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Danielle N. Margalit, MD, MPH


Radiation Oncology

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Danielle N. Margalit, MD, MPH

Physician

  • Director of Radiation Oncology, Merkel Cell Cancer Center
  • Senior Physician
  • Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology, Harvard Medical School

Clinical Interests

  • Cancer survivorship
  • Head and neck cancers
  • Human papilloma virus (HPV)-related tumors of the head and neck
  • Oropharynx tumors including tonsil and base of tongue cancers

Contact Information

  • Appointments617-632-5296
  • Office Phone Number617-632-5296
  • Fax617-394-2667

Bio

Dr. Margalit is an Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology at Harvard Medical School and a member of the Head and Neck Oncology Program and the Center for Cutaneous Oncology, specializing in the treatment of tumors of the head and neck, and skin. Dr. Margalit received her medical degree from Harvard Medical School and completed her residency in radiation oncology at the Harvard Radiation Oncology Program. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship in Cancer Epidemiology and Master of Public Health in Clinical Epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health. Dr. Margalit teaches and mentors students from Harvard Medical School and Residents of the Harvard Radiation Oncology Program. She is an active participant on national committees of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), American Board of Radiology (ABR), and American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO). She is a senior editor for the International Journal of Radiation Oncology ● Biology ● Physics and serves as the Chair of the multi-disciplinary American Radium Society Appropriate Use Criteria Committee for Head and Neck Cancer. Dr. Margalit’s research focuses on integrating new technologies and targeted therapies to improve cure rates while minimizing side effects of cancer treatment. She is the recipient of multiple awards including the inaugural Brigham and Women's Hospital/Dana-Farber Department of Radiation Oncology Outstanding Clinician Award that recognizes "expert patient care, demonstrates compassion and respect, and pursues excellence with integrity."

Board Certification:

  • Radiation Oncology

Fellowship:

  • Harvard School of Public Health

Residency:

  • Harvard Radiation Oncology Program

Medical School:

  • Harvard Medical School

Recent Awards:

  • Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center Department of Radiation Oncology Outstanding Clinician Award
  • Partners in Excellence individual award recipient
  • Dana-Farber Cancer Institute "Pineapple Award" for patient advocacy

Research

Dr. Margalit’s research focuses on integrating new technologies and targeted therapies to improve cure rates while minimizing side effects of cancer treatment.

Fully-automated sarcopenia assessment in head and neck cancer: development and external validation of a deep learning pipeline. medRxiv. 2023 Mar 06.
View in: PubMed

Association of Pretreatment Circulating Tumor Tissue-Modified Viral HPV DNA With Clinicopathologic Factors in HPV-Positive Oropharyngeal Cancer. JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2022 12 01; 148(12):1120-1130.
View in: PubMed

Negative and positive personification of multiple sclerosis: Role in psychological adaptation. J Psychosom Res. 2023 01; 164:111078.
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Interventions for head and neck cancer survivors: Systematic review. Head Neck. 2022 11; 44(11):2579-2599.
View in: PubMed

A Bit More Here and a Little Less There: The Trials (and Tribulations) of Adjuvant and Neoadjuvant Head and Neck Studies in 2021. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2022 06 01; 113(2):243-251.
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Characterization of clinical outcomes after shorter course hypofractionated and standard-course radiotherapy for stage I-III curatively-treated Merkel cell carcinoma. Radiother Oncol. 2022 08; 173:32-40.
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Retreatment of Recurrent or Second Primary Head and Neck Cancer After Prior Radiation: Executive Summary of the American Radium Society Appropriate Use Criteria. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2022 07 15; 113(4):759-786.
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Association between radiation dose to organs at risk and acute patient reported outcome during radiation treatment for head and neck cancers. Head Neck. 2022 06; 44(6):1442-1452.
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Adjuvant radiation following clear margin resection of high T-stage cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma halves the risk of local and locoregional recurrence: A dual-center retrospective study. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2022 07; 87(1):87-94.
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Oligometastatic adenoid cystic carcinoma: Correlating tumor burden and time to treatment with outcomes. Head Neck. 2022 03; 44(3):722-734.
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Neoadjuvant and Adjuvant Nivolumab and Lirilumab in Patients with Recurrent, Resectable Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck. Clin Cancer Res. 2022 02 01; 28(3):468-478.
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Something for Everyone From Low-Risk to High-Risk: 5 Recent Studies to Improve Treatment and Surveillance for All Patients With Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2021 09 01; 111(1):1-8.
View in: PubMed

