
Overview
I graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1983 and served as a nuclear-trained officer on board two submarines before shifting to the Navy Medical Corps. Following medical school, I completed Diving Medical Officer training and served as head of diving research at the Naval Medical Research Center. After completing specialty training, I completed my 30+ year Navy career as Head, Radiation Oncology at Naval Medical Portsmouth Virginia. After returning to Duke, I served two years as Medical Director, Danville Center for Radiation Oncology, where I helped introduce technological advances into the clinical setting designed to improve treatment precision while minimizing treatment-related side effects. I joined Duke’s Wake County Radiation Oncology team in June 2017, and see patients in Raleigh and Cary. My clinical focus is on multi-disciplinary treatment of gynecologic, genitourinary, and lower gastrointestinal malignancies, with a focus on quality-of-life through minimizing treatment-related side effects.
Dr. Nelson is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Posterior Fossa Tumor. His top areas of expertise are Prostate Cancer, Familial Prostate Cancer, Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer, and Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer.
His clinical research consists of co-authoring 3 peer reviewed articles and participating in 2 clinical trials. MediFind looks at clinical research from the past 15 years.
Insurance
Accepted insurance can change. Please verify directly with the provider.
Accepted insurance plans:
- EPO
- HMO
- POS
- PPO
- MEDICARE MAPD
- MEDICARE SNP
- OTHER MEDICARE
- OTHER MEDICARE PART D
- EPO
- HMO
- PPO
- EPO
- HMO
- POS
- PPO
- EPO
- HMO
- POS
- PPO
- EPO
- HMO
- PPO
- HMO
- INSURANCE PLAN
- MANAGED MEDICAID PLAN
- MEDICARE MAPD
- MEDICARE PDP
- MEDICARE SNP
- OTHER COMMERCIAL
- OTHER MEDICARE
- OTHER MEDICARE PART D
- PPO
- HMO
- INDEMNITY
- POS
- PPO
- EPO
- POS
- PPO
- OTHER MANAGED MEDICAID
- OTHER MEDICAID
- STATE MEDICAID
- INSURANCE PLAN
- MANAGED MEDICAID PLAN
- MEDICARE MAPD
- MEDICARE PDP
- MEDICARE SNP
- MEDICARE-MEDICAID PLAN
- OTHER MEDICARE PART D
- HMO
- POS
- OTHER COMMERCIAL
- EPO
- HMO
- POS
- PPO
- EPO
- HMO
- INSURANCE PLAN
- MANAGED MEDICAID PLAN
- MEDICARE MAPD
- MEDICARE PDP
- MEDICARE SNP
- MEDICARE-MEDICAID PLAN
- OTHER MEDICARE
- OTHER MEDICARE PART D
Locations
300 Ashville Ave, Cary, NC 27518
Additional Areas of Focus
Dr. Nelson has provided the following conditions as areas of focus. Please note that we may not have enough data to validate their experience in some of these conditions.
Clinical Research
Clinical research consists of overseeing clinical studies of patients undergoing new treatments and therapies, and publishing articles in peer reviewed medical journals. Providers who actively participate in clinical research are generally at the forefront of the fields and aware of the most up-to-date advances in treatments for their patients.
2 Clinical Trials
Duke Cancer Center
I'm a radiation oncologist, and I specialize in treating brain, base of skull and spine tumors, as well as tumors that arise in the body but go to the brain or the spine, as in certain cases of lung, breast and kidney cancer and melanoma. When I meet with a patient, it’s important for me to introduce them and their family to our team of doctors, therapists, nurses and treatment planners. The patient and their family will also become members of this team – truly the most important part - so we can work together to tailor care based on their wants and needs. At Duke, we’ve developed techniques to precisely and accurately treat small, complex lesions and tumors. We can minimize the amount of radiation that goes into normal tissues and at the same time maximize the amount of radiation where it is needed. Our team is geared to delivering every treatment to each patient exactly as planned, especially in complicated and difficult situations. As a patient or a physician, I think there’s no better place to be than Duke. I love my work, feel honored that my patients place their trust in our team and me and work hard to earn that trust. Dr. Kirkpatrick is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Posterior Fossa Tumor. His top areas of expertise are Brain Tumor, Meningioma, Glioma, Astrocytoma, and Gamma Knife Radiosurgery.
Duke Cancer Center Raleigh
Grace Kim is a Radiation Oncologist in Raleigh, North Carolina. Dr. Kim has been practicing medicine for over 18 years and is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Posterior Fossa Tumor. Her top areas of expertise are Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor (PNET), Posterior Fossa Tumor, Pleuropulmonary Blastoma, Metastatic Brain Tumor, and Gamma Knife Radiosurgery.
Duke Cancer Center
Above all, I value relationships with family and friends. I have seen the devastation that brain tumors cause to ruin these vital relationships. Therefore, I strive to eradicate brain tumors with the best patient care I can and hard work in the laboratory. It is my hope that we will effectively fight brain tumors and preserve relationships. Dr. Floyd is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Posterior Fossa Tumor. His top areas of expertise are Brain Tumor, Glioblastoma, Astrocytoma, and Metastatic Brain Tumor.
Areas of Expertise
MediFind evaluates expertise by pulling from factors such as number of articles a doctor has published in medical journals, participation in clinical trials, speaking at industry conferences, prescribing and referral patterns, and strength of connections with other experts in their field.
Learn more about MediFind’s expert tiers
- Distinguished
- Familial Prostate CancerDr. Nelson isDistinguished. Learn about Familial Prostate Cancer.
- Prostate CancerDr. Nelson isDistinguished. Learn about Prostate Cancer.
- Advanced
- Breast CancerDr. Nelson isAdvanced. Learn about Breast Cancer.
- Muscle Invasive Bladder CancerDr. Nelson isAdvanced. Learn about Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer.
- Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer
- Experienced
- Adenoid Cystic CarcinomaDr. Nelson isExperienced. Learn about Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma.
- Adult Soft Tissue SarcomaDr. Nelson isExperienced. Learn about Adult Soft Tissue Sarcoma.
- ALK-Positive Non-Small Cell Lung CancerDr. Nelson isExperienced. Learn about ALK-Positive Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.
- Anal CancerDr. Nelson isExperienced. Learn about Anal Cancer.
- AngiosarcomaDr. Nelson isExperienced. Learn about Angiosarcoma.
- Bone TumorDr. Nelson isExperienced. Learn about Bone Tumor.



