr. Brian Lawendaanswered
Radiation Oncology 26 years experience
Very low risk: It is true that one of the risk factors for developing a cancer is exposure to radiation, including certain diagnostic studies (i.e. Ct scans, x-rays.... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 21-year-old member asked:
Dr. Brian Lawendaanswered
Radiation Oncology 26 years experience
Depends: Tumors can arise anywhere in the body (blood, lymph nodes, organs, bones, soft tissues...).
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 38-year-old member asked:
Dr. Brian Lawendaanswered
Radiation Oncology 26 years experience
Depends: All cancers behave differently based on many factors: type, stage, grade, etc...
Although many cancers are able to be cured with treatments, but we c... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 30-year-old member asked:
Dr. Brian Lawendaanswered
Radiation Oncology 26 years experience
Depends on the type: Gastrointestinal tumors take years to develop, but since they are not located in places you can see (and often, not feel) they can grow quietly withou... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 30-year-old member asked:
Dr. Brian Lawendaanswered
Radiation Oncology 26 years experience
46 cases/yr in 100K: The risk of developing cancer of the colon and rectum is low (46 cases out of 100k population per year, in the us.)
this comes from large population ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 21-year-old female asked:
Dr. Brian Lawendaanswered
Radiation Oncology 26 years experience
No staging: Most brain tumors are classified by their degree of resectability. Treatment outcomes are variable depending on the type of tumor (pathology), extent ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A female asked:
Dr. Brian Lawendaanswered
Radiation Oncology 26 years experience
No: Depending on the extent of the surgical outcome and your health status, chemotherapy will be recommended. Discuss this with your gyn oncologist or med... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 48-year-old member asked:
Dr. Brian Lawendaanswered
Radiation Oncology 26 years experience
Depends: Most commonly, nausea may occur after radiating the stomach. Radiation can cause inflammation in the tissues and nerves within and surrounding the sto... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 52-year-old female asked:
Dr. Brian Lawendaanswered
Radiation Oncology 26 years experience
Exercise: The best defense against chronic diseases (including cancer) is living a healthful lifestyle (i.e. Eating an anti-inflammatory diet, exercise, stress... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
TestimonialsRecommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
Recommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
5
Recommendations
193
Thank you notes
Nov 26, 2013
Dr. Lawenda is an excellent radiation oncologist. His publications on the use of supplements during radiation therapy is seminal paper.
Feb 22, 2013
Dr. Lawenda is a caring and thoughtful physician who takes excellent care of patients.
HealthTap member
Dec 16, 2012
I came to see Dr. Lawenda (he studied at Harvard) for a second opinion consultation, after having seen another doctor in town for my breast cancer. He and his office staff made me & my husband feel so...Read More
HealthTap member
Thanks for your quick reply! But your last paragraph only defended the physicians ignorance which i questioned and others gave me an over all consensus of being correct
HealthTap member
Thank you, your answer was very helpful! Thank you so much for your reply. I think I will have my cyst removed.
HealthTap member
Thanks for your quick reply! Thank u, but I asked already and he didn't know what that could be.
Education & Training
Medical/Graduate school
Temple University School of Medicine
Graduated 1997MD
Residency
Massachusetts General Hospital
Awards
First place, Academic Research Competition, Naval Medical Center San Diego, San Diego, CA
Foundation Merit Award, American Society of Clinical Oncology
Chief Resident, Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Radiation Oncology
Affiliations
American Society for Therapeutic Radiology & Oncology
Society for Integrative Oncology
21st Century Oncology
90,000 U.S. doctors in 147 specialties are here to answer your questions, provide medical advice, write prescriptions, and more.
Answer emailed
in 24 hours or less