About Me
My father, a renowned diagnostic radiologist, inspired me to pursue a career in medicine. I chose to specialize in radiation oncology because of the opportunity to directly interact with patients and deliver treatments that have the potential to fight cancer.
I have more than 30 years of experience in the treatment of prostate cancer, and during this time, radiation oncology has been transformed. I am passionate about working in a field that is constantly evolving and where so many exciting technological innovations are helping to treat diseases with more accuracy, leading to increased chances for cure, with fewer side effects.
I have extensive experience in various radiotherapy techniques for treating prostate cancer. I was instrumental in developing therapies such as intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), which uses technology to deliver high doses of radiation more precisely to a tumor, and image-guided radiotherapy, in which radiation beams precisely target a tumor through the help of focused imaging, such as CT scans and MRIs.
More recently, I developed extensive experience using stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), which delivers targeted radiation in as few as five sessions and has low rates of long-term side effects. I also specialize in brachytherapy, in which internal radiation is placed and delivered directly to the site of the tumor. I have been recognized for developing and refining ways to combine SBRT and brachytherapy: these have shown success in treating advanced prostate cancer. I consider myself fortunate to have had the opportunity to develop these innovative treatments that are making a positive difference in people’s lives.
At ºÙºÙÊÓƵ’s Perlmutter Cancer Center, we have access to the latest and most advanced technologies in radiation therapy. Our magnetic resonance imaging–guided linear accelerator (MRI-LINAC) combines MRI technology with radiation therapy to deliver highly targeted radiation doses that can make submillimeter adjustments in real time. This ensures that the tumor is precisely targeted while limiting exposure to healthy tissues.
When patients come to me for treatment, I make sure I understand their goals for therapy and what is important for maintaining their quality of life. I take the time to explain the disease and treatment options available and work with patients and other members of the multidisciplinary team to develop treatment plans that best match their needs and that are also the most effective. I treat my patients the way I treat any member of my family—with compassion, personal care, and attention to detail.
I am working closely with NYU’s Department of Physics to develop sophisticated software that can more effectively integrate critical information from diagnostic scans to deliver more precise and targeted radiation to prostate cancer tumors. I have also developed protocols that explore the role of genetic markers that can be used to predict the aggressiveness of cancer and tailor the treatment to each person and the disease.
I have served as president and chairman of the American Brachytherapy Society and also serve as editor-in-chief of their journal, Brachytherapy. I have coauthored more than 350 peer-reviewed articles in leading medical journals on the management of prostate cancer with various radiotherapy techniques. Many of these articles have helped change the way prostate cancer is treated around the world. I have been honored to receive several awards, including the American Brachytherapy Society’s Ulrich Henschke Award for contributions and excellence in the field of radiation oncology.
Conditions and Treatments
Conditions
- cancer
- prostate cancer
Learn more about conditions we treat at ºÙºÙÊÓƵ:
Prostate CancerCredentials
Positions
- Professor,
- Vice Chair, Vice Chair Academic & Faculty Affairs Dept Rad Onc
- Director, Brachytherapy Services
Board Certifications
- American Board of Radiology - Radiation Oncology, 1991
Education and Training
- Residency, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital, Radiation Oncology, 1990
- MD from Albert Einstein College of Med, 1986
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Insurance Plans Accepted
This provider accepts the following insurance plans.
