Dr. Evan Graboyes

Meet Dr. Evan Graboyes, Mentored Research Development Award (MRDA) recipient, Assistant Professor at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), Cancer Control Researcher at the NCI-designated MUSC Hollings Cancer Center, and Head and Neck Cancer (HNC) Surgeon Scientist. Dr. Graboyes’ research aims to decrease mortality and racial disparities in survival for HNC patients through innovative, multi-level, theory- based, healthcare delivery interventions to improve the timeliness and quality of care HNC delivery. His research focuses on identifying strategies to improve the timeliness and equity of postoperative radiation therapy following surgery for HNC, the critical area of delay in HNC.

HNC is a disease with poor survival, especially for African Americans, despite intense treatment including surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Delays between surgery and the start of postoperative radiation therapy are common, cause excess mortality, and contribute to worse survival in African Americans. Dr. Graboyes’ research team has developed NDURE (Navigation for Disparities and Untimely Radiation thErapy), a multi-level, theory-based navigation intervention that represents a promising approach to minimize delays starting radiation after HNC surgery. NDURE could provide the first effective intervention to improve timely, equitable care in this patient population, thereby improving survival for patients with HNC, decreasing racial disparities in mortality, and developing new standards of clinical care.

Read More