Epidemiologic distinctions between base of tongue and tonsil oropharyngeal carcinomas. Head Neck. 2021 10; 43(10):3076-3085.
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Head and Neck Cancer Clinical Research on ClinicalTrials.gov: An Opportunity for Radiation Oncologists. Adv Radiat Oncol. 2021 May-Jun; 6(3):100608.
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Association between treatment center experience and survival after diagnosis of stage I to III Merkel cell carcinoma treated with surgery with or without postoperative radiation therapy. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2021 Mar; 84(3):875-877.
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Hospitalization rates and 30-day all-cause mortality among head and neck cancer patients and survivors with COVID-19. Oral Oncol. 2021 01; 112:105087.
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Systematic review of postoperative therapy for resected squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck: Executive summary of the American Radium Society appropriate use criteria. Head Neck. 2021 01; 43(1):367-391.
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Ipsilateral radiation for squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil: American Radium Society appropriate use criteria executive summary. Head Neck. 2021 01; 43(1):392-406.
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Neoadjuvant Nivolumab or Nivolumab Plus Ipilimumab in Untreated Oral Cavity Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Phase 2 Open-Label Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Oncol. 2020 10 01; 6(10):1563-1570.
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Patient reported outcomes in patients with head and neck cancer treated with concurrent chemoradiation with weekly versus bolus cisplatin. Head Neck. 2020 12; 42(12):3670-3677.
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A Randomized Phase 2 Study of Pembrolizumab With or Without Radiation in Patients With Recurrent or Metastatic Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2021 01 01; 109(1):134-144.
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Practice recommendations for risk-adapted head and neck cancer radiotherapy during the COVID-19 pandemic: An ASTRO-ESTRO consensus statement. Radiother Oncol. 2020 10; 151:314-321.
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Osteonecrosis of the jaw and dental extractions: A single-center experience. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol. 2020 Nov; 130(5):515-521.
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Follow-Up and Management of Patients With Head and Neck Cancer During the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) Disease Pandemic. Adv Radiat Oncol. 2020 Jul-Aug; 5(4):631-636.
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The Benefits of Adjuvant Trastuzumab for HER-2-Positive Salivary Gland Cancers. Oncologist. 2020 07; 25(7):598-608.
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Practice Recommendations for Risk-Adapted Head and Neck Cancer Radiation Therapy During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An ASTRO-ESTRO Consensus Statement. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2020 07 15; 107(4):618-627.
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Long-term outcomes and clinicogenomic correlates in recurrent, metastatic adenoid cystic carcinoma. Oral Oncol. 2020 07; 106:104690.
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Chemotherapy after immune checkpoint blockade in patients with recurrent, metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Oral Oncol. 2020 06; 105:104676.
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Four Influential Clinical Trials in Human Papilloma Virus-Associated Oropharynx Cancer. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2020 04 01; 106(5):893-899.
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Combined interstitial and surface high-dose-rate brachytherapy treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of the hand. J Contemp Brachytherapy. 2020 Feb; 12(1):48-52.
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Short-term mortality risks among patients with oropharynx cancer by human papillomavirus status. Cancer. 2020 04 01; 126(7):1424-1433.
View in: PubMed

Incidence and Demographic Burden of HPV-Associated Oropharyngeal Head and Neck Cancers in the United States. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2019 10; 28(10):1660-1667.
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De-Escalation Strategies in HPV-Associated Oropharynx Cancer-Are we Putting the Cart Before the Horse? Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2019 07 15; 104(4):705-709.
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Modeling the Potential Benefits of Proton Therapy for Patients With Oropharyngeal Head and Neck Cancer. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2019 07 01; 104(3):563-566.
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A Phase 1 Study of Afatinib in Combination with Postoperative Radiation Therapy with and Without Weekly Docetaxel in Intermediate- and High-Risk Patients with Resected Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2019 09 01; 105(1):132-139.
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Everolimus in Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer: A Case Series. Front Oncol. 2019; 9:106.
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Outcomes following radiation for cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck: Associations between immune suppression and recurrence. Head Neck. 2019 07; 41(7):2111-2115.
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IMRT-based treatment of unknown primary malignancy of the head and neck: Outcomes and improved toxicity with decreased mucosal dose and larynx sparing. Head Neck. 2019 04; 41(4):959-966.
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Evaluation of a community-based dental screening program prior to radiotherapy for head and neck cancer: a single-center experience. Support Care Cancer. 2019 Sep; 27(9):3331-3336.
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Radiation dose enhancement associated with contemporary dental materials. J Prosthet Dent. 2019 Apr; 121(4):703-707.
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Two Sides of the Same Coin: Head and Neck Cancer Treatment De-Intensification and Intensification with Induction Chemotherapy. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2018 09 01; 102(1):1-4.
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Evaluating the PD-1 Axis and Immune Effector Cell Infiltration in Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2018 09 01; 102(1):137-145.
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Funding Support and Principal Investigator Leadership of Oncology Clinical Trials Using Radiation Therapy. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2018 09 01; 102(1):34-43.
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Treatment-refractory ALK-positive inflammatory myofibroblastic tumour of the oral cavity. BMJ Case Rep. 2018 Apr 11; 2018.
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Reirradiation for Head and Neck Cancer: The Who and the How. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2018 03 01; 100(3):618-620.
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Palliative Head and Neck Cancer Treatment for Asymptomatic Disease. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2018 07; 159(1):25-28.
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The Touchy Topic of the Touch Cell: A Case of Merkel Cell Carcinoma. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2018 01 01; 100(1):12-13.
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The Use of Hyperbaric Oxygen for the Prevention and Management of Osteoradionecrosis of the Jaw: A Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center Multidisciplinary Guideline. Oncologist. 2017 11; 22(11):1413.
View in: PubMed

