Dr méd. Volker Kirchner

Originating from Bremen, Dr. Volker Kirchner studied at the Faculty of Medicine in Geneva, working for ten years at Geneva University Hospitals (HUG) as Physician-Assistant in medicine, then in oncology and hematology before becoming Assistant Clinic Head. He then started a few months in Fundamental research in Geneva before flying to Harvard University in Boston, where he continued Fellowship training in research for a further three years.

Dr. Kirchner returned to Geneva as Head of Clinic at HUG for one year before returning to the United States. At the onset of the year 2000, he joined the famous Memorial-Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), in New York. He stayed there for a 2-year fellowship in onco-hematology. Since that period, he has kept close ties with the center and created synergies between Clinique de Genolier and MSKCC.

Upon his return to Switzerland, Dr. Kirchner worked for several years at Sonnenhof Hospital in the Lindenhof Group in Bern. After successfully obtaining FMH specialty certification, he joined Clinique de Genolier in 1998, where he set up his practice. Over the years, he has taken on multiple functions alongside his medical practice (Supervising Physician in charge of hemovigilance, pharmacovigilance and material vigilance for Swissmedic, (the Swiss authority for the control of therapeutic products) as well as being involved in Nyon regional politics and taking on further university studies to graduate with a postgraduate degree in Economics and Health Administration at the University of Economics (HEC) of Lausanne, followed by various postgraduate certificates and diplomas, more specifically in the fields of pharmaceutical and palliative care.

More recently, he added the position of Program Director of Genolier Cancer Center (GCC) and Executive Member of the Swiss Medical Network to his multiple functions.

Treatment of anemia in gynecology: use of epoetin in onco-gynecology and gynecological surgery. V. Kirchner and Anemia Working Group. Swiss Medical Journal 15; 14.04.2005

Kirchner, V. Die fortschrittliche Anämiebehandlung in der Gynäkologie. Gynäkologie. 2003; 3: 24-27

Kirchner V. Re-adaptation in medical oncology. Medicine and Hygiene 2000; 58: 1186-92

Kirchner V, Aapro MS, Terrey JP, Alberto P. The cost effectiveness of granisetron compared to metoclopramide with dexamethasone. (Thesis, Geneva Medical School, Medecine et Hygiene, 1997)

Kirchner V, Aapro MS, Terrey J-P, Alberto P. Granisetron compared with granisetron plus dexamethasone. A double-blind cross-over study (European Journal of Cancer. 33(10):1605-10, 1997)

Kirchner V, Aapro MS. Evaluating the Cost-Effectiveness of New Drugs: the "Setrons" as an Example. European School of Oncology Monographs, 1996

Aapro MS, Kirchner V, Terrey JP. Is anticipatory nausea and vomiting a thing of the past.  Br J Cancer 1994 May;69(5):957-60

Joss R.A., Bacchi M., Buser K., Kirchner V., et al.(In behalf of the Swiss Groupe for Clinical Cancer Research, SAKK). Antiemetic efficacy of ondansetron plus dexamethasone is superior to ondansetron alone in naive and in patients refractory to other agents. Ann Oncol 1994 Mar;5(3):253-8

Kirchner V, Aapro MS, Alberto P, O'Grady P., Busch B, Boyce M. Phase I trial of MDL 73.147 EF: a new 5-HT3 receptor antagonist for the prevention of chemotherapy- induced nausea and vomiting. Ann Oncol 1993 June; 4(6): 481-4

Kirchner V. Pragmatic approaches to measuring costs. Anticancer Drugs 1993 Dec;4 Suppl 3:13-20

Beris Ph, Darbellay R, Jeannet M, Kirchner V, Miescher PA. A new case of the initiation codon mutation (ATG-ACG) in a Swiss family is the result of a recent spontaneous mutation.  Am J Hematol 1993 Mar;42(3):248-53

Kirchner V., Aapro MS, Terrey J-P., (for the Swiss study group on Granisetron). Anti-emetic efficiency of Granisetron: an experiment in Switzerland. Medicine and Hygiene 1993; 51: 1510-1514

Aapro M, Achille E, Bolle J-F, Graber P, Keim D, Kirchner V, Kurtz J, Marin J-L, Rohner S. L'association MIVIP-radiothérapie bifractionnée dans les cancers infiltrants de la vessie.  Bulletin de la Société Francaise de Cancérologie privée, 1993; 25-34