Hematology and Oncology

Rafael Santana-Davila, MD

Assistant Professor of Medicine

Dr. Rafael Santana-Davila joined the Medical College of Wisconsin as an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology and Oncology in 2010. Dr. Santana-Davila's main clinical interests are in breast cancer and lung cancer. His clinical interests are focused on the development of clinical trials to establish new therapies to improve the life of people living with cancer. He also practices medicine in the Department of Hematology/Oncology at the Clement J. Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Originally from Mexico, Dr. Santana-Davila completed medical school at Anahuac University in 2001, and then completed an internal medicine residency at the University of Minnesota and a fellowship in hematology and oncology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He has authored numerous publications, including journal articles and meeting abstracts.

Dr. Santana-Davila's main goal in the treatment of patients with cancer is to be a member of a multidisciplinary team that provides state of the art care in the most compassionate way for each individual patient.

Selected Publications

1. Santana-Davila R, Perez EA. Treatment Options for Patients with Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. J Hematol Oncol 2010;3:42. In Press
2. Steensma DP, Neiger JD, Porcher JC, et al. Rearrangements and amplification of IER3 (IEX-1) represent a novel and recurrent molecular abnormality in myelodysplastic syndromes. Cancer Res 2009;69:7518-23.
3. Chen D, Hoyer JD, Ketterling RP, et al. Dysgranulopoiesis is an independent adverse prognostic factor in chronic myeloid disorders with an isolated interstitial deletion of chromosome 5q. Leukemia 2009;23:796-800.
4. Tiedemann RE, Gonzalez-Paz N, Kyle RA, et al. Genetic aberrations and survival in plasma cell leukemia. Leukemia 2008;22:1044-52.
5. Santana-Davila R, Tefferi A, Holtan SG, et al. Primary myelofibrosis is the most frequent myeloproliferative neoplasm associated with del(5q):clinicopathologic comparison of del(5q)-positive and -negative cases. Leuk Res2008;32:1927-30.
6.  Santana-Davila R, Holtan SG, Dewald GW, et al. Chromosome 5q deletion: specific diagnoses and cytogenetic details among 358 consecutive cases from a single institution. Leuk Res 2008 2008;32:407-11.
7. Holtan SG, Santana-Davila R, Dewald GW, et al. Myelodysplastic syndromes associated with interstitial deletion of chromosome 5q: clinicopathologic correlations and new insights from the pre-lenalidomide era. Am J Hematol 2008;83:708-13.
8. Chng WJ, Winkler JM, Greipp PR, et al. Ploidy status rarely changes in myeloma patients at disease progression. Leuk Res 2006;30:266-71.
9. Chng WJ, Santana-Davila R, Van Wier SA, et al. Prognostic factors for hyperdiploid-myeloma: effects of chromosome 13 deletions and IgH translocations. Leukemia 2006;20:807-13.
10. Chng WJ, Ahmann GJ, Henderson K, et al. Clinical implication of centrosome amplification in plasma cell neoplasm. Blood 2006;107:3669-75.
11. Chng WJ, Van Wier SA, Ahmann GJ, et al. A validated FISH trisomy index demonstrates the hyperdiploid and nonhyperdiploid dichotomy in MGUS. Blood 2005;106:2156-61.
12. Santana-Davila R, Martinez C. Quality of medical education in Mexico. Lancet 2004;363:329-30.
13. Fonseca R, Debes-Marun CS, Picken EB, et al. The recurrent IgH translocations are highly associated with nonhyperdiploid variant multiple myeloma. Blood 2003;102:2562-7.