Donald B. Fuller, M.D. earned his doctorate at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, Washington. He completed his internship at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, California and his Radiation Oncology residency at LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah, subsequently receiving advanced training in prostate brachytherapy and CyberKnife stereoctatic radiotherapy techniques. He is certified by the American Board of Radiology in Radiation Oncology.
Dr. Fuller joined Radiation Medical Group (an affiliate to CyberKnife Centers of San Diego) in 1988. His interests in the specialty include prostate cancer radiotherapy, prostate CyberKnife Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT), and radiation dose escalation for a variety of malignancies through the appropriate application of intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and stereotactic (SBRT) techniques. He is the national principal investigator of a multi-institutional, prostate CyberKnife clinical trial: PROSPECTIVE EVALUATION OF CYBERKNIFE STEREOTACTIC RADIOSURGERY FOR LOW AND INTERMEDIATE RISK PROSTATE CANCER: EMULATING HDR BRACHYTHERAPY DOSIMETRY, and has also published an original CT-ultrasound fusion prostate brachytherapy technique in peer reviewed literature, as well as original manuscripts in the areas of lung cancer, pediatric cancer, sarcoma and gynecologic oncology. He is currently a reviewer for the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics, a director for the CyberKnife Society, and a director representing the Radiation Oncology Division of Unio Specialty Care.
When he is not working, Dr. Fuller enjoys a variety of activities, including golf, running, physical fitness training, an eclectic menu of reading interests and watching competitive sports, including his daughters’ high level volleyball activities.
EMPLOYMENT
| July 1988 - present | Radiation Oncologist Radiation Medical Group A Division of Unio Specialty Care |
| 2016 - present | Adjunct Professor Department of Physics, San Diego State University San Diego, California |
| 2002 - present | Board of Directors Member Radiation Medical Group San Diego, California |
| 2003 - 2007 | Board of Directors Member, Founding Member Comprehensive Tele-Plan, LLC San Diego, California |
| December 2004 - April 2011 | Board of Directors Member Director of Advanced Technology Integration Western Cancer Center San Diego, California |
| April 2011 - present | Board of Directors Member Unio Specialty Care San Diego, California |
EDUCATION
| 1976 | Wenatchee High School Wenatchee, Washington |
| 1980 | Washington State University B.S. Zoology, Summa Cum Laude |
| 1984 | University of Washington School of Medicine Doctor of Medicine, |
HONORARIES
Phi Beta Kappa
INTERNAL MEDICINE
Internal Medicine
Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital
Santa Barbara, California
July 1, 1984 – June 30, 1985
RESIDENCY
Radiation Oncology
LDS Hospital Radiation Center
Salt Lake City, Utah
July 1, 1985 – June 30, 1988
RESIDENCY EXTERNSHIPS
Clinical Radiation Oncology
Royal Marsden Hospital
London, England
July – August 1986
Hematology-Oncology Fellow
University of Utah Medical Center
June 1987
External Beam and Brachytherapy Dosimetry
M.D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute
Houston, Texas
August 1987
Medical Oncology Clinic
University of Utah Medical Center
January 1988
POST RESIDENCY TRAINING
Ultrasonically Guided I-125/Pd-103 Seed Implantation for the Treatment of Early Stage
Prostate Cancer
Northwest Hospital
Seattle, Washington
June 1992, February 1995
Cyberknife Technical Training
Accuray, Inc.
Sunnyvale, California
March 2006
LICENSURE
Medical Board of California, 1988
BOARD CERTIFICATION
National Board of Medical Examiners, 1985
American Board of Radiology – Radiation Oncology, 1988
RESEARCH
Fuller DB, Plenk HP: Malignant Testicular Tumors in a Father and Two Sons – Case Report and Literature Review. Cancer 58(4): 955-958, August 1986
Fuller DB, Sause WT, Plenk HP, Menlove RL: Analysis of Post-Operative Radiation Therapy in Stage I Through III Epithelial Ovarian Carcinoma. Journal of Clinical Oncology, Vol. 5, No. 6: 897-905, June 1987.
