Penn Medicine Provider
Radiation Oncology
John Nicholas Lukens, MD
5.0
(355)
Accepting new patients
Sees patients age 18 and up
Penn Radiation Oncology Perelman - 2nd Floor
Make an appointmentCall 800-789-7366

About me

  • Chief, Head & Neck Service, Radiation Oncology
  • Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
  • Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology in Dermatology

I am an Assistant Professor and Site Chief of Head and Neck Cancer in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Pennsylvania. I treat head and neck and skin cancer patients. I work in a multi-disciplinary setting collaborating with head and neck surgeons, Mohs surgeons, and medical oncologists to care for a complex patient population.  

My research interests include de-intensification trials for favorable risk HPV+ oropharyngeal SCC patients, and in this capacity I served as the Principal Investigator of a clinical trial enrolling 150 HPV+ OPSCC patients decreasing both radiation dose and volumes, and correlating outcomes with circulating HPV DNA. 

Another research interest is the integration of immunotherapy into the treatment of metastatic melanoma patients, investigating the use of high dose radiation to salvage responses to melanoma patients not responding to immunotherapy, and correlating with expansion of the T cell receptor repertoire. I now serve as a co-project-leader of a randomized clinical trial investigating dual checkpoint therapy (Ipi/Nivo) +/- hypofractionated RT for patient with metastatic melanoma. 

Education and training

  • Medical School: University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
  • Residency: Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
  • Fellowship: Mount Sinai Medical Center

What my patients think about me

Average Rating
5.0

356 reviews

Comments are submitted by patients and reflect their views and opinions. The comments are not endorsed by and do not necessarily reflect the views of Penn Medicine.

July 2025
5.0
5.0
he is a great doctor
July 2025
5.0
5.0
knowledge and experience
June 2025
5.0
5.0
great doc!
June 2025
5.0
5.0
the dr is excellent

Insurance accepted

My Locations

Penn Medicine hospital privileges

  • Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania: Has privileges to treat patients in the hospital.
  • Pennsylvania Hospital: Has privileges to treat patients in the hospital.
  • Penn Presbyterian Medical Center: Has privileges to treat patients in the hospital.
Dr. Lukens is a Penn Medicine physician.

Qualifications and experience

My research

Sannigrahi MK, Raghav L, Rich DJ, Schrank TP, Califano JA, Lukens JN, Sun L, Morgan IM, Cohen RB, Lin A, Liu X, Brown EJ, You J, Mirabello L, Mishra SK, Shimunov D, Brody RM, Pearson AT, Gimotty PA, Diab A, Jalaly JB, Basu D Tumor-intrinsic and immune-related features associated with treatment failure in human papillomavirus-related oropharyngeal cancer. , J Natl Cancer Inst, 117(7): 2025,1366-1376

Bordeaux J, Blitzblau R, Aasi SZ, Alam M, Amini A, Bibee K, Bolotin D, Chen PL, Contreras CM, DiMaio D, Donigan JM, Farma JM, Ghosh K, Harms K, LeBoeuf N, Lukens JN, Manber S, Mark L, Medina T, Nehal KS, Nghiem P, Olino K, Paragh G, Park S, Patel T, Rich J, Shaha AR, Sharma B, Sokumbi Y, Srivastava D, Thomas V, Tomblinson C, Venkat P, Xu YG, Yu S, Yusuf M, McCullough B, Espinosa S. Dermatofibrosarcoma Protuberans, Version 1.2025, NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines In Oncology. , J Natl Compr Canc Netw.: 2025

Sannigrahi MK, Raghav L, Rich DJ, Schrank TP, Califano JA, Lukens JN, Sun L, Morgan IM, Cohen RB, Lin A, Liu X, Brown EJ, You J, Mirabello L, Mishra SK, Shimunov D, Brody RM, Pearson AT, Gimotty PA, Diab A, Jalaly JB, Basu D Association of oropharyngeal cancer recurrence with tumor-intrinsic and immune-mediated sequelae of reduced genomic instability , bioRxiv, 4: 2024,2024.10.31.621311

Hanna GJ, Jabalee J, Lukens JN, Sun L, Rettig EM, Ferrandino R 2nd, Posner MR, Misiukiewicz KJ, Routman DM, Van Abel KM, Del Vecchio Fitz C, Roof SA Circulating Tumor Tissue Modified Viral (TTMV)-HPV DNA in Recurrent, Metastatic HPV-driven Oropharyngeal Cancer Oral Oncology , Oral Oncology, 158: 2024,107002

Pepin A, Kiess A, Lukens JN, Mulugeta P, Taunk NK. Management of Dry Mouth Toxicity Following 177Lu-PSMA-617 Radioligand Therapy. , Pract Radiat Oncol., S1879-8500(24): 2024,00299-6

Su W, Anstadt EJ, Gupta N, Groover M, Forrester V, Wang X, Krausz A, Schoenfeld J, Koyfman S, Vidimos A, Stevenson M, Carucci J, Ruiz ES, Lukens JN Definitive Radiotherapy is a Viable Treatment for Locally Advanced Basal Cell Carcinoma Otherwise Requiring Radical or Disfiguring Resection , International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics, S0360-3016(24): 2024,03408-4

Patel AM, Haleem A, Maxwell R, Lukens JN, Lin A, Brody RM, Brant JA, Carey RM Choice of Adjuvant Radiotherapy Facility in Major Salivary Gland Cancer , Laryngoscope, 134(8): 2024,3620-3632

Groover M, Gupta N, Granger E, Forrester VJ, Anstadt EJ, Su W, Heusinkveld L, Lukens JN, Silk AW, Schoenfeld JD, Koyfman SA, Vidimos AT, Ruiz ES Patterns of metastasis from a multicenter cohort of metastatic basal cell carcinoma , J Am Acad Dermatol , 90(6): 2024,1252-1254

Bakhtiar M, Butala AA, Berlin EE, Metz JM, Bradley JD, Jones JA, Lukens JN, Paydar I, Taunk NK Factors Associated With and Characteristics of Patients Receiving Proton Therapy at the End of Life , Int J Part Ther , 11: 2024

Schmults CD, Blitzblau R, Aasi SZ, Alam M, Amini A, Bibee K, Bolotin D, Bordeaux J, Chen PL, Contreras CM, DiMaio D, Donigan JM, Farma JM, Ghosh K, Harms K, Ho AL, Lukens JN, Manber S, Mark L, Medina T, Nehal KS, Nghiem P, Olino K, Park S, Patel T, Puzanov I, Rich J, Sekulic A, Shaha AR, Srivastava D, Thomas V, Tomblinson C, Venkat P, Xu YG, Yu S, Yusuf M, McCullough B, Espinosa S NCCN Guidelines® Insights: Merkel Cell Carcinoma, Version 1.2024 , J Natl Compr Canc Netw, 22(1D): 2024