Chika Nwachukwu, M.D.

Associate Program Director, Medical Residency

Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center

Eugene P. Frenkel, M.D. Scholar in Clinical Medicine

Radiation Oncology
Gynecologic Cancers
Breast Cancers

Effective April 15, 2023, Chika Nwachukwu, M.D. will be closing their practice at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

The clinic will be happy to recommend a physician to assume your care. Patients can obtain a copy of their medical records by calling 214-645-3030 or by email at medical.records@utsouthwestern.edu.

Biography

Chika Nwachukwu, M.D., Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Dr. Nwachukwu’s focus is on both breast and gynecologic cancers.

Dr. Nwachukwu received her Ph.D. from the University of Chicago and her medical degree from Mayo Medical School. Following that, she went on to complete her internship at Massachusetts General Hospital and her radiation oncology training at Stanford University Hospitals in California, where she also served as chief resident.

Her research interests are in gynecologic malignancies, women’s health, and global oncology initiatives with the goal of expanding the role of radiation oncologists in achieving more equitable health care for all global citizens through humanitarian outreach, education, and research.

Meet Dr. Nwachukwu

Breast and gynecological cancer specialist in Dallas

Chika Nwachukwu, M.D., Ph.D., focuses on treating a variety of cancer sites with both external beam radiation therapy and brachytherapy, a type of radiation treatment that uses applicators to place a radioactive source directly next to or within a tumor. A highly trained board-certified radiation oncologist, she is an integral part of both the breast and gynecologic cancer teams at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

It was in medical school where she found herself drawn to cancer patients and after completing her Ph.D. in cancer biology when she knew treating oncology patients was her desired path.

“I was excited about radiation oncology because not only did it give me meaningful interactions with delicate and extremely vulnerable patients, but the field is very evidence-driven and I would be able to directly apply my research interests in a way that is beneficial or applicable to patients.”

Dr. Nwachukwu’s philosophy in treating cancer is to communicate the information and treatment options in a way that patients understand.

“I want patients to be intimately involved in their care and decision-making,” she says. “The diagnosis of cancer is very daunting for most patients and the goal is to help them get through the treatments as much as we can, and, where possible, get them back to a new sense of normality.

Professional Associations & Affiliations

American Brachytherapy Society (ABS) (2018)
African Organization for Research and Training in Africa (AORTIC) (2017)
International Cancer Expert Corp (ICEC) (2017)
Radiologic Society of North America (RSNA) (2017)
American Association for Women Radiologists (AAWR) (2016)
American College for Radiation Oncology (ACRO) (2016)
American Association of University Women (AAUW) (2011)
American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) (2011)
American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (2007)

Honors & Awards

National Institutes of Health (NIH)/National Medical Association Selected Fellow 2016
American Association of University Women Fellowship 2012-2013
Rodney L. Million Fund for Innovation in Clinical Care 2017
Stanford University, Center for Innovation in Global Health - SEED Grant 2016-2018
African Cancer Leaders Institute (ACLI) Bursary Award 2017
National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Loan Repayment Program 2017-2019
American Association of University Women Fellowship 2012-2013
The University of Chicago Cancer Biology Training Grant 2007-2010
Susan G. Komen for the Cure - AACR Minority Scholar in Cancer Research Award 2007
Bernice Goldblatt Fellowship 2006-2007

