Key Documents

Albert Koong

Assistant Professor, Radiation Oncology - Radiation Therapy
Member, Bio-X
Member, Cancer Center

Contact Information

Clinical Offices

Radiation Therapy 875 Blake Wilbur Dr Clinic D Stanford, CA 94305-5847
Telephone Work (650) 723-6171 Fax

Clinical Focus

Colorectal Cancer
Colorectal Cancer - Radiation Oncology
Esophageal Cancer
Esophageal Cancer - Radiation Oncology
Liver Cancer
Liver Cancer - Radiation Oncology
Pancreatic Cancer
Pancreatic Cancer - Radiation Oncology
Radiation Oncology
Rectal Cancer
Rectal Cancer - Radiation Oncology
Stomach Cancer
Stomach Cancer - Radiation Oncology

Department

Cancer > Radiation Oncology
Cancer > Radiation Oncology > Radiation Therapy

Professional Education

Board Certification: Radiation Oncology, American Board of Radiology (2001)
SUMC - Graduate Medical Education (2001) CA
Kaiser Permanente Medical Center (1997) CA
Northwestern University Medical School (1996) IL
Stanford University School of Medicine (1994) CA

Postdoctoral Advisees

Xiaoli Shi, Jing Zhang

Graduate & Fellowship Program Affiliations

Web Site Links

Koong Lab Home Page

Research Interests

Hypoxia induces endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in solid tumors. Previous studies have indicated that hypoxia is a major determinant of local, regional, and distant recurrence after anticancer therapy. The response of tumor cells to hypoxia depends on the severity and duration of oxygen deprivation. For example, hypoxia induced factor (HIF-1) is activated at physiological levels of oxygen change, whereas the unfolded protein response (UPR) is induced by severe oxygen deprivation. The UPR is an evolutionarily conserved pathway that functions to reduce protein accumulation in the ER resulting in increased capacity to tolerate ER stress. We hypothesize that since the UPR is also activated during hypoxia, it may be a critical regulator of cell survival during hypoxia and is necessary for tumor growth. The focus of my laboratory is to understand the relationship between hypoxia and ER stress, particularly as it relates to tumorigenesis.

