Wenhua Cao, Ph.D.
Department of Dept of Radiation Physics, Division of Radiation Oncology - Clinical
About Wenhua Cao
Dr. Wenhua Cao's research focuses on translational radiation physics. He is particularly interested in developing novel optimization and computation techniques to improve radiotherapy treatments and translating them into clinical practice. He has developed intensity-modulated proton therapy optimization systems incorporating physical and biological uncertainties of protons. With the aim of improving the therapeutic ratio of proton therapy, he continues exploring new approaches to design treatment plans that are optimal to individual patients. His research also includes radiotherapy induced toxicities and knowledge based automatic treatment planning.
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Associate Professor, Department of Radiation Physics, Division of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 2011 | University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA, PHD, Industrial Engineering |
| 2003 | South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, CHN, BS, Transportation Engineering |
Postgraduate Training
| 2016-2019 | CAMPEP Accredited Certificate Program in Medical Physics, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX |
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Goudarzi HM, Lim G, Grosshans D, Mohan R, Cao W. Incorporating variable RBE in IMPT optimization for ependymoma. J Appl Clin Med Phys 25(1):e14207, 2024. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 37985962.
- Cao W, Li Y, Zhang X, Poenisch F, Yepes P, Sahoo N, Grosshans D, McGovern S, Gunn GB, Frank SJ, Zhu XR. Intensity modulated proton arc therapy via geometry-based energy selection for ependymoma. J Appl Clin Med Phys 24(7):e13954, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 36913484.
- Baroudi H, Brock KK, Cao W, Chen X, Chung C, Court LE, El Basha MD, Farhat M, Gay S, Gronberg MP, Gupta AC, Hernandez S, Huang K, Jaffray DA, Lim R, Marquez B, Nealon K, Netherton TJ, Nguyen CM, Reber B, Rhee DJ, Salazar RM, Shanker MD, Sjogreen C, Woodland M, Yang J, Yu C, Zhao Y. Automated Contouring and Planning in Radiation Therapy: What Is 'Clinically Acceptable'?. Diagnostics (Basel) 13(4), 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 36832155.
- Chen M, Cao W, Yepes P, Guan F, Poenisch F, Cheng X, Chen J, Li Y, Vazquez I, Yang M, Zhu XR, Zhang X. Impact of dose calculation accuracy on inverse linear energy transfer optimization for intensity-modulated proton therapy. Prec Radiat Oncol 7:36-44, 2023. e-Pub 2022.
- Gronberg MP, Beadle BM, Garden AS, Skinner H, Gay S, Netherton T, Cao W, Cardenas CE, Chung C, Fuentes DT, Fuller CD, Howell RM, Jhingran A, Lim TY, Marquez B, Mumme R, Olanrewaju AM, Peterson CB, Vazquez I, Whitaker TJ, Wooten Z, Yang M, Court LE. Deep Learning-Based Dose Prediction for Automated, Individualized Quality Assurance of Head and Neck Radiation Therapy Plans. Pract Radiat Oncol 13(3):e282-e291, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 36697347.
- Cao W, Gronberg M, Olanrewaju A, Whitaker T, Hoffman K, Cardenas C, Garden A, Skinner H, Beadle B, Court L. Knowledge-based planning for the radiation therapy treatment plan quality assurance for patients with head and neck cancer. J Appl Clin Med Phys 23(6):e13614, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 35488508.
- Cao W, Rocha H, Mohan R, Lim G, Goudarzi HM, Ferreira BC, Dias JM. Reflections on beam configuration optimization for intensity-modulated proton therapy. Phys Med Biol 67(13), 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 35561700.
- Ebrahimi S, Lim G, Hobbs BP, Lin SH, Mohan R, Cao W. A hybrid deep learning model for forecasting lymphocyte depletion during radiation therapy. Med Phys 49(5):3507-3522, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 35229311.
- Zhu C, Mohan R, Lin SH, Jun G, Yaseen A, Jiang X, Wang Q, Cao W, Hobbs BP. Identifying Individualized Risk Profiles for Radiotherapy-Induced Lymphopenia Among Patients With Esophageal Cancer Using Machine Learning. JCO Clin Cancer Inform 5:1044-1053, 2021. PMID: 34665662.
- Ebrahimi S, Lim G, Liu A, Lin SH, Ellsworth SG, Grassberger C, Mohan R, Cao W. Radiation-Induced Lymphopenia Risks of Photon Versus Proton Therapy for Esophageal Cancer Patients. Int J Part Ther 8(2):17-27, 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 34722808.
- Bai X, Lim G, Grosshans D, Mohan R, Cao W. A biological effect-guided optimization approach using beam distal-edge avoidance for intensity-modulated proton therapy. Med Phys 47(9):3816-3825, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32557747.
- Ma D, Bronk L, Kerr M, Sobieski M, Chen M, Geng C, Yiu J, Wang X, Sahoo N, Cao W, Zhang X, Stephan C, Mohan R, Grosshans DR, Guan F. Exploring the advantages of intensity-modulated proton therapy: experimental validation of biological effects using two different beam intensity-modulation patterns. Sci Rep 10(1):3199, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32081928.
- Lim G, Kardar L, Ebrahimi S, Cao W. A risk-based modeling approach for radiation therapy treatment planning under tumor shrinkage uncertainty. Eur J Oper Res 280(1):266-278, 2020.