Books & Publications

Publications
- Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy for Stage IIIB Cervical Cancer-Global Impact Through Power.
  Nwachukwu CR, Mayadev J, Viswanathan AN, JAMA oncology 2018 Apr 4 4 514-515
- Radiation therapy improves disease-specific survival in women with Stage II endometrioid endometrial cancer-Brachytherapy may be sufficient.
  Nwachukwu CR, Von-Eyben R, Kidd EA, Brachytherapy 2018 Mar - Apr 17 2 383-391
- Extent of lymphovascular space invasion may predict lymph node metastasis in uterine serous carcinoma.
  Qian Y, Pollom EL, Nwachukwu C, Seiger K, von Eyben R, Folkins AK, Kidd EA, Gynecologic oncology 2017 10 147 1 24-29
- Health related quality of life (HRQOL) in long-term survivors of pediatric low grade gliomas (LGGs).
  Nwachukwu CR, Youland RS, Chioreso C, Wetjen N, NageswaraRao A, Keating G, Laack NN, Journal of neuro-oncology 2015 Feb 121 3 599-607
- Molecular Subtype-Specific Expression of MicroRNA-29c in Breast Cancer Is Associated with CpG Dinucleotide Methylation of the Promoter.
  Poli E, Zhang J, Nwachukwu C, Zheng Y, Adedokun B, Olopade OI, Han YJ, PloS one 2015 10 11 e0142224
- Evaluating dissection in the gross anatomy course: Correlation between quality of laboratory dissection and students outcomes.
  Nwachukwu C, Lachman N, Pawlina W, Anatomical sciences education 2015 Jan-Feb 8 1 45-52
- Acquired differentiation and loss of malignancy of spontaneous pulmonary metastases in human-in-mouse breast cancer models.
  Bockhorn J, Prat A, Chang YF, Liu X, Huang S, Shang M, Nwachukwu C, Gomez-Vega M, Harrell JC, Olopade OI, Perou CM, Liu H Cancer research 2014 Oct
- Cadaver CT scans a useful adjunct in gross anatomy: The medical student perspective.
  Nwachukwu CR, Anatomical sciences education 2014 Jan-Feb 7 1 83-4
- Changes in presentation, treatment, and outcomes of adult low-grade gliomas over the past fifty years.
  Youland RS, Schomas DA, Brown PD, Nwachukwu C, Buckner JC, Giannini C, Parney IF, Laack NN, Neuro-oncology 2013 Aug 15 8 1102-10
- MicroRNA-30c targets cytoskeleton genes involved in breast cancer cell invasion.
  Bockhorn J, Yee K, Chang YF, Prat A, Huo D, Nwachukwu C, Dalton R, Huang S, Swanson KE, Perou CM, Olopade OI, Clarke MF, Greene GL, Liu H, Breast cancer research and treatment 2013 Jan 137 2 373-82
- MicroRNA-30c inhibits human breast tumour chemotherapy resistance by regulating TWF1 and IL-11.
  Bockhorn J, Dalton R, Nwachukwu C, Huang S, Prat A, Yee K, Chang YF, Huo D, Wen Y, Swanson KE, Qiu T, Lu J, Young Park S, Eileen Dolan M, Perou CM, Olopade OI, Clarke MF, Greene GL, Liu H Nature communications 2013 Jan 4 1393
- Basal-like Breast cancer DNA copy number losses identify genes involved in genomic instability, response to therapy, and patient survival.
  Weigman VJ, Chao HH, Shabalin AA, He X, Parker JS, Nordgard SH, Grushko T, Huo D, Nwachukwu C, Nobel A, Kristensen VN, Børresen-Dale AL, Olopade OI, Perou CM, Breast cancer research and treatment 2012 Jun 133 3 865-80
- CpG island methylation affects accessibility of the proximal BRCA1 promoter to transcription factors.
  Xu J, Huo D, Chen Y, Nwachukwu C, Collins C, Rowell J, Slamon DJ, Olopade OI, Breast cancer research and treatment 2010 Apr 120 3 593-601

Research

Women's health
Gynecologic malignancies
Global oncology initiatives with the goal of expanding the role of radiation oncologists in achieving more equitable health care for all global citizens through humanitarian outreach, education, and research

Clinical Focus

Gynecologic Cancers
Breast Cancers
Sarcoma
Cervical Cancer
Uterine Cancer
Ovarian Cancer
Vaginal Cancer
Vulvar Cancer

Articles by Dr. Nwachukwu

Cancer; Discovery; Women's Health

The ART and science of targeting gynecologic tumors

Kevin Albuquerque, M.D.
Chika Nwachukwu, M.D.

May 18, 2022

New Patient Appointment or 214-645-8525