Clinical Trials

Publications

X box-binding protein 1 regulates angiogenesis in human pancreatic adenocarcinomas. Romero-Ramirez L, Cao H, Regalado MP, Kambham N, Siemann D, Kim JJ, Le QT, Koong AC. Transl Oncol. 2009; 2 (1): 31-8
The role of tumor cell-derived connective tissue growth factor (CTGF/CCN2) in pancreatic tumor growth. Bennewith KL, Huang X, Ham CM, Graves EE, Erler JT, Kambham N, Feazell J, Yang GP, Koong A, Giaccia AJ. Cancer Res. 2009; 69 (3): 775-84
Unfolded Protein Response Regulation in Keloid Cells. Butler PD, Wang Z, Ly DP, Longaker MT, Koong AC, Yang GP. J Surg Res. 2009;
Stereotactic radiotherapy for unresectable adenocarcinoma of the pancreas. Chang DT, Schellenberg D, Shen J, Kim J, Goodman KA, Fisher GA, Ford JM, Desser T, Quon A, Koong AC. Cancer. 2009; 115 (3): 665-72
Hypoxia-induced lysyl oxidase is a critical mediator of bone marrow cell recruitment to form the premetastatic niche. Erler JT, Bennewith KL, Cox TR, Lang G, Bird D, Koong A, Le QT, Giaccia AJ. Cancer Cell. 2009; 15 (1): 35-44
Safety and efficacy of percutaneous fiducial marker implantation for image-guided radiation therapy. Kothary N, Heit JJ, Louie JD, Kuo WT, Loo BW, Koong A, Chang DT, Hovsepian D, Sze DY, Hofmann LV. J Vasc Interv Radiol. 2009; 20 (2): 235-9
Oxygen consumption can regulate the growth of tumors, a new perspective on the warburg effect. Chen Y, Cairns R, Papandreou I, Koong A, Denko NC. PLoS One. 2009; 4 (9): e7033
Pathological Response after Chemoradiation for T3 Rectal Cancer. Chennupati SK, Kamaya A, Fisher GA, Ford JM, Kunz P, Itakura H, Welton ML, Shelton A, Van Dam J, Koong AC, Chang DT. Colorectal Dis. 2009;
The relationship between human papillomavirus status and other molecular prognostic markers in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. Kong CS, Narasimhan B, Cao H, Kwok S, Erickson JP, Koong A, Pourmand N, Le QT. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2009; 74 (2): 553-61
Pancreatic tumor motion on a single planning 4D-CT does not correlate with intrafraction tumor motion during treatment. Minn AY, Schellenberg D, Maxim P, Suh Y, McKenna S, Cox B, Dieterich S, Xing L, Graves E, Goodman KA, Chang D, Koong AC. Am J Clin Oncol. 2009; 32 (4): 364-8
Detection of solitary humeral metastasis from pancreatic adenocarcinoma with F-18 FDG PET/CT. Kim J, Quon A, Humke E, Ford JM, Koong AC. Clin Nucl Med. 2009; 34 (5): 312-3
Treatment of esophageal cancer based on histology: a surveillance epidemiology and end results analysis. Chang DT, Chapman C, Shen J, Su Z, Koong AC. Am J Clin Oncol. 2009; 32 (4): 405-10
Multimodality treatment with intensity modulated radiation therapy for esophageal cancer. La TH, Minn AY, Su Z, Fisher GA, Ford JM, Kunz P, Goodman KA, Koong AC, Chang DT. Dis Esophagus. 2009;
Molecular imaging of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha and von Hippel-Lindau interaction in mice. Choi CY, Chan DA, Paulmurugan R, Sutphin PD, Le QT, Koong AC, Zundel W, Gambhir SS, Giaccia AJ. Mol Imaging. 2008 May-Jun; 7 (3): 139-46
Gemcitabine chemotherapy and single-fraction stereotactic body radiotherapy for locally advanced pancreatic cancer. Schellenberg D, Goodman KA, Lee F, Chang S, Kuo T, Ford JM, Fisher GA, Quon A, Desser TS, Norton J, Greco R, Yang GP, Koong AC. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2008; 72 (3): 678-86
In vivo 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy of lactate in patients with stage IV head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Le QT, Koong A, Lieskovsky YY, Narasimhan B, Graves E, Pinto H, Brown JM, Spielman D. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2008; 71 (4): 1151-7
Automated contour mapping with a regional deformable model. Chao M, Li T, Schreibmann E, Koong A, Xing L. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2008; 70 (2): 599-608
Multiplexed proximity ligation assays to profile putative plasma biomarkers relevant to pancreatic and ovarian cancer. Fredriksson S, Horecka J, Brustugun OT, Schlingemann J, Koong AC, Tibshirani R, Davis RW. Clin Chem. 2008; 54 (3): 582-9