Presented to the European Society of Therapeutic Radiologists and Oncologists – Baden Baden, Germany – September 1986
Fuller DB, Bloom HJG.: Radiotherapy for Chordoma. International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics – Vol. 15: 331-339, August 1988.
Presented to the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology – Boston, Massachusetts – October 1987
Sause WT, Fuller DB, Smith WG, Johnson GH, Plenk HP, Menlove RL.: Analysis of Preoperative Intracavitary Cesium Application Versus Postoperative External Beam Radiation. International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics – Vol. 18, 1011-1017, April 1990
Presented to the Western Association of Gynecologic Oncologists – Jackson Hole, Wyoming – June 1988
Presented to the American Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology – New Orleans, Louisiana October 1988
Avizonis V, Fuller DB, Thomson JW, Walker MJ, Nilsson DE, Menlove RL: Late Effects Following Nervous System Radiation in a Pediatric Population. Neuropediatric (23), 228-234, 1992
Presented to the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology – San Francisco, California – November 1989
Fuller DB, Chambers JS: Superior Sulcus Tumors: Combined Modality. Annals of Thoracic Surgery 57:1133-1139, 1994
Expert Panel on Radiation Oncology – Lung Work Group: Ko B, Sause WT, Byhardt R, Curran Jr. W, Fuller DB, Graham M, Komaki R, Weisenburger T, Kaiser L, Leibel S, Brown R: American College of Radiology ACR Appropriateness Criteria – Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma. Radiology Vol. 215(S): 1281-1402, June 2000
Fuller DB, Jin H, Ijaz T, Silverman M, Hardy S, Koziol JA, Feng AC: Office-Based CT-Ultrasound Interactive Transperineal Prostate Brachytherapy: A Real-Time Dosimetry Analysis and Quality Improvement Method. Abstract poster presentation to the American Brachytherapy Society 24th Annual Meeting, New York, May 2003
Fuller DB, Gorman MK, Holcomb BC, Ijaz T: Prostate Brachytherapy Using Conscious Sedation and Local Anesthesia: Patient Satisfaction Survey, Short Term Morbidity Assessment and Implant Quality Assessment. Abstract poster presentation to the American Brachytherapy Society 24th Annual Meeting, New York, May 2003
Fuller DB, Koziol JA: Prostate Brachytherapy Seed Migration and Dosimetry: Analysis of Potential Predictive Factors. Abstract oral presentation to the American Brachytherapy Society 24th Annual Meeting, New York, May 2003
Fuller DB, Koziol JA, Feng AC: Prostate Brachytherapy Seed Migration and Dosimetry: Analysis of Stranded Sources and Other Potential Predictive Factors. Brachytherapy Vol. 3(1): 10-19, 2004
Fuller DB, Jin H, Koziol J, Feng A: CT Ultrasound Fusion Prostate Brachytherapy: A Dynamic Dosimetry Feedback and Improvement Method: Report of 54 Consecutive Cases. Brachytherapy Vol.4(3): 207-216, 2005.
Prestidge B, Bice W, Jurkovic I, Moran B, Fuller DB, Gray J, Beyer D, Kurtzman S, Sylvester J, Sadeghi A: A multi-institutional Phase II trial for Cesium-131 permanent prostate Brachytherapy. Brachytherapy Vol 5(2): 79, May 2005
Prestidge B, Bice W, Jurkovic I, Moran B, Fuller DB, Gray J, Beyer D, Walker E, Sims M, Sadeghi A: Cesium-131 Permanent Prostate Brachytherapy: An Initial Report. Abstract poster presentation to the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology 47th Annual Meeting, Denver, Colorado, October 2005.
