About me
Michael B. Atkins, MD, is deputy director of the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Scholl Professor and vice chair of the Department of Medical Oncology at Georgetown University Medical Center. He is an internationally recognized expert in the management of patients with high-risk and metastatic melanoma or kidney cancer.
Dr. Atkins co-directs the Melanoma Center at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and the Melanoma Research Program within the MedStar Georgetown Cancer Institute. In addition, he leads kidney cancer research within the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Center and the MedStar Health system. He is a world-renowned expert in clinical and translational research in both of these patient populations, having led the Kidney Cancer Program and co-led the Melanoma Program at the Dana Farber Harvard Cancer Center for over a decade each, until his departure for Georgetown Lombardi in 2012. Dr. Atkins is also one of the leading authorities in cancer immunotherapy, having been a founding member and leader of the Cytokine Working Group, and leader of the Georgetown Lombardi Cancer Immunotherapy Interest Group. He has led major multi-investigator clinical and translational research efforts in melanoma and kidney cancer that have uncovered critical biology of these diseases, led to the FDA approval of over 20 new treatments, and have completely revolutionized the treatment and the prognosis for patients. He continues to lead cutting-edge research projects that promise to further advance the care and outlook for patients with these diseases.
Dr. Atkins is also an international authority in the management of patients with either melanoma or kidney cancer. He edits the melanoma, kidney cancer and immunotherapy sections for UpToDate®, the universally available on-line medical textbook, and is co-editor of the fifth and 6th editions of the textbook Cutaneous Melanoma. He serves on the Board of the Directors and co-chairs the Scientific Advisory Council of the Melanoma Research Foundation, is Chair of the Melanoma Research Alliance Medical Advisory Panel, and is a past member of the nominating committee for the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the NIH Recombinant DNA Advisory Council. He is also past president of the Society for the Immunotherapy of Cancer. He has published over 500 scientific and review articles, co-edited five books, and given over 700 lectures worldwide.
Dr. Atkins is board certified in internal medicine and medical oncology. For over 30 years, Dr. Atkins has treated patients with advanced melanoma and kidney cancers. He believes that too many patients follow the initial advice they receive, and always encourages patients to seek a second opinion from subject matter experts to establish a comprehensive treatment plan before starting therapy. This will maximize their chances of receiving the optimal approach to their disease and determine if they are eligible for cutting-edge clinical trials. Dr. Atkins’ approach to patients is to always focus on the opportunities for cure, utilizing novel therapies like immune therapy and the timely integration of multidisciplinary care (meaning teams of physicians from medical oncology, surgery, and radiation oncology all work together to develop a unique treatment plan.) With many new therapies available – and even better ones in development – patients with widely metastatic disease have the opportunity for long-term, disease-free, and subsequent treatment-free survival, enabling them to return to their normal lives.
Clinical areas of focus
- Melanoma
Conditions and procedures
Conditions I treat
- Abdominal Cancer
- Basal Cell Carcinoma
- Cancer
- Cancer During Pregnancy
- Cancer Pain
- Cancer Related Fatigue
- Cancer Survivor
- Endocrine Complications Of Cancer Therapy
- Head And Neck Tumors
- Hereditary Cancer Risk
- Liver Cancer
- Liver Metastases
- Lung Mass
- Melanoma
- Merkel Cell Carcinoma
- Oral Complications Of Cancer
- Pulmonary Metastases
- Side Effects Of Cancer Treatment
- Skin Cancer
- Squamous Cell Carcinoma
- Squamous Cell Carcinoma Of The Skin
- Stomach Cancer
Procedures I perform
- Adjuvant Chemotherapy
- Biological Targeted Therapy
- Cancer Chemotherapy
- Cancer Genomics
- Chemoradiation
- Early Detection Of Cancer
Practice locations
Distance from Change LocationEnter your Location
3800 Reservoir Road Northwest Lombardi Cancer Center Washington, DC, 20007
202-444-2223Fax 202-444-1229
Insurance
MedStar Health accepts most major health insurance plans. If you are uncertain as to whether your individual health insurance plan is accepted at MedStar Health, please call your insurance company.
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List of insurance plans we accept
- I-SNP
- Tricare Reserve Select
- Carefirst Blue Preferred PPO
- Kaiser Select-Added Choice
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- United Golden Rule
- Carefirst Healthy Blue (HMO/POS)
- Kaiser Permanente Signature-Added Choice
- United Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- Cigna EPO
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs (HSCSN)
- United MD IPA Preferred (POS)
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- WellPoint Maryland
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- United Mamsi Life & Health
- United Choice Plus
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- United Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- Cigna HMO & Network (HMO)
- United GEHA (for all other states) Compass Rose
- Kaiser Select
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- Tricare East Prime
- Carefirst BlueChoice Opt Out Open Access
- Medicaid - Virginia
- Innovation Health: Open POS II
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- Aetna HMO
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- Virginia Premier
- HumanaChoice Honor’s plan PPO
- CareFirst Administrators
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- Tricare East Select
- CareFirst NASCO
- Kaiser Signature
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- Innovation Health: PPO
- Kaiser HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- Carefirst BlueChoice Open Access
- Aetna Choice POS & Choice POS II
- Innovation Health: POS
- Cigna Choice Fund PPO
- Medicaid - District of Columbia
- United AARP Medicare Complete
- Cigna Network Open Access
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- United Group Medicare Advantage Plans
- Federal Employee Program (Std/Basic PPO/Blue Focus)
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- HealthyBlue PPO
- United Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- Innovation Health: Network Only Plus
- United Optimum Choice
- Carefirst BlueChoice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- United Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) & OCI Direct (HMO)
- United Options (PPO) (includes Empire PPO)
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network (VA CCN)
- Innovation Health: Indemnity
- Innovation Health: POS Plus
- Employee Health Plan (EHP)
- United Erickson Advantage Plans
- Cigna HMO Open Access
- Carefirst EPO
- Kaiser Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- D-SNP)
- Police and Fire Clinic
- Traditional Medicare Fee for Service
- Cigna PPO and PPO Plus
- Aetna Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- Innovation Health: Open Network Only Plus
- CareFirst BC/BS Advantage Core/Enhanced
- Carefirst BlueChoice HMO
- Beech Street PPO
- Medicaid - Maryland
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- Private Health Care Systems (PHCS) (PPO)
- Aetna HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- Maryland Point of Service Plan (MPOS)
- United Choice
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- United Nursing Home Plan (C-SNP
- Cigna POS/Network POS
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- Innovation Health: HMO & EPO Plus
- Cigna Preferred Medicare
- HumanaChoice PPO
- CareFirst Blue Card Program (Out-of-area BCBS plans)
- Kaiser Flexible Choice
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO) |
- United Navigate
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- Innovation Health: Open POS Plus
- Tricare for Life East
- United Select Plus (POS)
- United MD IPA (HMO)
- Cigna Indemnity
- Kaiser Medicare Plus
- Aetna Open HMO/Open HMO Option/Open EPO Plus
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- United Core Essential (HMO)
- Cigna POS Open Access & Open Access Plus
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan (USFHP)
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- United Student Resources
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- First Health PPO
Videos
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Internal Medicine
Fellowship Program: New England Medical Center (1987)
Fellowship Program: Tufts Medical Center (1987)
Residency Program: New England Medical Center (1984)
Medical School: Tufts University School of Medicine (1980)