Initial evaluation of 18F-fluorothymidine (FLT) PET/CT scanning for primary pancreatic cancer. Quon A, Chang ST, Chin F, Kamaya A, Dick DW, Loo BW, Gambhir SS, Koong AC. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2008; 35 (3): 527-31
Tissue effects after stereotactic body radiotherapy using cyberknife for patients with abdominal malignancies. Cupp JS, Koong AC, Fisher GA, Norton JA, Goodman KA. Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol). 2008; 20 (1): 69-75
High-dose single-fraction radiotherapy: exploiting a new biology? Brown JM, Koong AC. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2008; 71 (2): 324-5
Enhanced 4D cone-beam CT with inter-phase motion model. Li T, Koong A, Xing L. Med Phys. 2007; 34 (9): 3688-95
Expression and prognostic significance of a panel of tissue hypoxia markers in head-and-neck squamous cell carcinomas. Le QT, Kong C, Lavori PW, O'byrne K, Erler JT, Huang X, Chen Y, Cao H, Tibshirani R, Denko N, Giaccia AJ, Koong AC. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2007; 69 (1): 167-75
Multiplexed protein detection by proximity ligation for cancer biomarker validation. Fredriksson S, Dixon W, Ji H, Koong AC, Mindrinos M, Davis RW. Nat Methods. 2007; 4 (4): 327-9
Impact of integrated PET/CT on variability of target volume delineation in rectal cancer. Patel DA, Chang ST, Goodman KA, Quon A, Thorndyke B, Gambhir SS, McMillan A, Loo BW, Koong AC. Technol Cancer Res Treat. 2007; 6 (1): 31-6
Quantitative PET of EGFR expression in xenograft-bearing mice using 64Cu-labeled cetuximab, a chimeric anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody. Cai W, Chen K, He L, Cao Q, Koong A, Chen X. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2007; 34 (6): 850-8
Evaluation of patterns of failure and subjective salivary function in patients treated with intensity modulated radiotherapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Daly ME, Lieskovsky Y, Pawlicki T, Yau J, Pinto H, Kaplan M, Fee WE, Koong A, Goffinet DR, Xing L, Le QT. Head Neck. 2007; 29 (3): 211-20
Stereotactic body radiotherapy for unresectable pancreatic cancer. Chang ST, Goodman KA, Yang GP, Koong AC. Front Radiat Ther Oncol. 2007; 40 386-94
An evaluation of tumor oxygenation and gene expression in patients with early stage non-small cell lung cancers. Le QT, Chen E, Salim A, Cao H, Kong CS, Whyte R, Donington J, Cannon W, Wakelee H, Tibshirani R, Mitchell JD, Richardson D, O'Byrne KJ, Koong AC, Giaccia AJ. Clin Cancer Res. 2006; 12 (5): 1507-14
Mature results from a randomized Phase II trial of cisplatin plus 5-fluorouracil and radiotherapy with or without tirapazamine in patients with resectable Stage IV head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. Le QT, Taira A, Budenz S, Jo Dorie M, Goffinet DR, Fee WE, Goode R, Bloch D, Koong A, Martin Brown J, Pinto HA. Cancer. 2006; 106 (9): 1940-9
Overview of image-guided radiation therapy. Xing L, Thorndyke B, Schreibmann E, Yang Y, Li TF, Kim GY, Luxton G, Koong A. Med Dosim. 2006; 31 (2): 91-112
Connective tissue growth factor-specific monoclonal antibody therapy inhibits pancreatic tumor growth and metastasis. Dornhöfer N, Spong S, Bennewith K, Salim A, Klaus S, Kambham N, Wong C, Kaper F, Sutphin P, Nacamuli R, Nacalumi R, Höckel M, Le Q, Longaker M, Yang G, Koong A, Giaccia A. Cancer Res. 2006; 66 (11): 5816-27
Targeting XBP-1 as a novel anti-cancer strategy. Koong AC, Chauhan V, Romero-Ramirez L. Cancer Biol Ther. 2006; 5 (7): 756-9
Reducing respiratory motion artifacts in positron emission tomography through retrospective stacking. Thorndyke B, Schreibmann E, Koong A, Xing L. Med Phys. 2006; 33 (7): 2632-41
Four-dimensional cone-beam computed tomography using an on-board imager. Li T, Xing L, Munro P, McGuinness C, Chao M, Yang Y, Loo B, Koong A. Med Phys. 2006; 33 (10): 3825-33
Plasma osteopontin is an independent prognostic marker for head and neck cancers. Petrik D, Lavori PW, Cao H, Zhu Y, Wong P, Christofferson E, Kaplan MJ, Pinto HA, Sutphin P, Koong AC, Giaccia AJ, Le QT. J Clin Oncol. 2006; 24 (33): 5291-7
