Afshin A. Safa, MD
Accepting new patients

Afshin A. Safa, MD

  • Radiation Oncology
El Segundo Radiation Oncology |
860 North Park View Drive El Segundo, CA 90245
310-794-7301
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About

Dr. Safa is a Professor of Radiation Oncology at UCLA and Medical Director of the Harold and Carole Pump Radiation Oncology Department at Northridge Hospital Medical Center for >26 years.  Recognized in Super Doctors® and Best Doctors in America for over two decades, Dr. Safa is consistently rated among the top physicians by his patients, with hundreds of five‑star online reviews highlighting his ability to explain complex information clearly, listen attentively with empathy, and provide compassionate, patient‑centered care. Dr. Safa has years of expertise mentoring residents, fellows, and junior faculty, with a particular focus on preparing physicians for sustainable, fulfilling careers within complex healthcare systems.  Dr. Safa developed and still leads an innovative multi-year educational curricula for medical residents to address gaps in traditional medical education, yet are essential for success and resilience in any career in health care: the business of medicine, healthcare systems, financial literacy, professionalism, communication, and physician well‑being.   Dr. Safa graduated from UCLA with a degree in Electrical Engineering before receiving his MD from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine. 

Professional Societies:

  • Chair, Code Utilization Committee - American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO)
  • Past President - Los Angeles Radiological Society (LARS)

Languages

English

Education

Medical Board Certification

Radiation Oncology, American Board of Radiology, 2000

Residency

Radiation Oncology, UCLA Dept of Radiation Oncology, 2000

Internship

Internal Medicine, UCSD Department of Medicine, 1996

Degree

MD, UC San Diego School of Medicine, 1995

Recognitions

Locations

Hospital Affiliations

Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center

Medical Services

Breast Cancer Care

Research

Interests

  • Brachytherapy for Skin Cancer
  • Breast Cancer
  • Stereotactic Radiosurgery
  • Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy 
  • Respiratory Motion Management
  • Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT)
  • Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT)

Publications

  1. Ziegler T, Safa A, Roberts AC, Valji K. Prolonging the Life of Difficult Hemodialysis Access Using Thrombolysis, Angiography , and Angioplasty. Advances in Renal Replacement Therapy 1995; 2(1): 52-59.
  2. Safa A, Sartoris D. Radiologic Identification of Ewing's Sarcoma. The Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery 1996; 35 (2): 173-177.
  3. Safa A, Valji K, Roberts AC, Ziegler TW, Hye R, Oglevie SB. Detection and Treatment of Dysfunctional Hemodialysis Access Grafts: Effect of a Surveillance Program on Graft Patency and the Incidence of Thrombosis. Radiology 1996; 199(3): 653-7.
  4. Safa A, Reese DM, Carter DM, Phillipson J, Smith R, Dougherty S. Undetectable Serum Prostate-Specific Antigen Associated with Metastatic Prostate Cancer: A Case Report and Review of the Literature. American Journal of Clinical Oncology 1998; 21(4): 323-326.
  5. Weng E, Rege S, Safa A, Sadeghi A, Juillard G, Mark R, Santiago S, Brown C, Mandelken M, Tran L; “Accuracy and clinical impact of mediastinal lymph node staging with FDG-PET imaging in potentially resectable lung cancer.” IJROBP, 1998, 42(1) Supplement: 332. Radiology, 1998, 209(P) Supplement: 163-164.
  6. McNamara TO, Safa A, Rege S, So G, Morrison H, Withers HR. External Beam Radiation Following Balloon Angioplasty to Prevent Restenosis in Periperal Vessels - Pilot Clinical Trial. Radiology, 1998, 209(P) Supplement: 163-164.
  7. Safa A, Tran L, Rege S, Brown CV, Mandelkern MA, Wang MB, Sadeghi A, Juillard G. The Role of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) in Unknown Primaries of Head and Neck Cancers. The Cancer Journal of Scientific American 1999; 5(4): 214-218.
  8. Weng E, Rege S, Safa A, Sadeghi A, Juillard G, Mark R, Santiago S, Brown C, Mendelkern M, Tran L. Accuracy and Clinical Impact of Mediastinal Lymph Node Staging with FDG-PET Imaging in Potentially Resectable Lung Cancer. American Journal of Clinical Oncology 2000, 23(1):47-52.
  9. Rege S, Safa A, Chaiken L, Hoh C, Juillard G, Withers HR. Positron Emission Tomography: An Independent Indicator of Radiocurability in Head and Neck Carcinomas. American Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2000; 23(2): 164-169.
  10. Lee JT, Chen P, Safa A, Juillard G, Calcaterra TC ; The role of radiation in the treatment of advanced juvenile angiofibroma. Laryngoscope. 2002 Jul;112(7 Pt 1): 1213-20
  11. Vongtama R, Safa A, Gallardo D, Calcaterra T, Juillard G. Efficacy of radiation therapy in the local control of desmoplastic malignant melanoma. Head Neck. 2003 Jun; 25(6): 423-8.
  12. Nzhde Agazaryan, Phillip Chow, .. Safa A   “The Timeliness Initiative: Continuous Process Improvement for Prompt Initiation of Radiotherapy Treatment” Advances in Radiation Oncology,     March 2020.
  13. Safa, AA; Courtney PT;  Steinberg, ML (2025) Teaching Financial Fitness: Integrating a Financial Literacy Curriculum into Radiation Oncology Residency. Cureus. 2025 Sep; 17(9):e91913.

