Dr. Robert M. Meier, MD

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Get to know Radiation Oncologist Dr. Robert M. Meier, who serves patients in Seattle, Washington.

Dr. Meier is a skilled radiation oncologist at Swedish Cancer Institute & the Medical Director of the Radiosurgery Center at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle, Washington. His clinical interests include brachytherapy, brain neoplasms, CyberKnife, external beam radiation therapy, Gamma Knife, head and neck cancer care, intensity modulated radiation therapy, renal cancer, stereotactic body radiation therapy, stereotactic radiotherapy, and tomotherapy. 

The Radiosurgery Center at Swedish Medical Center is the only facility in the Pacific Northwest to offer both CyberKnife and Gamma Knife under one roof. The experienced team customize care for every patient for optimal outcomes in a beautiful spa-like setting. Benefits of these advanced technologies include: non-invasive treatment in an outpatient setting; reserves healthy tissue surrounding the target area; short courses of treatment ranging from a single visit to a maximum of 10 days; and exceptional clinical outcomes with minimal side effects.

“Physicians have the great privilege of being entrusted to guide patients on a path to better health. Oncologists have the difficult task of rendering therapies which can add years of life, but may take from the quality of those years. My desire to add quality and years to my patients lives is what drives me to do cancer research” expressed Dr. Meier.

In collaboration with the Swedish Health Network, he is affiliated with the following facilities: Swedish Medical Center-Cherry Hill Campus, Swedish Medical Center – Edmonds Campus, Swedish Medical Center – First Hill Campus, and Swedish Medical Center – Issaquah Campus.

Before embarking on his professional journey, Dr. Meier graduated with his medical degree from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine in 1985. He then went on to serve his internship in internal medicine at St. Mary’s Medical Center, followed by his residency in radiation oncology at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.

Dedicated to clinical excellence, the doctor is board-certified in radiation oncology by the American Board of Radiology (ABR). The mission of the ABR is to certify that its diplomates demonstrate the requisite knowledge, skill, and understanding of their disciplines to the benefit of patients.

An internationally recognized expert in stereotactic radiotherapy, Dr. Meier has lectured extensively and has published numerous articles on stereotactic radiotherapy and stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for prostate cancer. He gained an appreciation for research and academic medicine as a Clinical Assistant Professor within the Department of Radiation Oncology at Stanford University, while practicing at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation. He moved his practice to Seattle to work with the pioneers of prostate brachytherapy at the Swedish Cancer Institute, and became an expert in prostate seed implants. He also gained expertise in Gamma Knife radio-surgery, and went on to co-found the Radiosurgery Center at Swedish Medical Center.

Recognizing that CyberKnife offered the advantages of brachytherapy with the potential for less toxicity, Dr. Meier began his pioneering work in SBRT. He wrote the benchmark protocol for dose-escalated treatment, and is the Principle Investigator on the first national multi-institutional study of CyberKnife for prostate cancer.

Radiation oncology is a medical specialty that involves the controlled use of radiation to treat cancer. It is one of the three primary specialties, the other two being surgical and medical oncology, involved in the treatment of cancer. A radiation oncologist is a specialist physician who uses ionizing radiation in the treatment of cancer.

In his free time, Dr. Meier enjoys running, traveling, skiing, and spending time with his son.

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