Results of a phase I dose-escalation study using single-fraction stereotactic radiotherapy for lung tumors. Le QT, Loo BW, Ho A, Cotrutz C, Koong AC, Wakelee H, Kee ST, Constantinescu D, Whyte RI, Donington J. J Thorac Oncol. 2006; 1 (8): 802-9
A noninvasive approach for assessing tumor hypoxia in xenografts: developing a urinary marker for hypoxia. Nelson DW, Cao H, Zhu Y, Sunar-Reeder B, Choi CY, Faix JD, Brown JM, Koong AC, Giaccia AJ, Le QT. Cancer Res. 2005; 65 (14): 6151-8
Hypoxia upregulates osteopontin expression in NIH-3T3 cells via a Ras-activated enhancer. Zhu Y, Denhardt DT, Cao H, Sutphin PD, Koong AC, Giaccia AJ, Le QT. Oncogene. 2005; 24 (43): 6555-63
Phase II study to assess the efficacy of conventionally fractionated radiotherapy followed by a stereotactic radiosurgery boost in patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer. Koong AC, Christofferson E, Le QT, Goodman KA, Ho A, Kuo T, Ford JM, Fisher GA, Greco R, Norton J, Yang GP. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2005; 63 (2): 320-3
The unfolded protein response: a novel component of the hypoxic stress response in tumors. Feldman DE, Chauhan V, Koong AC. Mol Cancer Res. 2005; 3 (11): 597-605
Galectin-1: a link between tumor hypoxia and tumor immune privilege. Le QT, Shi G, Cao H, Nelson DW, Wang Y, Chen EY, Zhao S, Kong C, Richardson D, O'Byrne KJ, Giaccia AJ, Koong AC. J Clin Oncol. 2005; 23 (35): 8932-41
Radiation dose reduction in four-dimensional computed tomography. Li T, Schreibmann E, Thorndyke B, Tillman G, Boyer A, Koong A, Goodman K, Xing L. Med Phys. 2005; 32 (12): 3650-60
Identification of mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathways that confer resistance to endoplasmic reticulum stress in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Chen Y, Feldman DE, Deng C, Brown JA, De Giacomo AF, Gaw AF, Shi G, Le QT, Brown JM, Koong AC. Mol Cancer Res. 2005; 3 (12): 669-77
Phase I study of stereotactic radiosurgery in patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer. Koong AC, Le QT, Ho A, Fong B, Fisher G, Cho C, Ford J, Poen J, Gibbs IC, Mehta VK, Kee S, Trueblood W, Yang G, Bastidas JA. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2004; 58 (4): 1017-21
Sample classification from protein mass spectrometry, by 'peak probability contrasts'. Tibshirani R, Hastie T, Narasimhan B, Soltys S, Shi G, Koong A, Le QT. Bioinformatics. 2004; 20 (17): 3034-44
The use of plasma surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry proteomic patterns for detection of head and neck squamous cell cancers. Soltys SG, Le QT, Shi G, Tibshirani R, Giaccia AJ, Koong AC. Clin Cancer Res. 2004; 10 (14): 4806-12
XBP1 is essential for survival under hypoxic conditions and is required for tumor growth. Romero-Ramirez L, Cao H, Nelson D, Hammond E, Lee AH, Yoshida H, Mori K, Glimcher LH, Denko NC, Giaccia AJ, Le QT, Koong AC. Cancer Res. 2004; 64 (17): 5943-7
Phase II double-blind randomized study comparing oral aloe vera versus placebo to prevent radiation-related mucositis in patients with head-and-neck neoplasms. Su CK, Mehta V, Ravikumar L, Shah R, Pinto H, Halpern J, Koong A, Goffinet D, Le QT. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2004; 60 (1): 171-7
Identification of hypoxia-regulated proteins in head and neck cancer by proteomic and tissue array profiling. Chen Y, Shi G, Xia W, Kong C, Zhao S, Gaw AF, Chen EY, Yang GP, Giaccia AJ, Le QT, Koong AC. Cancer Res. 2004; 64 (20): 7302-10
Identification of hypoxia regulated proteins in head and neck cancer by proteomic and tissue array profiling. Chen, et al. Cancer Res. 2004; 64 (20): 7302-10
Phase II trial of preoperative 3D conformal radiotherapy, protracted venous infusion 5-fluorouracil, and weekly CPT-11, followed by surgery for ultrasound-staged T3 rectal cancer. Mehta VK, Cho C, Ford JM, Jambalos C, Poen J, Koong A, Lin A, Bastidas JA, Young H, Dunphy EP, Fisher G. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2003; 55 (1): 132-7
Identification of osteopontin as a prognostic plasma marker for head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. Le QT, Sutphin PD, Raychaudhuri S, Yu SC, Terris DJ, Lin HS, Lum B, Pinto HA, Koong AC, Giaccia AJ. Clin Cancer Res. 2003; 9 (1): 59-67
