Dr. Petr Hausner

Bio

Petr Hausner, the chief of Hematology and Oncology at the Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center, takes special interest in the current approaches to treating mesothelioma, a disease that affects many of the veterans at his clinic.

As a medical oncologist, Hausner helps the growing number of veterans who develop an asbestos-related disease after exposure on a naval fleet or military base. Hausner also treats mesothelioma patients at the University of Maryland Greenebaum Cancer Center, which boasts a special department for mesothelioma and asbestos-related diseases.

The Greenebaum Cancer Center's mesothelioma program is widely involved with current clinical trials. In a mesothelioma overview article for the University of Maryland, Hausner highlighted the benefits of pemetrexed, a chemotherapeutic drug that has already been shown to have significant success in completed trials. It is currently offered at the center.

Pemetrexed accomplished in a large phase III study a 40% response rate and a 3 month survival advantage compared to cisplatin alone," Hausner explained.

With prior research experience as a fellow at the National Institutes of Health, Hausner has seen many improvements in the clinical approach to mesothelioma, and he is looking forward to further advancements.

"Though slow, there is progress in the understanding of the biology of mesothelioma," Hausner said. Treatments based on previous trials and developed through understanding of ... all the experience oncology has acquired in more common diseases will help to formulate the most burning questions for next clinical trials."