UChicago Faculty Physician
Steven J. Chmura, MD, PhD
Steven J. Chmura, MD, PhD
UChicago Faculty Physician
Professor of Radiation and Cellular Oncology
Professor of Medicine
Professor of Neurological Surgery
Medical Director, Comprehensive Cancer Center
Director, Clinical and Translational Research for Radiation Oncology
Specialties
- Radiation Oncology
Locations
- Chicago - Hyde Park
- About
- Specialties & Areas of Expertise
- Locations & Patient Information
- Education & Research
- Accepted Insurance
- External Professional Relationships
Steven J. Chmura, MD, PhD, specializes in treating brain, breast and gastrointestinal cancers. An expert in radiotherapy and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), Dr. Chmura uses minimally invasive techniques to minimize tissue damage when diagnosing and treating cancers.
Dr. Chmura is also an expert in using intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) to treat gastrointestinal malignancies such as colon, anal and pancreatic cancers. Because the radiation is precisely shaped to avoid healthy tissue surrounding the treatment area, this technology allows physicians to target tumors with more powerful doses of radiation.
An active researcher, Dr. Chmura is the principal investigator at the University of Chicago for the Radiation Trials Oncology Group (RTOG). In this role, he is involved in national randomized studies and industry-sponsored studies. His basic science research explores improvements to current radiation approaches. For example, in collaboration with other University of Chicago researchers, Dr. Chmura is working on the development of a BH3 antagonist to increase the therapeutic ratio of radiotherapy. This research earned him the 2005 American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) Young Investigator Award. Dr. Chmura is also investigating how to optimize the software used to deliver IMRT to maximize tumor cell killing.
Additionally, he was awarded the 2006 and 2008 American Association of Radiation Oncology Residents teaching Award. Dr. Chmura's teaching responsibilities include lecturing and clinical teaching of medical students and residents.
Dr. Chmura is also an expert in using intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) to treat gastrointestinal malignancies such as colon, anal and pancreatic cancers. Because the radiation is precisely shaped to avoid healthy tissue surrounding the treatment area, this technology allows physicians to target tumors with more powerful doses of radiation.
An active researcher, Dr. Chmura is the principal investigator at the University of Chicago for the Radiation Trials Oncology Group (RTOG). In this role, he is involved in national randomized studies and industry-sponsored studies. His basic science research explores improvements to current radiation approaches. For example, in collaboration with other University of Chicago researchers, Dr. Chmura is working on the development of a BH3 antagonist to increase the therapeutic ratio of radiotherapy. This research earned him the 2005 American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) Young Investigator Award. Dr. Chmura is also investigating how to optimize the software used to deliver IMRT to maximize tumor cell killing.
Additionally, he was awarded the 2006 and 2008 American Association of Radiation Oncology Residents teaching Award. Dr. Chmura's teaching responsibilities include lecturing and clinical teaching of medical students and residents.
Specialties
Areas of Expertise
- Breast Cancer
- Oligometastasis
- Clinical Trials
- Lung Cancer
Board Certifications
- Radiation Oncology
Practicing Since
- 2004
Languages Spoken
- English
Medical Education
- University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine
Internship
- Weiss Memorial Hospital
Residency
- University of Chicago Medicine
Other Grad Education
- University of Chicago
Memberships & Medical Societies
- American Society of Clinical Oncology
- Radiation Therapy Oncology Group
- American Society for Radiation Oncology
News & Research
Insurance
- Aetna Better Health *see insurance page
- Aetna HMO (specialists only)
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO
- Aetna POS
- Aetna PPO
- BCBS Blue Precision HMO (specialists only)
- BCBS HMO (HMOI) (specialists only)
- BCBS Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO
- BCBS PPO
- Cigna HMO
- Cigna POS
- Cigna PPO
- CountyCare *see insurance page
- Humana Medicare Advantage Choice PPO
- Humana Medicare Advantage Gold Choice PFFS
- Humana Medicare Advantage Gold Plus HMO
- Medicare
- Multiplan PPO
- PHCS PPO
- United Choice Plus POS/PPO
- United Choice HMO (specialists only)
- United Options (PPO)
- United Select (HMO & EPO) (specialists only)
- United W500 Emergent Wrap
- University of Chicago Health Plan (UCHP)
Our list of accepted insurance providers is subject to change at any time. You should contact your insurance company to confirm UChicago Medicine participates in their network before scheduling your appointment. If you have questions regarding your insurance benefits at UChicago Medicine, please contact our financial counseling team at OPSFinancialCounseling@uchospitals.edu.
UChicago Medicine is committed to fostering a corporate culture of ethical behavior and integrity in all matters related to compliance with the laws and regulations that govern the delivery of healthcare. This aspiration is central to supporting patient care, research, and teaching at UChicago Medicine.
Some of our physicians and health professionals collaborate with external pharmaceutical, medical device, or other medical related entities to develop new treatments and products to improve clinical outcomes for patients. In some instances, the physician has ownership interests in the external entity and/or is compensated for advising or speaking about the entity’s products or treatments. These payments may include compensation for consulting and speaking engagements, equity, and/or royalties for products invented by our physicians. To assure objectivity and integrity in patient care, UChicago Medicine requires all physicians and health professionals to report their relationships and financial interests with external entities on an annual basis. This information is used to review relationships and transactions that might give rise to potential financial conflicts of interest, and when considered to be significant a management plan to mitigate any biases is created.
If you are a patient at UChicago Medicine and would like more information about your physician’s external relationships, please talk with your physician. You may also visit the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Open Payments website at https://openpaymentsdata.cms.gov/ . CMS Open Payments is a national disclosure program that promotes a more transparent and accountable health care system. It houses a publicly accessible database of payments that reporting entities, including drug and medical device companies, make to covered recipients like physicians and hospitals.
Information in the CMS Open Payments database could potentially contain inaccurately reported and out of date payment information. All information is open to personal interpretation, if there are questions about the data, patients and their advocates should speak directly to their health care provider for a better understanding.
Some of our physicians and health professionals collaborate with external pharmaceutical, medical device, or other medical related entities to develop new treatments and products to improve clinical outcomes for patients. In some instances, the physician has ownership interests in the external entity and/or is compensated for advising or speaking about the entity’s products or treatments. These payments may include compensation for consulting and speaking engagements, equity, and/or royalties for products invented by our physicians. To assure objectivity and integrity in patient care, UChicago Medicine requires all physicians and health professionals to report their relationships and financial interests with external entities on an annual basis. This information is used to review relationships and transactions that might give rise to potential financial conflicts of interest, and when considered to be significant a management plan to mitigate any biases is created.
If you are a patient at UChicago Medicine and would like more information about your physician’s external relationships, please talk with your physician. You may also visit the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Open Payments website at https://openpaymentsdata.cms.gov/ . CMS Open Payments is a national disclosure program that promotes a more transparent and accountable health care system. It houses a publicly accessible database of payments that reporting entities, including drug and medical device companies, make to covered recipients like physicians and hospitals.
Information in the CMS Open Payments database could potentially contain inaccurately reported and out of date payment information. All information is open to personal interpretation, if there are questions about the data, patients and their advocates should speak directly to their health care provider for a better understanding.