Comparison of the comet assay and the oxygen microelectrode for measuring tumor oxygenation in head-and-neck cancer patients. Le QT, Kovacs MS, Dorie MJ, Koong A, Terris DJ, Pinto HA, Goffinet DR, Nowels K, Bloch D, Brown JM. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2003; 56 (2): 375-83
Improved local control with stereotactic radiosurgical boost in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Le QT, Tate D, Koong A, Gibbs IC, Chang SD, Adler JR, Pinto HA, Terris DJ, Fee WE, Goffinet DR. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2003; 56 (4): 1046-54
Estimating DNA repair by sequential evaluation of head and neck tumor radiation sensitivity using the comet assay. Terris DJ, Ho EY, Ibrahim HZ, Dorie MJ, Kovacs MS, Le QT, Koong AC, Pinto HA, Brown JM. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2002; 128 (6): 698-702
Epigenetic regulation of gene expression in cervical cancer cells by the tumor microenvironment. Denko N, Schindler C, Koong A, Laderoute K, Green C, Giaccia A. Clin Cancer Res. 2000; 6 (2): 480-7
Loss of PTEN facilitates HIF-1-mediated gene expression. Zundel W, Schindler C, Haas-Kogan D, Koong A, Kaper F, Chen E, Gottschalk AR, Ryan HE, Johnson RS, Jefferson AB, Stokoe D, Giaccia AJ. Genes Dev. 2000; 14 (4): 391-6
Candidate genes for the hypoxic tumor phenotype. Koong AC, Denko NC, Hudson KM, Schindler C, Swiersz L, Koch C, Evans S, Ibrahim H, Le QT, Terris DJ, Giaccia AJ. Cancer Res. 2000; 60 (4): 883-7
Pancreatic tumors show high levels of hypoxia. Koong AC, Mehta VK, Le QT, Fisher GA, Terris DJ, Brown JM, Bastidas AJ, Vierra M. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2000; 48 (4): 919-22
Analysis of HSF-1 phosphorylation in A549 cells treated with a variety of stresses. Mivechi NF, Koong AC, Giaccia AJ, Hahn GM. Int J Hyperthermia. 1994 May-Jun; 10 (3): 371-9
Increased cytotoxicity of chronic hypoxic cells by molecular inhibition of GRP78 induction. Koong AC, Chen EY, Lee AS, Brown JM, Giaccia AJ. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 1994; 28 (3): 661-6
Hypoxia causes the activation of nuclear factor kappa B through the phosphorylation of I kappa B alpha on tyrosine residues. Koong AC, Chen EY, Giaccia AJ. Cancer Res. 1994; 54 (6): 1425-30
The regulation of GRP78 and messenger RNA levels by hypoxia is modulated by protein kinase C activators and inhibitors. Koong AC, Auger EA, Chen EY, Giaccia AJ. Radiat Res. 1994; 138 (1 Suppl): S60-3
Activators of protein kinase C selectively mediate cellular cytotoxicity to hypoxic cells and not aerobic cells. Koong AC, Chen EY, Kim CY, Giaccia AJ. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 1994; 29 (2): 259-65
Hypoxic activation of nuclear factor-kappa B is mediated by a Ras and Raf signaling pathway and does not involve MAP kinase (ERK1 or ERK2). Koong AC, Chen EY, Mivechi NF, Denko NC, Stambrook P, Giaccia AJ. Cancer Res. 1994; 54 (20): 5273-9
Modulation of potassium channels by protein tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Saad AH, Kuo SS, Koong AC, Hahn GM, Giaccia AJ. J Cell Physiol. 1994; 161 (1): 142-8
Potassium-channel activation in response to low doses of gamma-irradiation involves reactive oxygen intermediates in nonexcitatory cells. Kuo SS, Saad AH, Koong AC, Hahn GM, Giaccia AJ. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1993; 90 (3): 908-12
Activation of potassium channels by hypoxia and reoxygenation in the human lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549. Koong AC, Giaccia AJ, Hahn GM, Saad AH. J Cell Physiol. 1993; 156 (2): 341-7
Activation of the heat shock transcription factor by hypoxia in normal and tumor cell lines in vivo and in vitro. Giaccia AJ, Auger EA, Koong A, Terris DJ, Minchinton AI, Hahn GM, Brown JM. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 1992; 23 (4): 891-7
The influence of chronic anaemia on the radiosensitivity of two mouse tumours. Koong AC, Hirst DG. Br J Cancer. 1991; 63 (4): 499-502
Therapeutic advantage of hypoxic cells in tumors: a theoretical study. Brown JM, Koong A. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1991; 83 (3): 178-85