The research of Steven E. Schild, M.D., is focused mainly on the treatment of tumors arising in the lung and prostate gland. This includes writing experimental trials involving new cancer treatments.

His work has been performed primarily at Mayo Clinic and the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology, which was formed when the North Central Cancer Treatment Group (NCCTG) merged with two other groups. Dr. Schild has also worked with collaborators in Europe and in the other National Cancer Institute-sponsored cancer treatment groups on research involving many cancer types.

Dr. Schild's work has concentrated on making the cancer treatment tools being used today more effective for the future. He is also currently helping to plan, build and staff the proton beam therapy program at Mayo Clinic.

Focus areas

• Lung cancer. Dr. Schild has authored several trials and manuscripts with the goal of improving overall survival with currently available technology. These studies have concentrated on optimizing the dose-fractionation patterns used to treat lung cancer.
• Prostate cancer. Dr. Schild is the author of several manuscripts that have focused on salvaging recurrent disease after prostatectomy and optimizing the primary radiotherapy of prostate cancers.
• Symptom management. Dr. Schild has participated in many collaborative studies with European colleagues concentrating on the palliative care of symptoms from cancer with radiotherapy.

Significance to patient care

Dr. Schild and his colleagues have discovered which radiotherapy programs result in better patient survival with fewer complications in the treatment of lung cancers. These will be used in future trials geared to patient care.

Additionally, they have developed a technique for irradiating prostate cancer using intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) that yields much higher cure rates with fewer side effects.

Dr. Schild and his collaborators have also identified methods to stratify patients who have devastating symptoms from cancer. They are creating programs that are individualized to the patient so that each will receive the shortest program that will take care of his or her symptoms effectively.