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Aetna
- Aetna HMO
- Aetna Indemnity
- Aetna International
- Aetna Medicare Advantage
- Aetna Open Access EPO
- Aetna Open Access HMO
- Aetna POS
- Aetna POS (American Express Employer)
- Aetna PPO
- Aetna Signature Administrators PPO
- Aetna Student Plan
- Allied
- Chesterfield Resources Inc
- Christian Brothers Services
- CoreSource
- Nippon Life of America-Aetna
- Nippon Life-Aetna
- Starmark
- WellNet
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Amida Care
- Amida Care Medicaid
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Anthem BCBS Health Plus
- BCBS Healthplus Essential Plan 1
- BCBS Healthplus Essential Plan 2
- BCBS Healthplus Essential Plan 3
- BCBS Healthplus Essential Plan 4
- BCBS Healthplus Gatekeeper exchange
- BCBS Healthplus Mediblue Advantage
- BCBS Healthplus NY Child Health Plus NY
- BCBS Healthplus NY Medicaid Managed Care NY
- BCBS Healthplus Special Needs
- Empire Mediblue Healthplus Dual
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Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield
- Anthem BCBS CT PPO
- Anthem BCBS CT Pathway PPO
- BCBS Blue Access EPO Large Group
- BCBS Blue Access EPO Small Group
- BCBS Blue Access GEPO Small Group
- BCBS Blue Access PPO Large Group
- BCBS EPO
- BCBS EPO (BlackRock Employees)
- BCBS EPO (LICH Employees)
- BCBS EPO - Empire EPO (ºÙºÙÊÓƵ Employees)
- BCBS EPO - Empire EPO (Sunset Park/Family Health Center Employees)
- BCBS EPO - Empire NYU Care (ºÙºÙÊÓƵ Employees)
- BCBS EPO - Empire NYU Care (Sunset Park/Family Health Center Employees)
- BCBS Federal Program
- BCBS Florida Blue Care HMO
- BCBS Florida Blue Medicare PPO
- BCBS Florida Blue Options PPO
- BCBS Florida Blue Select
- BCBS Florida MyBlue HMO
- BCBS Florida Simply Blue
- BCBS Florida Traditional PPC
- BCBS HMO
- BCBS Indemnity
- BCBS Local 32BJ Employees
- BCBS Mediblue Medicare HMO
- BCBS Mediblue Medicare PPO
- BCBS Mediblue Select HMO/Extra HMO
- BCBS POS
- BCBS PPO
- BCBS PPO (BlackRock Employees)
- BCBS PPO (LICH Employees)
- BCBS PPO - Empire PPO (Sunset Park/Family Health Center Employees)
- BCBS PPO/EPO Small Group
- New York Hotel Trades
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Centerlight Healthcare
- CenterLight Healthcare DIRECT
- CenterLight Healthcare PACE
- CenterLight Healthcare Select
- Centerlight Pace Medicare HMO
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Centers Plan For Healthy Living
- Centers Plan For Healthy Living
- Centers Plan For Healthy Living Medicaid Advantage Plus HMO D-SNP
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Cigna
- Apwu Health Plan
- Cigna - Humana
- Cigna Great West PPO
- Cigna HMO
- Cigna Indemnity
- Cigna Managed Care/POS
- Cigna Medicare Advantage
- Cigna NALC
- Cigna Open Access
- Cigna Open Access PPO
- Cigna Oscar
- Cigna PPO
- Cigna Premier Plus
- Great West HMO
- Kaiser Permanente
- MVP-Cigna Network
- Wellfleet-NYU Student
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Connecticare
- Connecticare Bridge
- Connecticare Commercial
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Elderplan
- Elderplan
- Elderplan FIDA
- Elderplan Medicare Advantage Plan
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Emblem
- Emblem Select Care Bronze Small Group
- Emblem Select Care EPO
- Emblem Select Care Gold Small Group
- Emblem Select Care HMO
- Emblem Select Care PPO
- Emblem Select Care Platinum Small Group
- Emblem Select Care Silver Small Group
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Fidelis Care
- Ambetter Fidelis Care Bronze Exchange
- Ambetter Fidelis Care Catastrophic Cvg Exchange
- Ambetter Fidelis Care Gold Exchange
- Ambetter Fidelis Care Native American Exchange
- Ambetter Fidelis Care Platinum Exchange
- Ambetter Fidelis Care Silver Exchange
- Fidelis Care Child Health Plus
- Fidelis Care Medicaid Managed Care
- Fidelis Essential Plan 1
- Fidelis Essential Plan 2
- Fidelis Essential Plan 3
- Fidelis Essential Plan 4
- Wellcare by Fidelis Care Medicare
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First Health
- First Health PPO
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GHI
- American Plan Administrators
- GHI CBP (City of New York Employees)
- GHI Emblem Health EPO
- GHI Emblem Health PPO
- GHI HMO
- GHI HMO Medicare
- GHI Medicare PPO
- GHI Medicare Supplement
- GHI Network Access - Benefit Services of PA
- GHI Network Access - Humana
- GHI Network Access - Total Plan Concepts
- IUOE Local 14-14B
- Wlny-TV Inc.
