Clinical Locations
Huntsman Cancer Institute - Cancer Hospital South
Sugar House Health Center
Patient Rating
The patient rating score is an average of all responses on our patient experience survey. The rating averages scores for all questions about care from our providers.
The scale on which responses are measured is 1 to 5 with 5 being the best score.
Patient Comments
Patient comments are gathered from our patient experience survey and displayed in their entirety. For the convenience of our visitors, some patient comments have been translated from their original language into English while preserving their original meaning as accurately as possible. Patients are de-identified for confidentiality and patient privacy.
My experience was with Dr Decesaris was very positive. She was thorough in her explanation of my radiation treatment and answered all my questions.
Dr. Decesaris was very professional and I felt very comfortable with her knowledge of my problem.
Dr Decesaris is above and beyond any doctor I've ever experienced. Her compassion, her thoughtfulness, her thoroughness, the time she takes to explain everything...she even apologizes if she's late!!! Who does that??? She does! I wish I could hand-pick her for every one of my acquaintances who will ever need to undergo radiation treatment.
Dr. Decesaris answered my questions carefully and was open to discussing my feelings and any concerns I have. She showed empathy for what I was going through.
Very kind. Very knowledgeable we felt a sense of trust.
Doctor Decesaris is the best (not sure if I spelled her name right) but regardless ,she is wonderful. She even calls me out on issues that we don't agree on and I greatly appreciate that. The fact she is willing to fight for her patients and look out for their best interest. She is absolutely the best.
She was very informative, knowledgeable, professional, and compassionate.
She is an amazing physician.
Dr. Decesaris is a straight shooter. Shows empathy but doesn't sugar-coat the situation or condescend.
So impressed with Dr D. She explained everything and answered questions thoughtfully. She also listened carefullly rather than assuming, and being arrogant, like many doctors seem to do.
Dr. Decesaris was friendly and very knowledeable. She was able to make me feel at ease and secure as she was very thorough and up to date with her assessment about my current condition.
Dr. Decesaris is very knowledgeable, professional and compassionate.
She is well qualified and very helpful ..
No personable skills and quite rude
Compassionate and will to listen and answer all my questions without making me feel like she was rushed or unconcerned.
Very professional and courteous
It was our first visit and we really were at ease with dr Decesaris
She only would discuss my specific tumor and needs in generalities. What she was saying that would likely happen and how we predict tumor growth behavior already was inaccurate in my specific case. So her plan for treatment that was based on these assumptions was not tailored to my needs. I found it impossible to explain those to her because she was only capable of repeating the party line. I'm going to try getting help where the human patient is more important than the data sets or research trends.
Extremely caring and experienced provider
Listened very well and instilled confidence
Dr. Decesaris very clearly communicated to me the kind of data I was hoping to receive to help me make the most informed decision about my care plan. She was kind and very compassionate. Her calm demeanor helped me feel reassured and less anxious about my condition, and I was very grateful for that. Her explanation of everything was so clear that I felt more empowered and confident deciding what my treatment plan should look like.
Very kind, professional and competent.
Very kind. Always respectful of your feelings. Dr. Decesaris wants to stay on top of your care. Feel safe in her care.
She is very caring, explains things carefully so you understand.
She explained us well.
Dr. Decesaris was very easy to talk to and very confident in her manner. She has my family's trust. l
Dr Decesaris was thorough, answered my questions, and totally professional. The best thing was though I've had several problems with scheduling and she made things happen and solved my scheduling problems, outstanding extra effort.
She is very calm and caring. Also takes time to visually show you what she is talking about with the use of her monitor. She also is an integral part of my team at Huntsman and keeps in touch with Dr. Akerley (my main Dr there).
Dr. Decesaris is a patient physican that listens with empathy. She shared information about my health condition honestly and thoughtfully where I could easily understand and make informed decisions. She is a kind, caring, compassionate and competent physican.
She and her team are amazing.
Dr. DeCesaris is an excellent physician. Thorough in all ways.
