Physicians
Lakeland Regional Cancer Center is pleased to provide the community with the finest cancer specialists in the area. Each of our physicians and surgeons is fellowship-trained in their area of expertise.
- Mark Bandyk, M.D.
- Richard A. Boothby, M.D.
- Helen Chan, M.D.
- Graham Greene, M.D.
- Kris Michelle Guerrier, M.D.
- G. Byron Hodge, Jr., M.D.
- Frances Martin, M.D.
- Manuel Molina, M.D.
- Sushma S. Nakka, M.D.
- Solange Pendas, M.D.
- Matthew S. Smith, M.D.
- Arvind B. Soni, M.D.
- Madhavi L. Venigalla, M.D.
Mark Bandyk, M.D.
Urology/Urologic Oncology
Dr. Mark Bandyk is a board-certified urologist who completed a urologic oncology fellowship at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Dr. Bandyk has received numerous honors and awards in his career and is a member of professional organizations including the American College of Surgeons, Society of Urologic Oncology, American Urological Association, and the American Foundation for Urologic Disease. He has been an investigator in a multitude of clinical research trials and published a number of professional articles.
Dr. Bandyk came to LRCC from Danville Urologic Clinic in Danville, Virginia, where he was on staff at Danville Regional Medical Center and Halifax Regional Hospital. He was also a clinical assistant professor of surgery at the University of North Carolina.
Dr. Bandyk came to LRCC to grow the robotic surgery program. The program has flourished since its inception in 2004. Dr. Bandyk specializes in robotic prostatectomies as well as robotic partial nephrectomies and treatment of penile cancer.
Richard A. Boothby, M.D.
Gynecologic Oncology
Richard “Rusty” Boothby, MD, Gynecologic Oncologist, practices medicine with the goal of providing quality medical and surgical care to all women. He believes that quality care begins with patient education and that each individual should have access to the latest advances in medical care and investigational clinical trials. In addition, he believes all aspects of cancer care should consider quality of life and respect for each patient’s dignity.
Dr. Boothby is certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology with a sub-specialty certification in Gynecologic Oncology. He is also certified by the Association of Clinical Research Professionals.
Dr. Boothby offers his patients a full array of radical and ultra-radical surgical procedures for treatment of their gynecologic cancers. He is also proficient in minimally invasive surgical procedures including DaVinci Robotic and Laparoscopic surgery when appropriate for gynecologic patients.
Dr. Boothby completed a Fellowship in Gynecologic Oncology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and a residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Florida at Jacksonville. He received his Medical Degree from the University of South Florida.
He serves as a Courtesy Clinical Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Florida and has served as Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Cornell University Medical College.
Previous honors and activities include serving in various leadership positions of the Florida Society of Gynecologic Oncology (President from 2004-2006), Director of Clinical Research at MD Anderson Cancer Center Orlando, and multiple faculty teaching awards. Dr. Boothby has authored or co-authored more than 15 peer-reviewed scientific publications.
Helen Chan, M.D.
Surgical Oncology
Dr. Chan is a Surgical Oncologist with Board Certification in Surgery. She comes to Lakeland Regional Cancer Center from Southern California Kaiser Permanente Medical Group, where she received the honor of 2002 Physician of the Year at Kaiser Riverside Medical Center. Prior to that, she worked at Northern California Kaiser Permanente Medical Group as Staff Surgical Oncologist and Staff Thoracic Oncologic Surgeon. During this time she was also an Associate Clinical Professor at the University of California San Francisco.
Dr. Chan attended Medical School at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Her postgraduate training includes a Residency in General Surgery at Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, CA and a Fellowship in Oncologic Surgery at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, FL.
Dr. Chan has published her research in numerous papers and contributed to several medical articles.
Graham Greene, M.D.
Urologic Oncology
Dr. Graham Greene is the leader of LRCC’s Prostate Center of Excellence. He has published numerous works, and has participated in several clinical trials during his career. Dr. Greene is certified by the American Urological Association, and is a Fellow of both the American College of Surgeons and the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada.
Dr. Greene comes to LRCC most recently from the University of Arkansas, where he was Chief of Urologic Oncology for 10 years and held the position of the Robert Woods Bass Chair in Urologic Oncology. He received his medical degree from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he also completed an internship and residency, and served as the Chief Resident in Urology. He completed his fellowship at the University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.
Dr. Greene’s specialties include treating bladder cancer, reconstructive surgery building neobladders and robotic prostatectomies.
Kris Michelle Guerrier, M.D.
Radiation Oncology
Dr. Guerrier is board certified in Radiation Oncology by the American Board of Radiology. She completed a Radiation Oncology residency program at the Cancer Institute of New Jersey through the University of Medicine and Dentistry at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. She also completed her Internal Medicine internship at Howard University Hospital in Washington, D.C.