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HIP
- Emblem Essential Plan 1
- Emblem Essential Plan 2
- Emblem Essential Plan 3
- Emblem Essential Plan 4
- HIP Access I
- HIP Access II
- HIP Bridge
- HIP Child Health Plus
- HIP EPO
- HIP HMO
- HIP Medicaid Enhanced Care
- HIP Medicare Supplement
- HIP POS
- HIP PPO
- HIP Prime Basic Exchange
- HIP Prime Bronze
- HIP Prime Bronze Exchange
- HIP Prime Catastrophic Exchange
- HIP Prime Gold
- HIP Prime Gold Exchange
- HIP Prime Platinum
- HIP Prime Platinum Exchange
- HIP Prime Silver
- HIP Prime Silver Exchange
- HIP VIP Medicare Bold
- HIP VIP Medicare Prime
- Vytra HMO
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Hamaspik Choice
- Hamaspik Choice Medicare DSNP
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Healthfirst
- Health And Recovery Plan (Harp)
- Healthfirst Bronze Leaf Exchange
- Healthfirst Bronze Total, Pro, Plus EPO
- Healthfirst Child Health Plus
- Healthfirst Essential Plan 1 & 2
- Healthfirst Essential Plan 3 & 4
- Healthfirst Gold Leaf Exchange
- Healthfirst Gold Total, Pro, Plus EPO
- Healthfirst Green Leaf Exchange
- Healthfirst Medicaid
- Healthfirst Medicare
- Healthfirst Medicare/NYU Risk
- Healthfirst Personal Wellness Plan
- Healthfirst Platinum Leaf Exchange
- Healthfirst Platinum Total, Pro, Plus EPO
- Healthfirst Silver Leaf Exchange
- Healthfirst Silver Total, Pro, Plus EPO
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Hotel Trades Council
- Hotel Trades Council
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Humana
- Humana Medicare Advantage
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Local 1199
- Local 1199 - NYU Hospital Member Choice
- Local 1199 PPO
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Longevity Health Plan
- Longevity Health Plan Medicare
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Magnacare
- Magnacare PPO
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Medicaid of New York
- NYS Medicaid
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Medicare
- Medicare Part A and B
- Medicare Part B
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MetroPlusHealth
- MetroPlusHealth Bronze Plus Plan Exchange
- MetroPlusHealth Child Health Plus
- MetroPlusHealth Essential Plan 1 and 2
- MetroPlusHealth Essential Plan 3 and 4
- MetroPlusHealth Gold
- MetroPlusHealth Gold Plus Plan Exchange
- MetroPlusHealth Goldcare
- MetroPlusHealth Medicaid Managed Care
- MetroPlusHealth Medicare
- MetroPlusHealth Medplus Plan Exchange
- MetroPlusHealth Platinum Plus Plan Exchange
- MetroPlusHealth Silver Plus Plan Exchange
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Multiplan
- AXA Assistance USA
- Administrative Concepts
- Beech Street PPO
- Diversified Administration Corporation
- Fiserv Health
- GEHA
- Global Excel
- Global Health
- Guardian Life Insurance Co Of America
- Health Net Of California
- Health Republic Of NJ
- Insurance Design Administrators
- Kaiser Foundation
- Kaiser Permanente
- Meritain Health
- Multiplan PPO
- Multiplan-Capital Dist Phys Health
- Mutual Of Omaha
- Nippon Life Ins Co
- PHCS
- Professional Benefit Admin
- Qualcare Inc
- Screen Actors Guild
- Teamsters Allied Benefits
- US Life Insurance Company
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NYSHIP - The Empire Plan
- NYS Health Insurance Plan - The Empire Plan, Excelsior Plan, NY Student Employee Health Plan
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Oxford
- Oxford Health Plans Freedom
- Oxford Health Plans Liberty
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POMCO Insurance Company
- POMCO Insurance Company
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Partners Health Plan Inc
- Partners Health Plan FIDA
- Partners Health Plan Medicaid
- Partners Health Plan Medicare
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Qualcare Inc.