- Vassiliev ON, Peterson CB, Cao W, Grosshans DR, Mohan R. Systematic microdosimetric data for protons of therapeutic energies calculated with Geant4-DNA. Phys Med Biol 64(21):215018, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31553958.
- Bai X, Lim G, Grosshans D, Mohan R, Cao W. Robust optimization to reduce the impact of biological effect variation from physical uncertainties in intensity-modulated proton therapy. Phys Med Biol 64(2):025004, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 30523932.
- Cao W, Khabazian A, Yepes PP, Lim G, Poenisch F, Grosshans DR, Mohan R. Linear energy transfer incorporated intensity modulated proton therapy optimization. Phys Med Biol 63(1):015013, 2017. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 29131808.
- Ulrich S, Wieser HP, Cao W, Mohan R, Bangert M. Impact of respiratory motion on variable relative biological effectiveness in 4D-dose distributions of proton therapy. Acta Oncol 56(11):1-8, 2017. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28828913.
- Mohan R, Peeler CR, Guan F, Bronk L, Cao W, Grosshans DR. Radiobiological issues in proton therapy. Acta Oncol 56(11):1367-1373, 2017. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28826292.
- Zaghian M, Cao W, Liu W, Kardar L, Randeniya S, Mohan R, Lim G. Comparison of linear and nonlinear programming approaches for "worst case dose" and "minmax" robust optimization of intensity-modulated proton therapy dose distributions. J Appl Clin Med Phys 18(2):15-25, 2017. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28300378.
- Cao W, Lim GJ, Li Y, Zhu XR, Zhang X. Improved beam angle arrangement in intensity modulated proton therapy treatment planning for localized prostate cancer. Cancers (Basel) 7(2):574-84, 2015. e-Pub 2015. PMID: 25831258.
- Kardar L, Li Y, Li X, Li H, Cao W, Chang JY, Liao L, Zhu RX, Sahoo N, Gillin M, Liao Z, Komaki R, Cox JD, Lim G, Zhang X. Evaluation and mitigation of the interplay effects of intensity modulated proton therapy for lung cancer in a clinical setting. Pract Radiat Oncol 4(6):e259-68, 2014. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 25407877.
- Cao W, Lim G, Liao L, Li Y, Jiang S, Li X, Li H, Suzuki K, Zhu XR, Gomez D, Zhang X. Proton energy optimization and reduction for intensity-modulated proton therapy. Phys Med Biol 59(21):6341-54, 2014. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 25295881.
- Li Y, Kardar L, Li X, Li H, Cao W, Chang JY, Liao L, Zhu RX, Sahoo N, Gillin M, Liao Z, Komaki R, Cox JD, Lim G, Zhang X. On the interplay effects with proton scanning beams in stage III lung cancer. Med Phys 41(2):021721, 2014. PMID: 24506612.
- Lim G, Kardar L, Cao W. A hybrid framework for optimizing beam angles in radiation therapy planning. Ann Oper Res 217(1):357-383, 2014.
- Cao W, Lim G, Li X, Li Y, Zhu XR, Zhang X. Incorporating deliverable monitor unit constraints into spot intensity optimization in intensity-modulated proton therapy treatment planning. Phys Med Biol 58(15):5113-25, 2013. e-Pub 2013. PMID: 23835656.
- Cao W, Lim GJ, Lee A, Li Y, Liu W, Ronald Zhu X, Zhang X. Uncertainty incorporated beam angle optimization for IMPT treatment planning. Med Phys 39(8):5248-56, 2012. PMID: 22894449.
- Liu W, Li Y, Li X, Cao W, Zhang X. Influence of robust optimization in intensity-modulated proton therapy with different dose delivery techniques. Med Phys 39(6):3089-101, 2012. PMID: 22755694.
- Lim G, Cao W. A two-phase method for selecting IMRT treatment beam angles: branch-and-prune and local neighborhood search. Eur J Oper Res 217(3):609-618, 2012.
Grant & Contract Support
| Title: | Understanding Biological and Physical Factors Affecting Response to Proton Therapy to Improve its Clinical Effectiveness |
| Funding Source: | Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) |
| Role: | Co-Investigator |
| Title: | Improving the Clinical Effectiveness and Understanding of the Biophysical Basis of Proton Therapy |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
| Role: | Co-Investigator |
| Title: | Optimizing the Biological Effectiveness of Intensity-Modulated Proton Therapy |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
| Title: | Integrating patient-specific clinical and biological factors towards individualizing utilization of proton and photon radiation therapy: Project 1: Understanding normal tissue toxicity to identify patients most likely to benefit from proton therapy |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
| Role: | Co-Investigator |
| Title: | Integrating patient-specific clinical and biological factors towards individualizing utilization of proton and photon radiation therapy: Project 2: Radiation-Induced Lymphopenia: Understanding, Predictive Modeling and Developing Photon and Proton-Based Mitigation Strategies |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
| Role: | Co-Investigator |
| Title: | Automatic Treatment Planning for Proton Therapy: Investigations of Robustly Optimized Intensity Modulated Proton Therapy Incorporating LET/RBE Criteria and Physical and Biological Uncertainties |
| Funding Source: | UT Austin - Portugal |
| Role: | Project Leader |
Patient Reviews
CV information above last modified March 25, 2024