Fuller DB, Hardy S: 131Cs Prostate Brachytherapy: Day 0 Versus Day 7 Dosimetry Result (With Routine Pre-, Peri, and Post-Operative Steroid Use); Early PSA Response and Morbidity Observations. Brachytherapy Vol 5(2): 114, May 2006
Fuller DB, Jin H: Computed Tomography - ultrasound fusion brachytherapy: Description and evolution of the technique. Brachytherapy, Vol 6(4): 272-279. October-December 2007
Fuller DB: Peripheral zone dose escalated Cyberknife prostate radiosurgery: Dosimetry comparison with HDR. Abstract oral presentation to the 6th Annual Cyberknife User’s Meeting, Palm Springs, CA, January 2007
Fuller DB, Lee C, Jin H, Hardy S: Virtual HDRsm CyberKnife Prostate Radiosurgery: Toward the Development of Non-Invasive HDR Dosimetry Delivery and Early Clinical Observations. Abstract oral presentation to the Cyberknife Robotic Radiosurgery Course 2007, Chicago, IL, March 2007
Fuller DB, Ijaz T, Koziol JA: Permanent Source Brachytherapy: Comparison of the Effectiveness and Safety of Two Different Local Anesthetic Regimens. Abstract poster discussion presentation to the American Brachytherapy Society 28th Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL, April 2007
Fuller DB, Lee C, Hardy S, Jin H: Evaluation of Cyberknife as a Noninvasive Prostate HDR Dosimetry Delivery Mechanism – Feasibility and Early Clinical Observations. Abstract oral presentation to the 8th Bi-annual Congress of the International Stereotactic Radiosurgery Society, San Francisco, California, June 2007
Fuller DB, Lee C, Hardy S, Jin, H: Virtual HDR Cyberknife Treatment: Toward the Development of Non-Invasive HDR Dosimetry Delivery and Early Clinical Observations. Abstract poster presentation to the 49th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, Los Angeles, California, October 2007
Prestidge B, Bice W, Jurkovic I, Moran B, Fuller DB, Gray J, Beyer D, Sylvester J, Kurtzman S, Sadeghi A: Results Of A Multi-Institutional Trial Using Cesium-131 Permanent Prostate Brachytherapy. Abstract poster presentation to the 49th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, Los Angeles, California, October 2007
Nijdam W, Levendag P, Fuller DB, Schulz R, Prevost JB, Noever I, Uyl-de Groot C: Robotic Radiosurgery vs. Brachytherapy as a Boost to Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy for Tonsillar Fossa and Soft Palate Tumors: The Clinical and Economic Impact of an Emerging Technology. Technology in Cancer Research and Treatment Vol 6(6) 611-619 December 2007
Fuller DB, Naitoh J, Lee C, Hardy S, Jin H: Virtual HDRsm CyberKnife Treatment for Localized Prostatic Carcinoma: Dosimetry Comparison with HDR Brachytherapy and Preliminary Clinical Observations. International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics Vol. 70 (5) 1588-1597 April 2008
Fuller DB: CyberKnife Radiosurgery: Quality of Life and Cost Considerations. Book Chapter in Robotic Radiosurgery, Treating Tumors that Move with Respiration. ed. by Harold C. Urschel, Jr. Chapter 27, 283-293. Springer Publishing 2007
Fuller DB: Testicular Dose from Prostate CyberKnife: A Cautionary Note In regard to King et al., Letter to Editor, International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics 73(2) p637 February 2009
Fuller DB: Balancing on a Knife's Edge: Evidence-Based Medicine and the Marketing of Health Technology In regard to Bentzen and Wasserman et al (Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2008: 72(1); 12-14)., Letter to Editor, International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics 73(2) 637-638 February 2009
Fuller DB: Comparison of Virtual HDR Prostate Treatment Plans Fixed Collimator with MultiPlan v 2.6-2.1 versus Iris Variable Collimator with Sequential Optimization MultiPlan v 3.0. Oral presentation to the 2009 8th Annual CyberKnife Users’ Meeting, Hollywood, Florida, February 2009
Fuller DB: Virtual HDR Prostate CyberKnife Radiosurgery: Efficacy, Toxicity and Quality of Life Evaluation.