Caring person and explaining how the radiation treatment is going to be,
In all 64 years of my existence, I don't remember a provider more proactive or detail-oriented than Dr. DeCesaris. She is outstanding in every way. After some of the things I've faced on this journey, I can only say this was specifically ordered by God's loving hand (a divine appointment), for which I am incredibly grateful. She far exceeded my expectations, a credit to her integrity, diligence, obvious passion for her profession, and compassion for those she treats.
Kind, Professional, Inspiring Trust.
She has been a great asset for Josh's care.
Great, no problem. She listened and explained in a very inviting manner
Dr Decedaris, although busy, took time to council with me and made a medical suggestion.
She answered all of my questions in a quick and respectful manner. She showed me the image of my meningioma, which was incredible. She is a great doctor!
Dr. Cristina Marie Decesaris is awesome. She cares about my child. She shows love and care toward my child.
The brain cancer, mine, we suspect has been seen numerous times and Carey's person to person. A bit of guidance as to longevity would be helpful in developing and executing my/our affairs.
Board Certification and Academic Information
| Academic Departments |
Radiation Oncology
-Assistant Professor (Clinical) |
|---|
Education history
| Undergraduate | Psychology - University of Maryland | B.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate | Neurobiology/Physiology - University of Maryland | B.S. |
| Professional Medical | Medicine - Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School | M.D. |
| Fellowship | Radiation Oncology - Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania | Clinical Research Fellow |
| Internship | Internal Medicine - Lankenau Medical Center | Intern |
| Residency | Radiation Oncology - University of Maryland Medical Center | Resident |
| Chief Resident | Radiation Oncology - University of Maryland Medical Center | Chief Resident |
| Residency | Radiation Oncology - University of Maryland Medical Center | Resident |
| Professional Other | ASCO Journals Editorial Fellow | Fellow |
Selected Publications
Journal Article
- DeCesaris CM, Rice SR, Bentzen SM, Jatczak J, Mishra MV, Nichols EM (2019). Quantification of Acute Skin Toxicities in Patients With Breast Cancer Undergoing Adjuvant Proton versus Photon Radiation Therapy: A Single Institutional Experience. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys, 104(5), 1084-1090.
- Frick MA, Kao GD, Aguarin L, Chinniah C, Swisher-McClure S, Berman AT, Levin WP, Cengel KA, DeCesaris C, Hahn SM, Dorsey JF, Simone CB 2nd (2018). Circulating Tumor Cell Assessment in Presumed Early Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients Treated with Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy: A Prospective Pilot Study. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys, 102(3), 536-542.
- Poirier Y, Becker S, DeCesaris C, Culberson W, Draeger E, Gerry AJ, Johnstone CD, Gibbs A, Vujaskovic Z, Jackson IL (2020). The Impact of Radiation Energy on Dose Homogeneity and Organ Dose in the Göttingen Minipig Total-Body Irradiation Model. Radiat Res, 194(5), 544-556.
- Snider JW, Molitoris J, Shyu S, Diwanji T, Rice S, Kowalski E, DeCesaris C, Remick JS, Yi B, Zhang B, Hall A, Hanna N, Ng VY, Regine WF (2020). Spatially Fractionated Radiotherapy (GRID) Prior to Standard Neoadjuvant Conventionally Fractionated Radiotherapy for Bulky, High-Risk Soft Tissue and Osteosarcomas: Feasibility, Safety, and Promising Pathologic Response Rates. Radiat Res, 194(6), 707-714.
- Chinniah C, Aguarin L, Cheng P, DeCesaris C, Cutillo A, Berman AT, Frick M, Doucette A, Cengel KA, Levin W, Hahn S, Dorsey JF, Simone CB 2nd, Kao G (2019). Early Detection of Recurrence in Patients With Locally Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer via Circulating Tumor Cell Analysis. Clinical lung cancer, 20(5), 384-390.e2.
- Moran BJ, Koroulakis A, DeCesaris C, Braccioforte MH, Amin N, Agarwal (2021). Long-term outcomes of a prospective randomized trial of 131Cs/125I permanent prostate brachytherapy. Brachytherapy, 20(1), 38-43.
