Clinicn Investigator, Full Prf RadOnc MGPO PhysicianFaculty, Mass General Research Institute

Professor of Radiation Oncology Harvard Medical School

Radiation Oncologist Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital

Radiation Oncologist Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital

MD Alexandria University 1980

MSc Paris XI University 1988

PhD Paris XI University 1995

MS Paris XI University 1992

accelerated partial breast irradiation; apbi; breast cancer; breast neoplasms; lymphatic irradiation; lymphedema; mastectomy; mastectomy segmental; neoplasm recurrence local; post-mastectomy radiation; radiotherapy conformal

Dr Alphonse Taghian is Professor of Radiation Oncology at Harvard Medical School and Director of the Lymphedema Research Program at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. He earned his Medical Degree from Alexandria University in Egypt. He completed his residency in Radiation Oncology in France, after which he pursued his PhD in Radiobiology at Paris XI University. He was appointed as staff in the Department of Radiation Oncology at MGH.

An internationally recognized leader in breast radiation oncology and Lymphedema Research; with a main interest in screening and early intervention for lymphedema, methods to minimize cardiac exposure to radiation, accelerated partial breast irradiation, Proton radiation in breast cancer, and complications of breast reconstruction.

He has published more than 300 peer-reviewed articles, general reviews, and letters to the editor. He has edited 2 books.  He was awarded several NIH grants totaling around $2.7 Million for research in breast cancer-related lymphedema.

In 2024 and 2025, 4 published bibliometric papers summarized the global contributions to lymphedema research. The 4 studies evaluated between 1,000 to 1,169 Lymphedema papers published from 2000 to 2024. Among >3,500 authors, the 4 bibliometric studies concluded that “Among these authors, Taghian and his team affiliated with Harvard Medical School, emerge as the most prolific collaborators and prolific authors. His research has been instrumental in assessing the risk of lymphedema in breast cancer and standardizing lymphedema assessment, with significant implications for the prevention of lymphedema”.