Peter Mahler
MD, PhD
Clinical Professor - Radiation Oncology
Biography
I am a clinical professor in the Department of Radiation Medicine. In addition to general radiation oncology, I have a strong interest in palliative care. Approximately one half of all radiation oncology patients are treated with palliative intent. A significant fraction of those treated with curative intent develop recurrence months to years after their initial therapy and become palliative patients. Therefore, it is incumbent upon radiation oncologists to have well-honed palliative care skills in order to best serve their patients. I participate in inpatient care with the palliative care team at the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics. This provides residents the opportunity for additional exposure to and training in palliative care.
I also have an interest in normal tissue damage from radiation because it is the dose-limiting factor in radiation therapy. We are in the process of developing an animal model of normal tissue damage to better understand the basic biology of damage progression, which could aid the development of drugs and techniques to minimize the damage.
Research interests
- Palliative Care
- Normal Tissue Damage from Radiation Therapy
Education
- Resident, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Radiation Oncology
- Intern, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Radiation Oncology
- MD, University of Washington, Medicine
- Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Wisconsin–Madison,
- PhD, University of Rochester, Radiation Biology
- MS, University of Illinois, Physics
- BS, Valparaiso University, Physics