From the Bering Sea to the Gulf of Mexico, Brent Mahoney, MD, PhD, has truly lived the bicoastal life. After graduating from Clemson University in South Carolina, Mahoney served as an Alaskan observer for the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. While there, he lived at sea on a small boat studying fish and other aquatic life forms. "I spent most of my day counting, measuring, weighing, classifying and identifying pretty much everything that we drug up off the bottom of the ocean," he recalled. After serving a one-year stint in the frigid North, the Detroit, Mich. native set his sights on a warmer climate. Eventually, he ended up on the Gulf Coast, where he now practices radiation oncology.

 

His cross-country journey began in Michigan, where he grew up with a father who worked for a major automobile manufacturer. The family moved for Dad's job every two or three years, allowing Mahoney to live all over the U.S. After graduating from college, the biology major decided to develop his strength in sciences. Ultimately, he decided that the best application of his abilities was in cancer therapy. "I felt it was something that makes a real difference to people," he said. "I'm familiar with the desperation, the disparities people have when they face any diagnosis of cancer. I understand how it affects people and their families. It's such a dire or fatal prognosis to hear. And, I found the problems interesting and very intriguing as well."

 

He landed at the Graduate School for Cancer Biology at the University of Arizona at Tucson. As a cancer biology student, he conducted research on experimental cancer therapeutics. His doctoral dissertation on the chemotherapeutic consequences of tumor pH in breast carcinoma model systems forecast his future in cancer therapy.

 

Tired of isolating laboratory research, Mahoney longed for more interaction with patients. So, he enrolled in medical school at Tulane University in New Orleans. Following graduation, he hailed North again to the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania for his internship in internal medicine.

 

But, Mahoney's interest in cancer studies never waned. He followed his calling at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, where he completed his residency in radiation oncology. He also completed an externship in pediatric radiation oncology at St. Jude's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. His studies continued with advanced training in intensity modulated radiation therapy, intra- and extra-cranial stereotactic radiosurgery and interstitial and intracavity brachytherapy. At his young age, Mahoney has published a large number of clinical articles involving radiation and chemotherapy.

 

In July, Mahoney launched his radiation oncology practice at OncoLogics in Lafayette specializing in cancers of the prostate, lung, head and neck. "I thought this was a community with a bona fide need for additional physicians in radiation oncology," he said. "And, I generally found the community to be accepting of me, and one I would really enjoy. I was really looking for a medium-sized town like Lafayette with entertainment options as well."

 

Since moving to Lafayette, Mahoney has found "pretty much everything I could have hoped for. It is entertaining; it has great food. The people are friendly and I like that. There's no place I'd rather be."

 

At OncoLogics, Mahoney uses state-of-the-art techniques to treat tumors, including conformal external radiation therapy, intensity modulated radiation therapy, Tomotherapy, brachytherapy, and stereotactic radiosurgery with the Gamma Knife and CyberKnife™. He finds that the non-invasive CyberKnife is especially effective for treating brain metastasis from other cancers, meningiomas, early lung cancers, renal cell cancers, melanomas, trigeminal neuralgia and recurrent tumors. "The greatest thing about treating patients with CyberKnife is that they have almost no side effects," he said. "The fact that we can deliver such large and highly-focused doses of radiation and have no side effects is truly amazing."

 

Although Mahoney's busy work schedule leaves him little time for exploring Cajun Country, he hopes to revive his passion for cycling. As a teenager, Mahoney rode at least 300 miles a week on his bike. He traveled all over the country racing, participating in over 100 competitions during high school. Today, he enjoys cheering on his former cohorts in the Tour de France. But, he says his competitive days are over. "It's still, to me, a beautiful sport, and I enjoy watching it," he said wistfully. "I still enjoy a stroll around the neighborhood."  

 

His other love is sea life. He has always enjoyed scuba diving and seeing beautiful aquatic environments. The former marine biologist used to create "theme" aquariums, replicating ecospheres with plants and fishes indigenous to areas like the Amazon River. He also enjoys visiting aquariums throughout the U.S. Maybe now, he can start collecting seafood from Cajun Country.