In the News

  • Radio -KIEV 870AM - Radio Talk Show-  Invited speaker on Prostate Cancer Screening 9/18/2000

  • Television - KABC-7 – TV News   Management of Brain Tumors -May 2002

  • Daily News- Newspaper- Management of Brain Tumors -May 2002

  • Television- TeleMundo – International Spanish Television Breast Cancer Awareness month 10/27/03 - 10/31/03

  • Radio- KIRN 670AM – Persian Radio Talk Show -Invited speaker on cancer management. 5/14/04

  •  Television -KCBS Channel 2 – TV News Esophageal Cancer and Reflux disease -10/10/2005

  •  Radio -KIEV 870AM - Radio Talk Show -  Esophageal Cancer and Reflux disease -10/11/2005

  •  San Fernando Valley Business Journal -Valley Healthcare Leaders- Health Care Rising Star. 12/19/05

  • Radio -KFWB- News 980 AM- Prostate Cancer. 3/16/09                          

  • Radio -KFWB- NEWS 980 AM  Melanoma treatment. 8/26/10           

  • Radio -KFWB- NEWS 980 AM Radiation exposure with the nuclear accident in Japan 3/15/2011

  •  Radio -KFWB- NEWS 980 AM- Iodine dangers and the rush to purchase in the event of a nuclear disaster 3/17/2011

  • Radio -KFWB- NEWS 980 AM- Radiation effects on the food chain 3/18/2011

  •  Television (LIVE) -KCAL Channel 9/ CBS News 3/17/2011 Featured LIVE at 8pm, 9pm and 10pm.  Answered questions from Channel 9 TV viewers on general radiation and radiation poisoning in response to the nuclear disaster in Japan.  Posted on http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2011/03/18/your-radiation-questions-answered/

  • Radio -KFWB- NEWS 980 AM   Radiation effects on the food chain 3/18/2011- Radio -KFWB- NEWS 980 AM 4/27/2011  Dangers of Tanning Salons and risk of skin cancer in young adults.

  • Television KTLA Channel 5 – TV News-3/6/2013 Valerie Harper and Leptomeningeal carcinomatosis

  • Television Entertainment Tonight 11/3/15 Brooks Ayers Cancer Treatment

  • San Fernando Valley Business Journal - Advances in Skin Cancer treatment – Leipzig Brachytherapy 7/2019

  • San Fernando Valley Business Journal -  Advances in Skin Cancer treatment – Leipzig Brachytherapy. 7/27/2021

  • Northridge Hospital Cancer Center Website 10/2022  Two  new Videos featuring breast cancer survivors and the cancer center. https://www.dignityhealth.org/socal/locations/northridgehospital/services/cancer-center

  • Eat This, Not That!  EatThis.com 10/31/22  pancreatic cancer  https://www.eatthis.com/most-people-who-have-pancreatic-cancer-feel-this-symptom-first/

  • Eat This, Not That! EatThis.com 11/2/22 Liver cancer and symptoms to watch out for.  https://www.eatthis.com/im-a-doctor-signs-you-have-liver-cancer/

  • Eat This, Not That! EatThis.com 12/7/22 Kirstie Alley Has Died of Colon Cancer  https://www.eatthis.com/news-kirstie-alley-died-of-colon-cancer-know-the-signs/

  • CBS Inside SoCal Segment on the Northridge Cancer Center Sunday 4/30/23 :  https://f.io/gF_Fl3eB CBS2 broadcast TV  and  CBS News Los Angeles KCAL9 broadcast TV   kcalnews.com/insidesocal

  • North Valley News - Skin Cancer Deaths Rise with Climate Change 8/7/23  https://valleynewsgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/NVN.pdf 

  • Valley News Group (5 publications): Colon Cancer and Princess Kate Cancer: 8/3/23 and 3/28/24  https://valleynewsgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/WCN.pdf 

  • Northridge Hospital Fundraising Video for 25th Anniversary of the Harold and Carol Pump Foundation supporting the cancer center- raising $10.5M over 25 years. https://www.supportnorthridge.org/why-giving-matters/donor-recognition/harold-and-carole-pump-foundation

  • Podcast for Society of Radiation Oncology Administrators (SROA) on Teaching Financial Literacy to UCLA Radiation Oncology residents  12/1/25  https://www.sroa.org/podcast/2025-podcast/

  • Afshin Safa, MD, FACR | Northridge Hospital Cancer Center Video

Insurance

  • Aetna
  • Anthem Blue Cross
  • Blue Shield of California
  • Centivo
  • Cigna
  • First Health
  • Health Net of California
  • Interplan (part of HealthSmart)
  • Medicare Advantage
  • MultiPlan
  • UFCM Health System
  • Prime Health Services
  • Private Healthcare Systems (PHCS)
  • TRICARE
  • UnitedHealthcare

The list of health care plans above may not be comprehensive and could change. 
Please contact your benefits coordinator or health insurance company directly to verify coverage.

Visit our health insurance information page for more details.

Recognitions

  • Super Doctors® Southern California, 2023-2026
  • Best Doctors in America, 2013 - 2014
  • Super Doctors® Southern California, 2010- 2013
  • Listed in Preeminent Women’s Health Doctors, LA Magazine 2012
  • Best Doctors in America, 2007 - 2010
  • “Top Healthcare Professional in the Valley”. San Fernando Valley Business Journal, 2006
  • Los Angeles Radiological Society Award for Contribution to the Growth & Development of the society, 2006
  • Best Doctors in America, 2003 - 2006

Links