Background
Dr. Robert Kratzke earned his medical degree from the University of Washington School of Medicine. He completed his internal medicine residency at the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics. He then went on to complete his oncology fellowship at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in Bethesda. He performed research with the NCI and the McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research in Madison.
Dr. Kratzke currently practices as a medical oncologist at the University of Minnesota, where he also serves as Professor of Medicine for the
Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Transplantation. His special areas of interest include asbestos-related cancers of lung cancer and mesothelioma.
Dr. Robert Kratzke says he values research because without it, progress will come to a standstill.
Research
Dr. Kratzke says he values research because without it, progress will come to a standstill. His entire research career has been spent studying and creating new diagnostic methods and treatments for lung cancer and mesothelioma. In recent years, Dr. Kratzke has been focused on oncolytic virotherapy, a new therapy for killing cancer cells, for the treatment of mesothelioma and lung cancer.
Dr. Kratzke has led lung cancer and mesothelioma clinical trials through the Alliance for Cancer Clinical Trials. He mentors trainees so that patients with these asbestos-related cancers may continue to benefit from advancements in care.
Rae Steinbach
Lauren Weinand