During her residency training, Dr. Guerrier gained valuable experience in 3D Conformal Radiotherapy, IMRT, On Board Imaging, Brachytherapy, MammoSite, Gamma Knife Stereotactic Radiosurgery, and Intraoperative Radiotherapy.
Dr. Guerrier attended Rush Medical College in Chicago, IL. She spent a summer in Uganda, Africa through an NIH/MIRT Research Training Fellowship. She spent other summers throughout her medical training serving as a tutor, mentor and volunteer.
Dr. Guerrier has contributed to several publications, been involved in research activities and has presented during professional conferences. Professional memberships include: American Society for Therapeutic Radiology & Oncology, American Brachytherapy Society, Association of Residents in Radiological Oncology, Radiological Society of North America, American Association for Cancer Research, National Medical Association, Florida Medical Association, American Medical Association, Polk County Medical Association and the American College of Radiation Oncology.
G. Byron Hodge, Jr., M.D.
Urology/Urologic Oncology
Dr. Byron Hodge is a well-known and respected speaker, writer, consultant and physician throughout Central Florida. Dr. Hodge has certifications from the National Board of Medical Examiners, the American Board of Urology and the American Board of Quality Assurance and Utilization Review. He is an active member in numerous professional organizations, including the American Cancer Society, and has served on a variety of hospital and association committees.
Dr. Hodge received his medical degree from Duke University School of Medicine. He received extensive postgraduate training as a resident in General and Thoracic Surgery and then in Urologic Surgery. He served a Urologic Oncology Fellowship at M.D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute. His most recent appointment was Director of Urologic Oncology at the Cancer Institute at Florida Hospital.
Dr. Hodge is the principal investigator for LRCC’s urologic clinical trials program and specializes in bladder reconstruction, erectile dysfunction and minimally invasive therapies for prostate and renal cancers, including cryosurgery. He is adept in using cryosurgery to treat prostate and kidney cancer.
Frances Martin, M.D.
Urologic Oncology
Dr. Frances Martin is a Urologic Oncologist who received her medical degree from the University of Alabama (UAB) School of Medicine in Birmingham. She completed her Urological Surgery residency at the University of Kentucky, Chandler Medical Center in Lexington. After her residency, she completed a fellowship and was a clinical specialist in the Department of Urologic Oncology at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.
Dr. Martin was named the Bobby C. Powell Intern of the Year during her General Surgery internship at the University of Kentucky. She also received the Medical Student Enrichment Program Travel Award for training in Russia while at UAB. In addition, Dr. Martin has completed multiple research projects in areas of urologic stone disease, urologic oncology, and gynecology, among others. She graduated with honors from Vanderbilt University with a B.S. in Biology and English.
Dr. Martin is a member of the medical honor society Alpha Omega Alpha, the American Medical Association, and the Society for Urologic Oncology. Dr. Martin has written numerous publications and is involved with many civic organizations.
Dr. Martin’s primary interest is in the treatment of bladder cancer. In addition, she specializes in minimally invasive procedures, both laparoscopic and robotic, including partial nephrectomies and prostatectomies.
Manuel Molina, M.D.
Surgical Oncology
Dr. Molina is a board-certified surgical oncology specialist. His multi-area surgical expertise includes malignant and benign hepato-biliary and pancreatic diseases, melanoma, sarcoma, esophageal cancer, gastric cancer and other digestive tract cancers.
Dr. Molina brings expertise in minimally-invasive laparoscopic procedures for esophageal, stomach, pancreatic, liver, bile duct and colon cancers. He also has a special interest in endocrine surgeries.
Upon completion of his medical degree from Facultad de Medicina Universidad de Panama; surgery internship at Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, NY; surgery residency from SUNY Health Science Center at Brooklyn, NY; and surgical oncology fellowship at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital, Dr. Molina joined Surgical Associates of Palm Beach County in Boca Raton. He also served as Director of Surgical Oncology at the Lynn Cancer Institute in Boca Raton.
In 2008, Dr. Molina was named to America’s Top Surgeons by the Consumers’ Research Council of America. He also received the Alfred S. Ketcham M.D. award for superior performance as a surgical oncology fellow in 2008 from the University of Miami, FL and the Thomas W. Pollock M.D. excellence award as a surgery resident in 2006 from SUNY Downstate Medical Center.
Dr. Molina is active member of multiple surgical societies including the American Medical Association, American College of Surgeons, Society of Surgical Oncology, American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Cancer Society, American and International Hepato-Pacreato-Biliary Association, Society of Surgery for the alimentary tract. Recently, has been accepted as Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.
Sushma S. Nakka, M.D.
