Dr. Randal Henderson is Retiring, Completing 44 Years of Exceptional Clinical Practice and Influential Research
A founding physician of the modern radiation oncology practice at UF Health Jacksonville and the UF Health Proton Therapy Institute is set to retire in the fall.
Randal Henderson, MD, MBA is the Associate Medical Director of the Institute and Professor of Radiation Oncology at the UF College of Medicine Department of Radiation Oncology. His contributions to improving cancer treatment for patients extend beyond the field of radiation oncology into cancer treatment, physician practice and education, and clinical research. Above all, the thousands of people he expertly and compassionately served during their cancer treatment and in survivorship are a testament to his exceptional 44-year clinical practice.
“I am grateful to work with such an outstanding team of physicians and staff to provide our patients with this advanced treatment technology in a welcoming and supportive environment. I have found a great deal of personal fulfillment in the long-term relationships with patients who have trusted us with their cancer care,” Dr. Henderson said.
Dr. Henderson’s distinguished career began with an internship at William Beaumont Army Medical Center in El Paso, Texas, followed by residency at the University of Florida in the Department of Radiation Oncology. He continued his military service rising to Assistant Chief, Radiation Oncology at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. and then Chief, Therapeutic Radiology Service at Fitzsimons Army Medical Center in Aurora, Colo. He was in private practice for eight years at the Northlake Cancer Treatment Center in Atlanta, Ga., during which time he served as medical director at the center and at the Cancer Center of Gwinnett in Lawrenceville, Ga. He joined UF Health Jacksonville as medical director of the Department of Radiation Oncology in 1998.
He was tasked by then Chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology, Nancy P. Mendenhall, MD, FACR, FASTRO, with modernizing and building a strong radiation oncology practice in Jacksonville to prepare for the next evolution in radiation treatment: proton therapy. As part of the team that first treated patients on the proton therapy system, he was integral to the development of treatment protocols, patient safety, and clinical research.
Dr. Henderson is the Principal Investigator on eight prostate cancer studies initiated at the UF Health Proton Therapy Institute since 2006. These prospective clinical trials follow the outcomes of hundreds of men treated with proton therapy for prostate cancer. His research articles are published in peer-reviewed medical journals and are considered foundational evidence of the efficacy of proton therapy for prostate cancer patients in both survival rates and quality of life measures, such as bowel and urinary function. He wrote the first article published on proton therapy outcomes for hypofractionated, shorter course radiation. More recently, he authored an article1 on the 5-and 7-year outcomes from the Phase II study of hypofractionated image guided proton radiation therapy for low- and intermediate-risk adenocarcinoma of the prostate. A 10-year outcomes article is in progress and is to be published soon.
Dr. Henderson has been recognized as a “Best Doctor” in multiple publications throughout his career and is involved on the Board of Directors of the Florida Society of Clinical Oncology (FLASCO). His focus on research is evident in the more than 60 peer-reviewed articles he has published. Dr. Henderson has shared his passion for research and improving patient outcomes at more than 100 local, national, and international conferences and educational events.
“Thank you, Randy, for all the years of collaboration to improve cancer treatment for patients,” said Dr. Mendenhall. “You have made all the difference in the world for our patients and for the success of the Institute. I wish you a happy and fulfilling retirement.”
1. Henderson RH, Bryant CM, Nichols RC, Mendenhall WM, Hoppe BS, Su Z, Morris CG, Mendenhall NP. Five- and seven-year outcomes for image-guided moderately accelerated hypofractionated proton therapy for prostate cancer. Acta Oncol. 2022 Apr;61(4):468-477. doi: 10.1080/0284186X.2021.2016948. Epub 2021 Dec 30