- DeCesaris CM, McCarroll R, Mishra MV, Glass E, Greenwald BD, Carr S, Burrows W, Mehra R, Regine WF, Simone CB 2nd, Choi JI, Molitoris J (2020). Assessing Outcomes of Patients Treated With Re-Irradiation Utilizing Proton Pencil-Beam Scanning for Primary or Recurrent Malignancies of the Esophagus and Gastroesophageal Junction. Journal of thoracic oncology, 15(6), 1054-1064.
- Berman AT, DeCesaris CM, Simone CB 2nd, Vachani C, DiLullo G, Hampshire MK, Metz J, Hill-Kayser (2016). Use of Survivorship Care Plans and Analysis of Patient-Reported Outcomes in Multinational Patients With Lung Cancer. Journal of oncology practice, 12(5), e527-35.
- DeCesaris CM, Berger M, Choi JI, Carr SR, Burrows WM, Regine WF, Simone CB 2nd, Molitoris J (2020). Pathologic complete response (pCR) rates and outcomes after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy with proton or photon radiation for adenocarcinomas of the esophagus and gastroesophageal junction. Journal of gastrointestinal oncology, 11(4), 663-673.
- DeCesaris CM, Pollock A, Zhang B, Poirier Y, Kowalski E, Paulosky K, Mishra MV, Nichols (2021). Assessing the Need for Adjusted Organ-at-Risk Planning Goals for Patients Undergoing Adjuvant Radiation Therapy for Locally Advanced Breast Cancer with Proton Radiation. Practical radiation oncology, 11(2), 108-118.
- Zhu M, Kaiser A, Mishra MV, Kwok Y, Remick J, DeCesaris C, Langen K (2019). Multiple Computed Tomography Robust Optimization to Account for Random Anatomic Density Variations During Intensity Modulated Proton Therapy. Advances in radiation oncology, 5(5), 1022-1031.
- Koroulakis A, Rice SR, DeCesaris C, Knight N, Nichols E (2019). Perceptions and Patterns in Academic Publishing: A Survey of United States Residents in Radiation Oncology. Advances in radiation oncology, 5(2), 146-151.
- DeCesaris C, Rao A (2020). Characterizing the Risk of Vertebral Body Fractures in Patients Receiving Chemoradiotherapy for Esophageal Cancer. JAMA network open, 3(9), e2014340.
- Rock CB, Weil CR, Rock CB, Gravbrot N, Burt LM, DeCesaris C, Menacho ST, Jensen RL, Shrieve DC, Cannon D (2024). Patterns of failure after radiosurgery for WHO grade 1 or imaging defined meningiomas: Long-term outcomes and implications for management. Journal of clinical neuroscience, 120, 175-180.
- Gravbrot N, Rock CB, Weil CR, Rock CB, Burt LM, DeCesaris CM, Jensen RL, Shrieve DC, Cannon D (2024). Gross tumor and intracranial control benefits with fractionated radiotherapy compared to stereotactic radiosurgery for patients with WHO grade 2 meningioma. World neurosurgery,
- Gravbrot N, Weil CR, DeCesaris CM, Gaffney DK, Suneja G, Burt L (2024). Differentiation of survival outcomes by anatomic involvement and histology with the revised 2023 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics staging system for endometrial cancer. European journal of cancer (Oxford, England, 201, 113913.
- Huang YJ, DeCesaris CM, Sarkar V, Zhao H, Kunz J, Nelson G, Li X, Suneja G, Burt LM, Gaffney D (2024). Image-guided preplanning workflow for high-dose-rate interstitial brachytherapy for gynecological malignancies. Brachytherapy, 23(1), 25-34.
- DeCesaris CM, Mossahebi S, Jatczak J, Rao AD, Zhu M, Mishra MV, Nichols (2021). Outcomes of and treatment planning considerations for a hybrid technique delivering proton pencil-beam scanning radiation to women with metal-containing tissue expanders undergoing post-mastectomy radiation. Radiotherapy and oncology, 164, 289-298.
