Dr. Chris A. Straka graduated from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in 2015. He completed his radiation oncology residency at University of California San Diego (UCSD), where he served as the chief resident and is currently an assistant professor. He regularly gives lectures to current residents and proctors clinical rotations; in 2023 he was honored with an award for excellence in teaching. Through several impactful experiences, including having a family member diagnosed with cancer, Dr. Straka decided early on in medical school to pursue a career in oncology. He chose radiation oncology because he loved the physical science and technology components, coupled with the opportunity to develop deep relationships with patients.

Some of the most common cancers Dr. Straka treats include central nervous system, skin, head and neck, lymphoma, breast, lung, gastrointestinal, gynecological and prostate. He also treats benign conditions including Dupuytren’s, Ledderhose and sialorrhea. In addition to providing state-of-the-art cancer treatments, Dr. Straka is actively involved in developing e-health tools (smartphone apps, websites, digital presentations, etc.) to help patients better understand and cope with their diagnosis and treatment. He is also very interested in an emerging paradigm of treating oligometastatic (only a few metastases) cancers with short-course, highly targeted radiation using a technique called stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR). Early published studies following this paradigm are very exciting and suggest that certain patients with stage IV cancer may benefit significantly from this targeted therapy.

Dr. Straka believes things that cannot be seen or measured are just as important as things that can. He focuses on his patients’ emotional and mental well-being in addition to addressing their physical concerns. He is always willing to spend as much time with patients as they need, and he schedules his clinic to give extra time for every patient consultation. He hopes to provide patients with a clear-eyed view of what they are facing, unpack the variety of modern treatment options available to them, and give them a renewed sense of hope and purpose.

Dr. Straka grew up in Virginia and dreamed of learning to surf and living by the ocean. He now gets to live that dream alongside his wife, three boys and a dog named Happy. In addition to work, Dr. Straka also enjoys traveling, snowboarding, hiking, scuba diving and reading science fiction.