Veronica Chiang, MD, FAANS

Dr Chiang leads the Brain Metastasis Program at Yale. This Program is comprised of a multi-disciplinary group of physicians in the specialty areas of Medical Oncology, Radiation Oncology, Neurosurgery, Radiology, Pathology and Neuro-Oncology. This nationally unique program is specifically dedicated to the coordinated clinical management of patients with Brain Metastases as well as the performance of basic science, translational and clinical trial research in this area. This group meets at least once weekly at a CME-accredited Tumor Boardto discuss both the clinical and potential research pertinent to the management of our cancer patients with brain and spine metastases. Watch a video with Dr. Veronica Chiang>>

As the lead Neurosurgeon in this Program, Dr Chiang specializes in:

1. Standard neurosurgical management of brain metastases.
2. Gamma Knife radiosurgery treatment of brain metastases. This focused radiation tool can be used both as first line treatment, as well as salvage following whole brain radiation therapy and or prior radiosurgery. Particular interest in melanoma and lung cancer.
3. The management of post-radiosurgery complications – tumor regrowth versus adverse radiation effects (radiation induced inflammation)
4. Clinical Trials using novel immunotherapies for treatment of brain metastases (Clinical Trials.gov: Identifier # NCT02085070)

Dr Chiang has joint appointments in the Departments of Neurosurgery and Radiation Oncology here at Yale University School of Medicine. As the Medical Director of the Gamma Knife Center since 2006, Dr Chiang has participated in state and national discussions regarding the development of guidelines for the radiosurgical management of brain metastases. She is known nationally and internationally for her research on the clinical as well as radiological outcomes of radiosurgical treatment of brain metastases. (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier #:NCT02005614). She has also extensively published on the efficacy and outcome of radiosurgery for many other brain lesions.

In addition, she is the director of the Yale New Haven Hospital Radiosurgery Fellowship Program for Neurosurgery and Radiation Oncology.

Laser Thermal Ablation (LTA)

LTA is the use of heat emitted from a laser fiber to treat lesions in the brain. It is a cutting edge, minimally invasive technology that allows neurosurgeons to treat lesions inside the skull through a small incision visualized in real time using MRI monitoring. (link to Monteris website – MyBrainTumorOptions.com).

As one of the first and longest users of MRI-guided LTA in the USA, Dr Chiang now has over a decade of experience treating a variety of brain tumors and is a national leader in the use of LTA treatment for brain metastases that have regrown following radiosurgery where no other treatment options have been available.

She was the lead investigator on a clinical trial studying quality of life in patients with brain metastases regrowing after radiosurgery and the impact of LTA (LAASR study – Identifier #: NCT01651078) and a key participant in the LAANTERN data repository.

Dr Chiang uses microsurgery, gamma knife radiosurgery and LTA in conjunction with targeted and immunotherapies in the multidisciplinary treatment of all solid organ cancer types especially including breast cancer, lung cancer and melanoma. In collaboration with these disease teams she participates in ongoing clinical trials to improve management and outcome for brain metastases patients.