Nima Aghdam, MD

As a radiation oncologist at NYCyberKnife at Perlmutter Cancer Center—Manhattan and Perlmutter Cancer Center Radiation Oncology at NYU Langone—Mineola, I specialize in treating patients with prostate cancer, using advanced radiation technologies, specifically CyberKnife-based stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) and use of radiopharmaceuticals in more advanced stages of the disease.

My approach to care combines clinical innovation with deep personal engagement. I treat each patient not as a diagnosis, but as a person with a life story, goals, and relationships that deserve to be preserved and supported through every phase of treatment and recovery.

I came to medicine slightly later in my life. I trained as an engineer, working early in my career in a prostate cancer laboratory focused on identifying signatures of aggressive disease—research that remains very relevant today. My path to medicine became clear while volunteering with an art therapy program at UCSF, where I helped connect cancer patients and high school students through handwritten letters about their experiences of going through their diagnosis, treatment, and sometimes setbacks. That experience helped me recognize the profound value of human connection in the setting of illness and set me on the path to Georgetown University School of Medicine, followed by residency training in radiation oncology.

While I strive to offer the personal attention of a small-town physician, I am equally committed to staying at the forefront of cancer care and research. I lead and design investigator-initiated trials focused on improving both cure rates and quality of life through precision radiation techniques and novel imaging strategies and radiopharmaceutical agents.

At Perlmutter Cancer Center, I have the privilege of working with one of the strongest genitourinary oncology and urology groups in the country and I hope to learn from my colleagues and support the development of new therapeutic possibilities for localized and metastatic prostate cancer. Our research defining the long-term benefits and safety of SBRT for prostate cancer, and our continued collaborative efforts across many institutions, is a particular point of pride for me. I also have a strong interest and experience in exploring how radiation can modulate the immune system and how we can use that knowledge to enhance our therapeutic effect.

My philosophy of care is anchored in the conviction that medicine is a vocation—a commitment to living in service of others. This ideal informs my endeavors in every patient relationship. I dedicate a substantial amount of time to understanding the individuals I treat, aiming to nurture a bond that extends beyond the conclusion of treatment. My objective is not only to support recovery but also to foster a personal transformation, enabling patients to return to what matters most in their lives.