dcMarshall Lab - DC Marshall Lab

dcMarshall Laboratory

Research

Our vision is to be a leading research and education lab, generating paradigm-changing knowledge with a focus on equity, pleasure and empowerment through multi-disciplinary clinical and translational research, education and innovation.

Our federally-funded Sexual Toxicity After Radiotherapy (STAR) program’s mission is to transform our understanding of the impacts of radiotherapy on sexual function, including arousal and orgasm, in women, LGB and gender-expansive cancer patients across the lifespan.

Learn more about the importance of clitoris science and our mission here.

We apply radiobiologic, advanced imaging, and multi-omic methods in human research to prevent and mitigate the effects of radiotherapy on sexual function and improve quality of life after cancer treatment.

We also seek to understand how transparency can change medicine.

Deborah C Marshall, MD

s/h/h

PI
Radiation Oncology
Population Health Science and Policy
Blavatnik Family Women’s Health Research Institute
deborah.marshall@mountsinai.org

CV

Our recent publications

Our current research to develop novel approaches to improve sexual outcomes for female and sexual/gender minority cancer patients:

Vaginal hydrogels to prevent scarring

Non-opioid mucosal analgesics

Multi-scale informatics

Standardization of anatomic contours

LGBTQ+ sexual health survivorship care

Advanced pelvic imaging

Erectile-tissue sparing radiotherapy techniques

Measuring and maintaining sensation of the bulboclitoris, nipple and prostate

Our research has four major goals:

#1 To transform the paradigm of sexual health in women and sexual/gender minority persons with cancer after radiotherapy

#2 To elucidate mechanisms of sex differences and the role of immunodeficiency and HIV in oncologic outcomes

#3 To refine the role of proton therapy to improve oncologic outcomes and preserve quality of life

#4 To examine the impact of transparency on the practice of medicine

Publications

Female erectile tissues and sexual dysfunction after pelvic radiotherapy: A scoping review

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March 2022 in the journal CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians

Marshall DC, Tarras ES, Ali A, Bloom J, Torres MA, Kahn JM. Female erectile tissues and sexual dysfunction after pelvic radiotherapy: A scoping review. CA Cancer J Clin. 2022 Mar 17. doi: 10.3322/caac.21726. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35298025.

A first radiotherapy application of functional bulboclitoris anatomy, a novel female sexual organ-at-risk, and organ-sparing feasibility study

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August 2021 in the journal British Journal of Radiology

Marshall DC, Ghiassi-Nejad Z, Powers A, Reidenberg JS, Argiriadi P, Ru M, et al. A first radiotherapy application of functional bulboclitoris anatomy, a novel female sexual organ-at-risk, and organ-sparing feasibility study. Br J Radiol 2021; 94: 20201139.

Sexual health and treatment-related sexual dysfunction in sexual and gender minorities with prostate cancer

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May 2023 in the journal Nature Reviews Urology

Dickstein DR, Edwards CR, Lehrer EJ, Tarras ES, Gallitto M, Sfakianos J, Galsky MD, Stock R, Safer JD, Rosser BRS, Marshall DC. Sexual health and treatment-related sexual dysfunction in sexual and gender minorities with prostate cancer. Nat Rev Urol. 2023 Jun;20(6):332-355. doi: 10.1038/s41585-023-00778-3. Epub 2023 May 22. PMID: 37217695; PMCID: PMC10389287.

Effects of trauma history on cancer-related screening, diagnosis, and treatment

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May 2023 in the journal The Lancet Oncology

Marshall DC, Carney LM, Hsieh K, Dickstein DR, Downes M, Chaudhari A, McVorran S, Montgomery GH, Schnur JB. Effects of trauma history on cancer-related screening, diagnosis, and treatment. Lancet Oncol. 2023 Nov;24(11):e426-e437. doi: 10.1016/S1470-2045(23)00438-2. PMID: 37922933; PMCID: PMC10754479.