St. Vincentius Hospital Karlsruhe-Academic Hospital of the University of Freiburg
Department of Hematology, Oncology, Immunology and Palliative Care (333810)

Christian Meyer zum Büschenfelde
Specialized in: hematology, oncology, immunology, palliative care
About the Department of Hematology, Oncology, Immunology and Palliative Care at St. Vincentius Hospital Karlsruhe-Academic Hospital of the University of Freiburg
The Department of Hematology, Oncology, Immunology and Palliative Care at the St. Vincentius Hospital-Academic Hospital of the University of Freiburg specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of patients suffering from blood diseases, oncological and immunological diseases. Palliative medicine also belongs to the main directions of the department. The head of the department Prof. Dr. Christian Meyer zum Büschenfelde.
The department specializes in the treatment of oncological diseases. Classical chemotherapy with cytotoxic drugs (cytotoxins) is offered here. With the knowledge of the metabolism of cancer cells, doctors managed to use these drugs to kill cancer cells without harming the healthy cells of the body. Thus, chemotherapy helps maintain a satisfactory quality of life for the patient and improves the result of treatment. Chemotherapy or chemotherapy in combination with radiation therapy is used to treat leukemia (blood cancer), malignant lymphoma (cancer of the lymph nodes), some forms of lung cancer, ovarian cancer, testicle and anal cancer. In the treatment of other cancers, subsequent chemotherapy (after surgery) is performed, which can significantly reduce the risk of recurrence, for example, in colon cancer, stomach cancer, breast cancer or bladder cancer. In some cases, chemotherapy and radiotherapy are performed before surgery so that the intervention is less extensive, more sparing and more successful, for example, in some forms of lung, breast and rectal cancer.
Targeted therapy is also an excellent method of treating cancer. Compared with classical chemotherapy, it has fewer side effects. A striking example of this is the use of targeted therapy for chronic myeloid leukemia, which today is perfectly treatable with inhibitors of tyrosine kinase ABL.
The department performs histological and genetic studies that help to identify subgroups of cancer. Thus, patients have the opportunity for more focused, and therefore more effective treatment.
When a person is diagnosed with a malignant disease or a blood disease, he/she experiences a severe emotional shock. All staff of the department, social workers and psychological support services try to help patients and support them. Individual consultations and conversations are held for this purpose. In addition, the department provides advice to a qualified psychotherapist.
The department has a variety of surgical units, which perform operations on the digestive organs, chest cavity, vessels, as well as traumatological, orthopedic operations, reconstructive operations of the musculoskeletal system, surgical treatment of eye diseases and ENT organs.
The radiation therapy unit is equipped with instruments of gamma and electron radiation, stereotactic radiotherapy. Intracavitary irradiation and brachytherapy are performed here as well. Three-dimensional computed tomography is used to determine the irradiation zone.
The spectrum of services of the department covers the treatment of the following diseases:
Hematology (blood diseases)
- Anemia
- Leukocyte disorder (weakening of the immune system, leukemia)
- Thrombocyte disorders (tendency to bleed)
- Malignant tumors, eg, plasmacytoma, Hodgkin's disease and malignant lymphoma (lymph node cancer)
Oncology
- Lung cancer
- Cancer of the gastrointestinal tract, including pancreas
- Kidney Cancer
- Bladder cancer
- Breast cancer and many others
Immunology
- Diseases that weaken the immune system
- Diseases in which the immune system works to the detriment of the body (eg some forms of rheumatism)
Photo of the doctor: (c) ViDia Kliniken Karlsruhe
Curriculum vitae of Prof. Dr. med. Christian Meyer zum Büschenfelde
Higher Education and Professional Career
- 1988 - 1990 Medical studies at the Christian Albrecht University of Kiel.
- 1990 - 1994 Medical studies at the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz.
- October 1994 Admission to medical practice.
- 1994 - 1996 Resident, focus on Immunology and Microbiology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine in Hamburg.
- 1996 - 1997 Assistant Physician, focus on Immunology and Microbiology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine in Hamburg.
- 1997 - 2001 Assistant Physician, Department of Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Rechts der Isar Munich.
- 2001 - 2003 Research Fellow at Yale University, New Haven.
- 2003 - 2006 Assistant Physician, Department of Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Rechts der Isar Munich.
- November 2005 Board certification in Internal Medicine.
- December 2005 Habilitation, Technical University of Munich.
- 2007 - 2008 and 2010 Attending Physician, Department of Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Rechts der Isar Munich.
- 2008 Certified by the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO).
- November 2009 Board certification in Hematology and Oncology.
- September 2010 - March 2017 Attending Physician, Department of Hematology and Oncology, Asklepios Hospital Altona, Hamburg.
- March 2012 Extraordinary Professorship, Technical University of Munich.
- 2013 and 2018 Medical Oncologist's Recertification Approval (MORA) of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO).
- September 2016 Specialization in Palliative Care.
- 2017 Guidelines for Good Clinical Practice (ICH GCP) training.
- Since April 2017 Chief Physician of the Department of Hematology, Oncology, Immunology and Palliative Care, St. Vincentius Hospital Karlsruhe-Academic Hospital of the University of Freiburg.
Photo of the doctor: (c) ViDia Kliniken Karlsruhe
Department of Hematology, Oncology, Immunology and Palliative Care.
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