Mass General Brigham announces first moves toward integrated cancer program

Brigham and Women's Hospital is part of Mass General Brigham.David L. Ryan/Globe Staff

Mass General Brigham is taking its first steps to an integrated cancer program as it prepares to split with Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, with the announcement of a new role overseeing radiation oncology.

Dr. Daphne Haas-Kogan, chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital since 2015, will also take on the vacated role of chair of the department at Massachusetts General Hospital and will serve in the new role of chief of enterprise radiation oncology for Mass General Brigham.

As part of the announcement, Haas-Kogan will leave her role as chair of radiation oncology for Dana-Farber, another position she has had since 2015 in combination with her role at the Brigham.

In its announcement, Mass General Brigham noted that Dana-Farber had announced plans to separate from the Brigham when its current contract expires in 2028, prompting Mass General Brigham to begin “planning for the future.”

“I am deeply honored and tremendously excited to have this opportunity to work together with our entire team across Mass General Brigham to realize the full potential of our world-leading radiation oncology programs,” Haas-Kogan said in a news release. “I will always have deep respect for Dana-Farber and all my wonderful colleagues there.”

Dr. Anne Klibanski, president and chief executive of Mass General Brigham, said in the release that the appointment comes as the system plans to collaborate in cancer care “in a way we have never done before.”

“We are at the beginning of an exciting new era in cancer care across Mass General Brigham,” Klibanski said. “Working together, the care teams at both institutions and across the system will have an even greater impact.”

Dr. Daphne Haas-Kogan.Handout

Haas-Kogan has an undergraduate degree in biochemistry and molecular biology from Harvard University. She received her MD from the University of California, San Francisco, where she also completed a residency in radiation oncology and a post-doctoral fellowship in molecular neuro-oncology.

With work that has included research focused primarily on brain tumors and pediatric cancer, Haas-Kogan has been the principal investigator on several grants funded by the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for patients as we will be joining the expertise, breadth, and depth of two world-class academic radiation oncology departments,” said Dr. Neil E. Martin, vice chair of clinical operations for the Department of Radiation Oncology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. “Dr. Haas-Kogan has been a transformative leader in her time at the BWH. As Mass General Brigham starts the process of imagining a system-wide approach to cancer care, her vision will be invaluable.”