Medical Oncology/Pain & Palliative Care Specialist
Dr. Nakka comes to Lakeland Regional Cancer Center from Maimonides Medical Center, where she completed Fellowship Training in Hematology and Oncology, Sub-Specializing in Breast Oncology. Prior to that she completed Fellowship Training in Pain and Palliative Care at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
Dr. Nakka is Board-Certified in Hospice and Palliative Medicine, Pain Medicine, and Internal Medicine. She received Medicine and Surgery Degrees from the University of Health Sciences at Kakatiya Medical College in India and then completed certification through the Educational Commission of Foreign Medical Graduates.
Additional noteworthy experience includes a faculty position as Clinical Instructor in Pain and Palliative Care Service with the Department of Neurology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, where she was involved with the fellowship-training program and served as principal investigator of several clinical trials. She also completed an Internal Medicine Residency at Mount Sinai School of Medicine.
Dr. Nakka has been involved in numerous research activities and studies, co-authored a paper and contributed to a medical publication. She speaks English, Hindi and Telugu and is involved with ASCO, ASH, American Medical Association, and American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Care.
Solange Pendas, M.D.
Surgical Oncology
Dr. Pendas completed a Surgical Oncology Fellowship at the City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, California. During this time, she spent a year researching promising antitumor vaccines in addition to enhancing her surgical oncology experience. Her General Surgical Residency took place at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York. She augmented her Residency training by returning to Tampa to conduct research on breast cancer and hepatomas. She is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of the University of South Florida in Tampa, which is also where she attended Medical School.
Dr. Pendas is Board Certified in General Surgery and speaks fluent English and Spanish. She is a member of the Southeastern Surgical Congress, Society of Surgical Oncology and the American Medical Association. One of the many awards she has received has been the Gold Medal Paper: Southeastern Surgical Congress, February 1999 for Sentinel node biopsy and cytokeratin staining for the accurate staging of 478 breast cancer patients. The American surgeon, Vol. 65, No. 6, June 1999.
Matthew S. Smith, M.D.
Urology/Urologic Oncology
Dr. Matthew Smith is a Board Certified Urologist. Upon completion of his medical degree at Georgetown University School of Medicine, Dr. Smith completed three residency programs: Pathology, University of California Medical Center; General Surgery, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania; and Urology, Duke University Medical Center. He also completed fellowship programs at Duke University Medical Center in Urologic Oncology and the Eastern Virginia Graduate School of Medicine in Pediatric and Reconstructive Urology. During this time he served several academic appointments as well.
Dr. Smith is a member of numerous professional societies, including the American Association of Clinical Urologists, the American Medical Association, the American Urological Association, the Florida Urological Society, the International Society of Urologic Surgeons, the American College of Surgeons, the Society of Genitourinary Reconstructive Surgeons, and the American Fertility Society.
Dr. Smith has published several scientific papers and has contributed to chapters in several books. His specialties include open nerve sparing radical prostatectomies, open partial nephrectomies, open radical nephrectomies, cryosurgery for prostate cancer and brachytherapy for prostate cancer.
Arvind B. Soni, M.D.
Radiation Oncology
Dr. Soni is a board certified Radiation Oncologist who received his medical degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in Piscataway, New Jersey. He completed his Radiation Oncology residency at Strong Memorial Hospital in Radiation Oncology in Rochester, New York, where he served as Chief Resident from July 1997 to June 1998. Following his residency, Dr. Soni was an Assistant Professor and co-Director of Vascular Radiation Medicine at the University of Rochester, Strong Memorial Hospital, Department of Radiation Oncology before beginning to work in private practice in 2002.
Dr. Soni has experience with 3D Conformal Radiotherapy, IMRT, Brachytherapy and Radiosurgery. He has been involved with several multidisciplinary clinics and is an advocate of multimodality care. He has been a Medical Director of oncology services and moderator of both general and breast tumor boards. Dr. Soni has a history of working closely with other oncologic specialties and primary care providers to provide the best care for his patients.
Dr. Soni received the Roentgen Resident/Fellow Research Award in 1997 and the John Michelis Memorial Award for high achievement in biomedical engineering. He graduated from Rutgers University with honors in electrical engineering and was admitted to two national engineering honor societies. He is affiliated with the American Society of Therapeutic Radiation Oncologists, the American College of Radiology, the American Medical Association and the Indian American Medical Association.
Dr. Soni is featured in numerous publications and is involved with many civic organizations.
Madhavi L. Venigalla, M.D.
Medical Hematology/Oncology
Dr. Venigalla is Sub-Specialty Board Certified in Medical Oncology and Hematology. She comes to LRCC from Fallon Clinic in Worcester, Massachusetts, where she also served at St. Vincent’s Hospital and Metro West Cancer Center. She has been involved with the residency teaching program and principal investigator of several trials at Metro West Medical Center. Prior to that she worked as an instructor at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts.
Dr. Venigalla completed a Fellowship in Hematology/Oncology at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, a Residency in Internal Medicine at University of Massachusetts Medical Center Memorial Health Care, and an Internship at Metro West Medical Center. She attended medical school at Kakatiya Medical College in Warangal, India.