Description of Research Expertise

Justin E. Bekelman, M.D., is the founding Director of the Penn Center for Cancer Care Innovation at the Abramson Cancer Center, the Marietta and Howard Stoeckel Professor of Radiation Oncology, Medicine, and Medical Ethics and Health Policy at the Perelman School of Medicine, Faculty in the Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics, and Senior Fellow at the Leonard Davis Institute for Health Economics, all at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Bekelman leads research programs to improve the length and quality of life for patients with cancer. His research focuses on health care delivery, payment reform and cancer care transformation, integrating methods from the fields of innovation, epidemiology, clinical trials, health economics and public policy. Dr. Bekelman’s research has appeared in high-impact scientific journals and has been featured by media outlets in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and Latin America. His work has been funded by the National Cancer Institute, the American Cancer Society, the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and philanthropic sources. He has served as an advisor to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on cancer care payment reform and innovation. Dr. Bekelman is an elected member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation and a member of the National Cancer Policy Forum of the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine.

Dr. Bekelman completed his undergraduate studies at Princeton University in the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs and his medical training at Yale University, Johns Hopkins, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Previously, he was a management consultant at the Kalchas Group, advising senior executives of health care and insurance clients on corporate strategy. Dr. Bekelman also served as Special Assistant to the Under Secretary of Defense in the US Department of Defense. He is a board-certified radiation oncologist and practicing physician at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine.

Selected Publications

Yasaitis L, Polsky D*, Bekelman J*: Relation between Narrow Networks and Providers of Cancer Care Journal of Clinical Oncology 35 (27): 3131-3135,2017.

Bekelman JE and Lee WR: 6 Questions to Ask Before We Shorten Radiation Treatments for Intact Prostate Cancer Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 97 (4): 718-721,2017.

Ojerholm E, Halpern SD, Bekelman JE: Default options: opportunities to improve quality and value in oncology Journal of Clinical Oncology 34 (16): 1844-7,2016.

Bekelman JE, Halpern SD, Blankart CR, Bynum JP, Cohen J, Fowler R, Kaasa S, Kwietniewski L, Melberg HO, Onwuteaka-Philipsen B, Oosterveld-Vlug M, Pring A, Schreyögg J, Ulrich CM, Verne J, Wunsch H, Emanuel EJ: Comparison of Site of Death, Health Care Utilization, and Hospital Expenditures for Patients Dying With Cancer in 7 Developed Countries JAMA 315 (3): 272-283,2016.

Bekelman JE, Mitra N, Handorf EA, Uzzo RG, Hahn SA, Polsky D, Armstrong K: Effectiveness of Androgen Deprivation Therapy and Radiotherapy for Older Men with Locally Advanced Prostate Cancer Journal of Clinical Oncology 33 (7): 716-22,2015.

Kalbasi A, Li J, Berman A, Swisher-McClure S, Smaldone M, Uzzo RG, Small DS, Mitra N, Bekelman JE: Dose-Escalated Irradiation and Overall Survival in Men With Nonmetastatic Prostate Cancer JAMA Oncology 1 (7): 897-906,2015.

Bekelman JE, Sylwestrzak G, Barron J, Liu J, Epstein AJ, Freedman G, Malin J, Emanuel EJ: Uptake and Costs of Hypofractionated vs. Conventional Whole Breast Irradiation After Breast Conserving Surgery in the United States, 2008 - 2013 JAMA 312 (23): 2542-50,2014.

Bekelman JE, Kim M, Emanuel EJ: Toward Accountable Cancer Care JAMA Internal Medicine 173 (11): 958-9,2013.

Bekelman JE, Epstein AJ, Emanuel EJ: Single vs Multiple Fraction Radiotherapy for Bone Metastases from Prostate Cancer JAMA 310 (14): 1501-02,2013.

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Academic Contact Information

Department of Radiation Oncology
Abramson Cancer Center
Perelman School of Medicine
University of Pennsylvania
3400 Civic Center Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Phone: 215-662-7266