Robert Henshaw
MD
Robert M. Henshaw, MD, is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon specializing in orthopedic oncology. Dr. Henshaw is director, Orthopedic Oncology, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital; vice-chairman, Orthopedic Surgery, MedStar Washington Hospital Center (MWHC); and director, Orthopedic Oncology, Children’s National Medical Center.
With more than 20 years of experience as an orthopedic oncologist, Dr. Henshaw provides care to adults and children with tumors and cancers of the musculoskeletal system. He specializes in osteosarcoma, soft tissue sarcomas, giant cell tumors, limb sparing surgery and endoprosthetic reconstruction. Dr. Henshaw treats patients from the entire mid-Atlantic region, along with referred patients from around the country and the world.
Dr. Henshaw uses novel techniques and technologies to ensure the best possible functional and oncologic outcomes for his patients. He is an expert in minimally invasive biopsies, routinely using advanced diagnostic techniques to ensure proper diagnosis and staging. As the leader of multidisciplinary teams of physicians, Dr. Henshaw creates personalized treatment plans for his patients.
Dr. Henshaw was the first surgeon in the world to perform a specialized reconstruction of the femur using a custom-designed metal implant to replace the bone between the hip and knee, sparing both joints as well as the growth plates, thus allowing the bone to grow normally in children. He helped introduce minimally invasive techniques for bone biopsy as well as radiofrequency ablation for bone tumors to the DC region, and he has expertise in cryosurgical ablation of bone tumors.
Dr. Henshaw serves as an associate editor for The American Journal of Orthopedics. As an author, he has published many peer-reviewed articles in journals including Lancet Oncology, Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, and Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research. He recently edited and released a new book, Sarcoma: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Treatment, which features authors from around the world. Dr. Henshaw travels nationally and internationally to present his research on topics such as giant cell tumors and osteosarcoma. In the DC area, he provides consultation services to the Surgical Branch of the National Institutes of Health.
His teaching commitments include serving as a professor of Clinical Orthopedic Surgery (Orthopedic Oncology), Georgetown University School of Medicine; and as assistant clinical professor, Orthopedic Surgery, George Washington University School of Medicine. At MWHC, he is the director of the Musculoskeletal Oncology fellowship program, one of only nine such programs in the United States.
Dr. Henshaw is a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. In addition, he maintains memberships in several medical societies, including the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Orthopaedic Association (AOA), the AOA/Council of Orthopaedic Residency Directors, the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society, and the Connective Tissue Oncology Society. He has received recognition as one of “America’s Top Doctors,” “Top Doctors for Cancer,” and “Best Physicians.”
Dr. Henshaw has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His medical degree is from Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston. He completed an internship in general surgery and a residency in orthopedic surgery at UCLA Medical Center, and he studied pediatric orthopedics at the Shriners Hospital in Los Angeles. He then completed a fellowship in Orthopedic Oncology at MWHC.
Research Interests
Dr. Henshaw's research interests include
- Giant cell tumors
- Osteosarcoma
- Cancers of the musculoskeletal system
- Orthopedic oncology
- Bone tumors
- Limb-sparing surgery
- Soft tissue sarcomas
Selected Research
Below are examples of research projects Dr. Henshaw is currently leading as principal investigator. Some of this work is supported by Stryker, Amgen, and Novartis.
Molecular characterization of osteosarcoma
Survivorship of cross-linked versus conventional polyethylene in endoprosthetic reconstruction
Vitamin D deficiency in referred musculoskeletal tumor population
Use of magnetic resonance imaging to predict histologic grade in soft-tissue sarcoma
Oncologic outcomes in octogenarian patients with primary sarcomas
Nodal involvement of fungating sarcomas
Induction radiation effects on myxoid liposarcoma
Treatment and oncologic outcomes of soft tissue osteosarcoma
Stanmore non-invasive extendable proximal tibial implant
Infected sarcoma: outcomes and prognostic factors
Research Areas
- OncologyOther Surgical