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Ruben Mesa, M.D.
NOTE : If you're an existing patient of Dr. Mesa, please connect via MyChart
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About Me
About Ruben Mesa, M.D.
Dr. Ruben Mesa is the executive director of Mays Cancer Center, home to UT Health San Antonio MD Anderson, one of only four National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers in Texas. For almost 30 years the cancer center has had a deep focus on providing world-class cancer care, advancing cancer research and educating the next generation of cancer care scientists and care providers.
Dr. Mesa’s practice builds on his role as an international expert on myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), a group of bone marrow disorders that often lead to leukemia. He has been involved in MPN research for more than 20 years. He led the development of National Comprehensive Cancer Network’s panel guidelines, the first U.S. guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of myelofibrosis, polycythemia vera and essential thrombocythemia. Dr. Mesa has been the principal investigator or co-principal investigator of more than 70 clinical trials. He co-led the research team leading to the FDA’s approval of ruxolitinib for polycythemia vera and myelofibrosis. He is currently leading the investigation of several other drugs for these types of cancers. Dr. Mesa was elected to sit on the National Board of Directors for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and sits on the board of the MPN Education Foundation.
After earning degrees in nuclear engineering and physiology, with minors in radiation biophysics and bioengineering, from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Dr. Mesa received his medical degree from the Mayo Graduate School at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Rochester, Minnesota. He completed his residency in internal medicine and his fellowship in hematology/medical oncology at Mayo. He is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in hematology and medical oncology.
Dr. Mesa was also named one of Texas Monthly's Super Doctors 2020.
Gender
- Male
Languages Spoken
- English
- Spanish
Ruben Mesa | Hematology
There is an intimacy, a special honor, to be able to help someone and walk with them during one of the most difficult periods in their lives.
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Credentials
Credentials
Positions
- Executive Director of UT Health San Antonio MD Anderson Cancer Center
Certifications
- American Board of Internal Medicine/Medical Oncology
- American Board of Internal Medicine/Hematology
Education
- Medical School: Mayo Medical School
- Residency: Mayo Medical School
- Fellowship: Mayo Medical School
- Graduate School: Mayo Graduate School, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine
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Locations & Contact
Locations & Contact
Dr. Mesa explained my condition very thoroughly and answered any questions I had. He listens so well and really got to know me and my concerns. I felt at ease and that I can trust him and the treatment plan he provided.
Patient
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Research & Publications
Research & Publications
Associations Between Global Mental Health and Response to an App-Based Meditation Intervention in Myeloproliferative Neoplasm Patients
Puzia, M. E., Huberty, J., Eckert, R., Larkey, L., & Mesa, R.
Integrative Cancer Therapies, 19. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534735420927780
Carotenoid Intake and Circulating Carotenoids Are Inversely Associated with the Risk of Bladder Cancer: A Dose-Response Meta-analysis
Wu, S., Liu, Y., Michalek, J. E., Mesa, R. A., Parma, D. L., Rodriguez, R., Mansour, A. M., Svatek, R., Tucker, T. C., & Ramirez, A. G.
(2020). Carotenoid Intake and Circulating Carotenoids Are Inversely Associated with the Risk of Bladder Cancer: A Dose-Response Meta-analysis. Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.), 11(3), 630-643. https://doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmz120
Clinical impact of COVID-19 on patients with cancer (CCC19): a cohort study
COVID-19 and Cancer Consortium
(2020).The Lancet, 395(10241), 1907-1918. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)31187-9
Early post-transplantation factors predict survival outcomes in patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation for myelofibrosis
Jain, T., Kunze, K. L., Mountjoy, L., Partain, D. K., Kosiorek, H., Khera, N., Hogan, W. J., Roy, V., Slack, J. L., Noel, P., Fauble, V. D. S., Leis, J. F., Sproat, L., Tefferi, A., Patnaik, M. M., Mesa, R. A. & Palmer, J., Mar 1 2020, In : Blood Cancer J
Blood Cancer Journal, 10(3), [36]. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41408-020-0302-9
View All Research & Publications
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Clinical Trials
Clinical Trials
Type of Cancer
Breast
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier
NCT03054363
Principal Investigator
Ruben Mesa M.D.
Noninterventional Epigenomic Mapping of CD34+ Cells From Healthy Participants and Patients With Myelofibrosis (MF) and Polycythemia Vera (PV) (CTMS# 17-0149)
This is a noninterventional study in an adult population of men and women with a diagnosis of MF or PV. The study will enroll patients with a diagnosis of PV or MF. Basic demographic information and disease history will be collected. Participants will also be subjected to a physical examination. Viable frozen mononuclear cells (MNCs) will be collected from participants via blood draw (patients…
Type of Cancer
Other Hematopoietic
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier
NCT02953704
Principal Investigator
Ruben Mesa M.D.
Prospective, Longitudinal, Non-Interventional Study of Disease Burden and Treatment of Patients with Low-Risk Myelofibrosis (MF) or High-Risk Essential Thrombocythemia (ET) or ET Patients Receiving ET-Directed Therapy (CTMS# 18-0005)
This is a prospective, longitudinal, noninterventional, study in an adult population (patients 18 years) of men and women who have been diagnosed with select subcategories of either MF or ET. Patients will be enrolled over approximately 24 months and observed for a minimum of 36 months from enrollment. Data from usual-care visits will be collected and abstracted into the electronic data capture…
Type of Cancer
Leukemia, other
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier
NCT03580655
Principal Investigator
Ruben Mesa M.D.
An Open-label, Single Arm, Phase 2 Study to Evaluate Efficacy and Safety of Avapritinib (BLU-285), A Selective KIT Mutation-targeted Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor, in Patients with Advanced Systemic Mastocytosis (CTMS# 18-0071)
<p>This is an open-label, single arm, Phase 2 study evaluating the efficacy and safety of avapritinib (BLU-285) in patients with advanced systemic mastocytosis (AdvSM), including patients with aggressive SM (ASM), SM with associated hematologic neoplasm (SM-AHN), and mast cell leukemia (MCL)</p>
Type of Cancer
Other
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier
NCT04057040
Principal Investigator
Ruben Mesa M.D.
A Phase 2 Study of the Hepcidin Mimetic PTG-300 in Patients with Phlebotomy-Requiring Polycythemia Vera (CTMS# 19-0038)
<p>This is a Phase 2 study with an open-label dose escalation phase followed by a blinded withdrawal phase and an open label extension. The study is designed to monitor the PTG-300 safety profile and to obtain preliminary evidence of efficacy of PTG-300 for the treatment of phlebotomy-requiring polycythemia vera.</p>
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier
ClinicalTrials.gov registration not required
Principal Investigator
Ruben Mesa M.D.
Health Disparities in Hispanics with Acute Leukemia treated at UT Health San Antonio 2000-2016