- Qualcare Direct
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Railroad Medicare
- Palmetto GBA Railroad Medicare
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River Spring Health Plan
- River Spring Medicare HMP SNP
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Sedgwick WTC
- World Trade Center - Sedgwick
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Senior Whole Health
- Senior Whole Health Medicare Advantage
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Tricare
- TriWest
- Tricare
- US Family Health Plan
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United Healthcare
- AARP Medicare Complete
- Bind Benefits inc
- Oxford Health Plans Medicare Advantage
- UMR
- United Healthcare (NY University Care Plan)
- United Healthcare AARP
- United Healthcare All Savers
- United Healthcare Choice
- United Healthcare Choice (AMEX employees)
- United Healthcare Choice (Blackrock employees)
- United Healthcare Choice (CBS employees)
- United Healthcare Choice (Simon
- United Healthcare EPO
- United Healthcare EPO (ºÙºÙÊÓƵ Health Employees)
- United Healthcare Golden Rule Insurance
- United Healthcare HMO
- United Healthcare Healthscope
- United Healthcare Indemnity
- United Healthcare Indemnity (ºÙºÙÊÓƵ Health Employees)
- United Healthcare Medicare
- United Healthcare Navigate
- United Healthcare Nexus
- United Healthcare Nexus (Amex Employees)
- United Healthcare POS
- United Healthcare PPO
- United Healthcare Plus (ºÙºÙÊÓƵ Health Employees)
- United Healthcare Student Resources
- United Healthcare Student Resources (NYU)
- United Healthcare Value, Advantage and HDHP (New York University employees)
- UnitedHealthcare Choice (NY Power Authority Employees)
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VA Community Care Network
- VA CCN Optum
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VNS Choice Advantage
- VNS Medicare Advantage
- VNS NY Choice Select Health
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Village Care
- VillageCare
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WTC Health Program
- NY Fire Department - WTC
- WTC Health Program
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Wellcare
- WellCare Medicare
Michael J. Zelefsky, MD does not accept insurance.
Locations and Appointments
ºÙºÙÊÓƵ Radiation Oncology Associates
160 East 34th Street, New York, NY 10016
Perlmutter Cancer Center - Energy Building
560 First Avenue, Energy Building, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10016
Clinical Trials and Research Studies
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A Phase 3 Randomized Double-blind Matching Placebo-controlled Clinical Trial to Study the Efficacy and Safety of Pembrolizumab (MK-3475) in Combination With Chemoradiotherapy (CRT) versus CRT Alone in Participants with Muscle-invasive Bladder Cancer (MIBC) (KEYNOTE-992)
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INTREPId (INTermediate Risk Erection PreservatIon Trial): A Randomized Trial of Radiation Therapy and Darolutamide for Prostate Cancer
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A PHASE I/IB SINGLE ARM STUDY OF TWO FRACTION SBRT WITH DOMINANT LESION SIB FOR THE TREATMENT OF LOCALIZED PROSTATE CANCER
Publications
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Moore, Assaf; Kollmeier, Marisa A; McBride, Sean M; Toumbacaris, Nicolas; Zhang, Zhigang; Lacy-Elsayegh, Ahmed; Dreyfuss, Alexandra; Grossman, Craig E; Gorovets, Daniel; Zelefsky, Michael J
European urology oncology. 2024 Aug ; 7(4):812-820
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Yu, Victoria Y; Otazo, Ricardo; Wu, Can; Subashi, Ergys; Baumann, Manuel; Koken, Peter; Doneva, Mariya; Mazurkewitz, Peter; Shasha, Daniel; Zelefsky, Michael; Cervino, Laura; Cohen, Ouri
Magnetic resonance imaging. 2023 Sep ; 101:25-34
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Simeth, Josiah; Jiang, Jue; Nosov, Anton; Wibmer, Andreas; Zelefsky, Michael; Tyagi, Neelam; Veeraraghavan, Harini
Medical physics. 2023 Aug ; 50(8):4854-4870