Abstract oral presentation to the 2009 8th Annual CyberKnife Users’ Meeting, Hollywood, Florida, February 2009.
Abstract poster presentation to the 2009 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Orlando, Florida, February 2009.
Muniruzzaman MM, Mardirossian G, Chu C, Steigerwalt J, Fuller DB: Prostate Treatment with CyberKnife: Comparison of Virtual HDR and Homogeneous Dose Plans and the Effect of Tissue Inhomogeneity. Presented to the AAPM Annual Meeting, Anaheim, CA, July 2009
Fuller DB: Comparison of Virtual HDR Prostate Treatment Plans Created with Fixed and Variable Aperture Collimators. Presented to the ASTRO 2009 Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL, November 2009
Muniruzzaman MM, Chu C, Fuller DB, Giap HB, Ijaz T, Mardirossian G, Sanghvi PR, Shirazi R, Smith DE, Tova Y: Dose Planning and Delivery with CyberKnife and Prostate Planning Comparison with HDR BT. Presented to AMPICON 2009: 30th Annual Conference of Association of Medical Physicists of India, Hyderabad India, November 2009
Fuller DB, Goldfarb G, Mardirossian G: Extracranial Melanoma – Response Rate and Duration of Response to CyberKnife Radiosurgery. Abstract poster presentation to the 2010 CyberKnife Scientific Meeting, Dallas, Texas, March 2010.
Giap HB, Fuller DB, Mardirossian G, Muniruzzaman MM, Smith DE, Mansy GJ, Tova Y, Shirazi R, Ijaz T, Lin R. Partial Breast Irradiation with CyberKnife: Solutions to Overcome the Technical Issues to the First Patient Treatment. Abstract presented at the 9th Annual CyberKnife Scientific Meeting. Dallas, Texas, March 2010
Giap HB, Fuller DB, Mardirossian G, Muniruzzaman MM, Smith DE, Shirazi R, Mansy GJ, Tova Y, Ijaz T, Lin R. CyberKnife Treatment for Posterior Lung Tumor: Supine versus Prone Position? Abstract presented at the 9th Annual CyberKnife Scientific Meeting. Dallas, Texas, March 2010
Fuller DB, Shirazi R, Naitoh J, Reilly M, Mardirossian G. Virtual HDR® Prostate CyberKnife Radiosurgery: Intermediate–term Efficacy and Toxicity Evaluation. Abstract presented at the 9th Annual CyberKnife Scientific Meeting. Dallas, Texas, March 2010
Prestidge B, Bice W , Moran B, Fuller D, Gray J, Beyer D, Kurtzman S, Sylvester J, Potters L: Five-year biochemical control following Cesium-131 permanent prostate brachytherapy. Manuscript submitted to the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics, October 2010
Fuller DB, Mardirossian G, Wong D, McKellar H: Prospective Evaluation of Stereotactic Radiotherapy for Low and Intermediate Risk Prostate Cancer: Emulating HDR Brachytherapy Dose Distribution. Poster presented to the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology 52nd Annual Meeting, San Diego, California, November 2010
Shirazi R, Goldfarb P, Fuller D, Smith, D, Tova Y, Mansy G, Giap H, Sanati H: Hypofractionated CyberKnife Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Advanced Pancreatic Cancer. Abstract presented at the 2011 CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery Summit, San Francisco, February 2011
Fuller DB, Mardirossian G, Wong D, McKellar H: Prospective Evaluation of CyberKnife Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for Low- and Intermediate-Risk Prostate Cancer: Emulating HDR Brachytherapy Dose Distribution. Abstract presented at the 2011 CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery Summit, San Francisco, February 2011
Fuller DB, Shirazi R, Naitoh J, Mardirossian G: Virtual HDR SBRT for Localized Prostatic Carcinoma: Efficacy and Quality of Life Assessment. Abstract accepted for poster presentation at the American Society for Radiation Oncology 53rd Annual Meeting, Miami Beach, Florida, October 2011