- Lee SS, Weil CR, Boyd LR, DeCesaris C, Gaffney D, Suneja (2023). Trends in use of radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and combination chemoradiotherapy in advanced uterine cancer before, during, and after GOG 258. International journal of gynecological cancer, 33(9), 1408-1418.
- Weil CR, Rock CB, Sarkar V, Gravbrot N, Lew FH, Rock CB, Burt LM, DeCesaris CM, Jensen RL, Shrieve DC, Cannon D (2025). Lack of Impact of Expansion Size From Gross Tumor Volume to Planning Target Volume on Control Rates and Patterns of Recurrence in Fractionated Radiotherapy for WHO Grade 1 Meningiomas. American journal of clinical oncology, 48(8), 403-409.
- Jhandi S, Jhandi AS, Cannon DM, Burt LM, DeCesaris C, Menacho ST, Colman H, Jensen R (2025). Stereotactic radiosurgery for radiation'induced meningiomas: long'term institutional outcomes with patient- and lesion'level analyses and an updated meta'analysis. Journal of neuro-oncology, 176(1), 122.
- DeCesaris C, Bedell S, Gaffney D, Suneja G, Burt L, Brower (2025). Identification and Management of Late Toxicities After Radiation Therapy for Vulvar Cancer. Practical radiation oncology,
- Cruttenden J, Weil C, Byer D, Burt L, Suneja G, Gaffney D, DeCesaris (2024). Patterns of Care in Adjuvant Radiation Therapy for Stage II Endometrioid Endometrial Adenocarcinoma: A National Cancer Database Analysis. Advances in radiation oncology, 10(2), 101698.
- DeCesaris C, Bedell S, Kelley K, Gaffney D, Suneja G, Burt L, Jarboe E, Brower (2025). Use of Radiation Therapy in the Management of Vulvar Cancers-Identification and Management of Acute and Late Toxicities. Practical radiation oncology, 15(1), e57-e62.
- DeCesaris C, Wilson T, Kim J, Burt L, Grant J, Harkenrider MM, Huang J, Jhingran A, Kidd E, Konski A, Lin L, Small W Jr, Suneja G, Gaffney (2024). Financial Improvements From Short Course Adjuvant Vaginal Cuff Brachytherapy in Early Endometrial Cancer Compared With Standard of Care, "SAVE" Trial. Practical radiation oncology, 14(6), e500-e506.
Review
- Burt L, Jarboe E, Gaffney D, Suneja G, DeCesaris C, Bedell S, Brower (2025). Vulvar Cancer: Histopathologic Considerations and Nuances to Management. Practical radiation oncology, 15(1), 86-92.
Case Report
- DeCesaris C, Amin NP, Hundal J, Vujaskovic Z, Agarwal (2018). Hyperthermia and Hyper-fractionated Radiation for a Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma Progressing on Standard Therapy: A Case Report. Advances in radiation oncology, 4(1), 4-9.
Letter
- DeCesaris C, Rice SR, Bentzen SM, Jatczak J, Mishra MV, Mossahebi S, Nichols EM (2019). In Reply to Tommasino et al. [Letter to the editor]. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys, 105(3), 677-678.
- DeCesaris CM, Kokeny (2022). The Best Defense is a Good Offense. International journal of radiation oncology, biology, physics, 114(4), 574-575.
- Urias E, DeCesaris (2025). Comment on "A comparison of outcomes after radiosurgery in non-small cell lung cancer patients with one versus more than twenty brain metastases: an international multi-center study". Journal of neuro-oncology, 175(3), 1469-1470.
Other
- Gravbrot N, Weil CR, DeCesaris CM, Gaffney DK, Suneja G, Burt L (2024). Corrigendum to "Differentiation of survival outcomes by anatomic involvement and histology with the revised 2023 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics staging system for endometrial cancer" Eur. J. Cancer (201) (April) 2024, 113913. European journal of cancer (Oxford, England, 202, 114017.