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Brachytherapy Team UCLA

CET Medical Team, Brachytherapy at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA

Brachytherapy Physicians

Brachytherapy Physician, Dr. Jeffrey Demanes, UCLAD. Jeffrey Demanes, M.D.
D. Jeffrey Demanes, MD founded California Endocurietherapy Cancer Center (CET) in 1981. He graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical School where he also served his residencies in internal medicine and oncology. From 1978-1981 he held fellowships at UCLA, and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and at Memorial Hospital in Long Beach. Dr. Demanes is board certified in three medical specialties: Radiation Oncology, Medical Oncology, and Internal Medicine.  He just finished a two year term as President of the American College of Radiation Oncology (ACRO) and remains Chairman. He is also a member of various governmental liaison committees for the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO).  He brought his expertise and brachytherapy team to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 2010.  UCLA residents now rotate through CET Brachytherapy Division at UCLA for their HDR brachytherapy training.
Organization Affiliations:

Brachytherapy Physician, Dr. Mitchell Kamrava, UCLAMitchell Kamrava, M.D.
Dr. Mitchell Kamrava graduated from the University of California San Diego (UCSD) Medical School during which time he spent a year as a Howard Hughes Research Scholar conducting research at the National Cancer Institute (NCI). He completed his internship in internal medicine at Stanford University Hospital followed by his residency in radiation oncology at the NCI, where he served as chief resident.

Dr. Kamrava joined the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Radiation Oncology Department as a brachytherapy fellow in 2010. He joined the department as an Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology specializing in Brachytherapy on July 1st, 2011. He served as the founding chair of the American College of Radiation Oncology (ACRO) Resident’s Committee as well as received multiple awards including: the Roentgen Resident Research Award, the Department of the Army Commander’s Award for Public Service, the ACRO Howard H. Wong Scholarship, the UCSD Samuel B. Hamburger Memorial Thesis Award, the UCSD Goodhead Service. (more)

  • 2010 - Department of the Army Commander’s Award for Public Service
  • 2010 - Roentgen Resident Research Award
  • 2010 - American College of Radiation Oncology Recognition and Appreciation for Outstanding Contributions as Founding Chairman of the Resident Committee
  • 2009 - Howard H. Wong Scholarship awarded by the American College of Radiation Oncology
  • 2009 - Chief Resident, Department of Radiation Oncology National Cancer Institute
  • 2005 - Samuel B Hamburger Memorial Thesis Award
  • 2005 - Arlene J and Dr. Bernard Goodhead Service Award in Oncology
  • 2004 - American Association for Cancer Research/National Ovarian Cancer Coalition Scholar in Training Award
  • 2002-2003 - Howard Hughes Medical Institute/National Institutes of Health Research Scholar

Our Team

Brachytherapy Team
From left: Alfred Jamison, RTT, Paula Sandoval, RN, Felicia Hall, LVN, Thomas Wong, RTT, Dr. Jeffrey Demanes, Lalaine Borja, PA, Dr. Mitchell Kamrava

Brachytherapy Physician Assistant

Lalaine M. Borja, PA-CLalaine M. Borja, PA-C
Brachytherapy Physician Assistant

Lalaine M. Borja, PA-C received her Bachelor of Sciences degree in Biological Sciences with a minor in Psychology from California State University, Hayward in 1999.
She then completed her Master of Science degree in Physician Assistant Studies from Pacific University in 2004.

She practiced in Internal Medicine at Seton Medical Center prior to joining Dr. Demanes at CET in 2007 and is now the Brachytherapy PA at UCLA’s Radiation Oncology Brachytherapy Division.

She is a member for American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) and American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO).

Brachytherapists (Radiation Therapy Implant Specialists)

  • Thomas Wong, RTT - over 22 years brachytherapy experience under Dr. Demanes
  • Alfred Jamison, III, RTT - over 4 years of brachy. experience under Dr. Demanes

What is the role of the Brachytherapist?

  • "Brachy" is a Greek word for "short." Thus "brachytherapy" means short distance radiation therapy, ie. internal or implant radiation therapy. 
  • "External beam radiation" is another complementary type of therapy also known as "teletherapy" -'"tele" meaning "long distance" - where focused radiation is beamed from the outside - inwards.
  • Radiation therapists are specially trained to accurately and safely perform radiation treatments to treat cancer and other diseases. Most radiation therapists perform  teletherapy.  Radiation therapists are licensed by the state of California as well as by a national licensing registry.
  • A brachytherapist is a radiation therapist with additional and extensive on the job training in implant radiation therapy or brachytherapy.
  • Brachytherapists are specially trained to safely and accurately deliver "high dose rate"(HDR) implant radiation treatments under physician and medical physicist supervision with a special HDR robot.  They are also trained in the important and related procedures such as x-ray and ultrasound scanning necessary to help implement the implant treatments.
  • The brachytherapist also facilitates in the actual implantation, maintenance and removal of implant applicators under MD, Physician Assistant and RN guidance. 
  • The brachytherapist works as part of the brachytherapy team along with aforementioned MD's, Physicist, PA, RN and the entire crew of the Radiation Oncology Department. 
  • The brachytherapist will describe the procedures to be performed to patients before implementation (such as HDR treatment) so that patients know what to expect.  If there are questions or issues that the brachytherapist cannot answer or address, he or she will pass the question or issue on to the MD, PA or other appropriate person.

Our Brachytherapy Nurses will be with you through your entire stay
Brachytherapy Nurses »

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