Low R, Fuller DB, Muradyan N: Dynamic Gadolinium-Enhanced Perfusion MRI of Prostate Cancer: Assessment of Response to Hypofractionated Robotic Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy. American Journal of Radiology 197: 907-915 October 2011
ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS
Prostate Brachytherapy Research Group
Founding Member
Dallas, Texas
1998
Radiation Therapy Oncology Group:
Radiation Medical Group Principal Investigator
2000-2001
Scripps Mercy Hospital
Clinical Faculty for Graduate Medical Education
2008
CONSULTING APPOINTMENTS
Calypso Medical
Seattle, Washington
Clinical Advisor
Philips Radiation Oncology Systems
Milpitas, California
Clinical Advisor
Accuray
Sunnyvale, California
Clinical Consultant / Speaker’s Bureau
CyberKnife Society
Sunnyvale, California
Board of Directors
2010 - present
JOURNAL REVIEWER
| 2008 – present | International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics |
| 2008 – present | Brachytherapy |
COALITION MEMBERSHIP
CyberKnife Coalition (CKC)
Board of Directors
2005 – present
INVITED PRESENTATIONS
Multimodality Image Fusion Treatment Planning for IMRT
Presented to the 10th Annual Oncology Symposium
Sponsored by Philips Medical Systems
Salt Lake City, Utah October 2003
Multimodality Image Fusion Treatment Planning
Presented to the 11th Annual Oncology Symposium
Sponsored by Philips Medical Systems and HealthStream
Atlanta, Georgia October 2004
11th Annual Oncology Symposium
Sponsored by Philips Medical Systems and HealthStream
Course Director and Moderator
Atlanta, Georgia, October 2004
IMRT Planning for Head & Neck
IMRT Planning for Prostate
Presented to the 8th Annual International Conference and Workshop: New and Future Developments in Radiotherapy
San Diego, California, November 2004
Peripheral Zone Dose Escalated CyberKnife Prostate Radiosurgery: Dosimetry Comparison with HDR
Presented to the CyberKnife 6th Annual Users’ Meeting
Palm Springs, California, January 2007
Cyberknife Applications: Pelvis
Presented to the 2007 ASTRO Image Guided Radiotherapy (IGRT II) Symposium
St. Petersburg, Florida, April 2007
Evaluation Of Cyberknife As A Noninvasive Prostate HDR Dosimetry Delivery Mechanism Feasibility And Early Clinical Observations
Presented to the 8th Bi-annual Congress of the International Stereotactic Radiosurgery Society, San Francisco, California, June 2007
Developing a Successful Freestanding CyberKnife Center
Presented to the CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery Course
Las Vegas, Nevada, October 2007
CyberKnife as Noninvasive HDR Dosimetry Delivery Mechanism: Feasibility and Preliminary Clinical Results
Presented to the CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery Course
Las Vegas, Nevada, October 2007
HDR-like CyberKnife Radiosurgery for Prostate Cancer: Rationale, Feasibility and Clinical Results. Presented to the CyberKnife
Robotic Radiosurgery Course.
Moderator of Prostate Section
Dana Point, California, November 2008
Extreme External Beam Hypofractionation for Prostate Cancer: Rationale, Feasibility, and Clinical Results.
Presented to the 2009 American Brachytherapy Society Annual Meeting
Toronto, Canada, June 2, 2009
Robotic Prostate SBRT
Presented to Symposium of the International Society for Strategic Studies in Radiology (IS3R)
San Diego, California, August 2009
AWARDS
Top Doctor Award, Radiation Oncology
San Diego County Medical Society and San Diego Magazine
2005, 2007
SOCIETY MEMBERSHIPS
- American College of Radiology
- American College of Radiation Oncology
- American Society of Clinical Oncology
- American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology
- American Brachytherapy Society
- California Medical Association
- CyberKnife Society
- International Stereotactic Radiosurgery Society
- San Diego County Medical Society
- San Diego Radiological Society
- Southern California Radiation Oncology Society