Patient-oriented toxicity endpoints after head and neck reirradiation with intensity modulated radiation therapy. Oral Oncol. 2017 10; 73:160-165.
View in: PubMed

Comparative Analysis of MicroRNA Expression among Benign and Malignant Tongue Tissue and Plasma of Patients with Tongue Cancer. Front Oncol. 2017; 7:191.
View in: PubMed

Prospective analysis of radiation oncology image and plan-driven peer review for head and neck cancer. Head Neck. 2017 08; 39(8):1603-1608.
View in: PubMed

The Use of Hyperbaric Oxygen for the Prevention and Management of Osteoradionecrosis of the Jaw: A Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center Multidisciplinary Guideline. Oncologist. 2017 03; 22(3):343-350.
View in: PubMed

Salivary and serum HPV antibody levels before and after definitive treatment in patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. Cancer Biomark. 2017; 19(2):129-136.
View in: PubMed

A comparative study of standard intensity-modulated radiotherapy and RapidArc planning techniques for ipsilateral and bilateral head and neck irradiation. Med Dosim. 2017 Spring; 42(1):31-36.
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Merkel Cell Carcinoma: A Population Analysis on Survival. J Natl Compr Canc Netw. 2016 10; 14(10):1247-1257.
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Patterns of failure after reirradiation with intensity-modulated radiation therapy and the competing risk of out-of-field recurrences. Oral Oncol. 2016 10; 61:19-26.
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Definitive chemoradiation alters the immunologic landscape and immune checkpoints in head and neck cancer. Br J Cancer. 2016 07 12; 115(2):252-60.
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Effects of definitive chemoradiation on circulating immunologic angiogenic cytokines in head and neck cancer patients. J Immunother Cancer. 2016; 4:32.
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SU-F-T-426: Measurement of Dose Enhancement Due to Backscatter From Modern Dental Materials. Med Phys. 2016 Jun; 43(6):3561.
View in: PubMed

Population-based validation of the recursive partitioning analysis-based staging system for oropharyngeal cancer. Head Neck. 2016 10; 38(10):1530-8.
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Synchronous squamous cell carcinoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of the head and neck: the odd couple. BJR Case Rep. 2016; 2(1):20150271.
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Incorporation of Next-Generation Sequencing into Routine Clinical Care to Direct Treatment of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Clin Cancer Res. 2016 06 15; 22(12):2939-49.
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Radiation Oncology--New Approaches in Squamous Cell Cancer of the Head and Neck. Hematol Oncol Clin North Am. 2015 Dec; 29(6):1093-106.
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Changing prognostic significance of tumor stage and nodal stage in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx in the human papillomavirus era. Cancer. 2015 Aug 01; 121(15):2594-602.
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Ensuring head and neck oncology patients receive recommended pretreatment dental evaluations. J Oncol Pract. 2015 Mar; 11(2):151-4.
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GermLine Variation in Superoxide Dismutase-2 (SOD2) and Survival Outcomes After Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer: Results of a Test and Validation Set Analysis. Clin Genitourin Cancer. 2015 Aug; 13(4):370-377.e1.
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SU-E-T-581: A Comparative Study of Standard IMRT and VMAT Planning Techniques for Unilateral and Bilateral Head & Neck Irradiation. Med Phys. 2014 Jun; 41(6):361.
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Associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in inflammation-related genes and quality of life after radiation therapy (RT) for prostate cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2013 Feb 20; 31(6_suppl):2.
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A single nucleotide polymorphism in inflammatory gene RNASEL predicts outcome after radiation therapy for localized prostate cancer. Clin Cancer Res. 2013 Mar 15; 19(6):1612-9.
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Microinvasive breast cancer: ER, PR, and HER-2/neu status and clinical outcomes after breast-conserving therapy or mastectomy. Ann Surg Oncol. 2013 Mar; 20(3):811-8.
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Active tobacco smoking and distant metastasis in patients with oropharyngeal cancer. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2012 Sep 01; 84(1):183-8.
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Beta-carotene antioxidant use during radiation therapy and prostate cancer outcome in the Physicians' Health Study. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2012 May 01; 83(1):28-32.
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Technological advancements and error rates in radiation therapy delivery. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2011 Nov 15; 81(4):e673-9.
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Tolerability of combined modality therapy for rectal cancer in elderly patients aged 75 years and older. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2011 Dec 01; 81(5):e735-41.
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Isolation and characterization of conditional alleles of the yeast SIR2 gene. J Mol Biol. 2007 Apr 13; 367(5):1246-57.
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Targeting cell division: small-molecule inhibitors of FtsZ GTPase perturb cytokinetic ring assembly and induce bacterial lethality. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2004 Aug 10; 101(32):11821-6.
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