Michael Bamberg has a high reputation in the field of radiation oncology, specializing for example on brain tumors, soft tissue sarcoma, testicular tumors, breast cancer and prostate cancer. Here he made important contributions to the further development of precise methods of radiotherapy which eliminate the tumor while sparing healthy tissue, for example by stereotactic precision radiotherapy, intensity modulated radiotherapy and combined radio- and chemotherapy.

As President of the German Cancer Society from 2004 until 2008, he played an important role in improving structures of health care in oncology, especially by the establishment of cancer centers and the development of interdisciplinary treatment guidelines.