Peter George Chikes

I was initially fascinated by the science of the human body and how it interacts with the world. As I went through training, I became more interested in the personal experiences of illness and learning how medicine can help improve the quality of our lives. Ultimately, I chose to specialize in hospice and palliative medicine to focus on improving the lives of patients with serious illness. I am particularly interested in end of life care and hospice, as well as how we can better deliver care in the community to serve patients outside of the hospital. In palliative care, one of our roles is to better understand a patient’s own goals and values so that we can help them receive the health care that best aligns with those goals and values. My approach is to listen to what matters most to my patients, and then work within our health care system to try and help them achieve that. Outside of work, I love exploring the many hiking trails and parks we have in our state.

My area of practice and expertise is in managing non-cancer blood disorders, specifically sickle cell disease and thalassemia.

My research and clinical work focus on the care of patients with all types of Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma including cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (mycosis fungoides). This is a job I love. On my clinic days, I am fortunate to have the opportunity to see many wonderful patients and their families while working hard to help them through the difficult process of getting diagnosed and treated with cancer. Then, on the non-clinic days, I can use my intellectual side as I continue to work for my patients by conducting research to find ways to better treat and cure lymphoma.