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John W. Kugler, M.D.
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Education
He attended the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa, the University of North Dakota College of Medicine and the University of Nebraska College of Medicine. His internship and residency were done in internal medicine at the University of Iowa. This was followed by fellowships in bone marrow transplant, hematology and oncology at the University of Iowa.
Medical Specialties
Areas of specialty within practice: breast, lymphoma and bone marrow transplant
Board Certification
Bone Marrow Transplant, Hematology, Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology
Work History
After practicing two years at the Billings Clinic in Billings, Montana, Dr. Kugler moved to Peoria, Illinois.
When did you join Illinois CancerCare?
1986
Illinois CancerCare Clinic Affiliation
Bloomington, Eureka and Peoria
Family Information
He was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and now resides in Peoria with his wife, Becky, and his children: Nathan, 23, a first-year medical student at Southern Illinois University; Erin, 20, a third-year nursing student at Illinois Wesleyan University; and Tyler, 17, a senior at Notre Dame High School.
Hobbies/Interests
Ponds and water gardening, men’s league hockey, Harley-Davidson cross-country touring, photography, easy-listening jazz/classical music and elk/moose/deer hunting
What medical change has impacted the field of cancer the most since you began practicing medicine?
“I think the ever-increasing understanding of cancer cell biology and the molecular level and the development of molecular targeting agent cancer therapies has been the biggest change impacting the practice of oncology in my career.”
Why did you choose oncology?
“I chose oncology because it was one of the most academically challenging subspecialties that integrated infectious disease, pulmonary, nephrology, cardiology, neurology and gastroenterology. It was rewarding to be able to significantly help people, whether curable or incurable, in a way that had a tremendous impact on their quality of life and their emotional well-being.”
Why did you choose Peoria, Illinois, to practice when you could have gone anywhere in the country?
“I chose Peoria because it offered me the opportunity to join a single subspecialty group that was high-quality, was very involved in clinical research, offered me the opportunity to develop a bone marrow transplant program in a private practice setting and was in a great community with solid Midwest values. It additionally provided a superb medical community around me that allowed me to practice state-of-the-art oncology.”
Do you have any advice to give patients after they have been diagnosed with cancer?
“My advice to patients with newly diagnosed cancer is: 1) get the facts, and don’t give up hope; 2) find a medical oncologist who is willing to spend whatever amount of time with you that is necessary to give you the facts in a compassionate fashion, who will carefully explain your treatment options and the goals of treatment, who is involved in clinical research and who will take the extra time to explain clinical research trials that you may be eligible for; and 3) find someone who will be compassionately frank and honest with you and who will provide realistic hope.” |
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