About me
Deepak Chander, MD, is a hematologist and medical oncologist at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. He is board-certified in hematology and oncology and specializes in treating cancers of the gastrointestinal tract, including colon cancer, pancreatic cancer, and stomach cancer.
Dr. Chander has an interest in treating neuroendocrine tumors, which typically originate in the small intestine, pancreas, or lungs. As a medical doctor, he treats a range of gastrointestinal cancers with chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy. He believes in using the latest medical therapies to allow patients to experience the best quality of life possible.
Beyond cancer, Dr. Chander believes in taking care of the “whole patient,” including patients’ other medical conditions such as diabetes and hypertension. As cancer patients can present with complex medical needs, he works closely with caregivers and colleagues to ensure that every patient receives the best care for their unique situation. In particular, he has a focus on understanding and minimizing drug toxicity. He believes that advances in medicine can lead to new treatments that reduce the toxicity of cancer drugs and hopes to make clinical trials available to Washington Hospital Center patients.
Dr. Chander was interested in medicine from an early age, driven by scientific curiosity and a desire to care for people. After completing a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from George Washington University in 2006, he earned his Doctor of Medicine from Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans in 2011. Following his studies, Dr. Chander completed a Hematology and Oncology Fellowship at LSU Health Science Center and an Internal Medicine Residency at Ochsner Clinic Foundation and subsequently served in various clinical roles, including as a hospitalist/nocturnist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Holy Spirit Hospital.
Before joining Washington Hospital Center, Dr. Chander practiced as an oncologist at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. In 2024, he moved to the Washington, DC, area to be closer to family. Now, he looks forward to delivering world-class cancer care to the capital’s diverse populations through his work at MedStar Washington Hospital Center.
Dr. Chander is a member of the American College of Physicians, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and the American Society of Hematology. Outside of his professional life, he enjoys traveling but remains a proud New Orleanian, with Mardi Gras, the New Orleans Saints, and his family always close to his heart.
Philosophy of Care
“First and foremost, I believe in having compassion for patients and their experiences, treating the person in front of me rather than just the disease. A cancer diagnosis is intimidating for everyone, and people want to know if they can take a pill, get treatment at home, and carry on with their regular life. I strongly want people to preserve their quality of life while undergoing treatment, so we aim to provide the best options with that in mind.
“I want patients to know that I hear them, that I have their interest at heart, and that the most important thing to me is that they feel their best, mentally and physically. I put patients first and am always happy to collaborate with surgeons, radiologists, and other colleagues to deliver the best care. A happy patient is a happy doctor.”
Clinical areas of focus
- Actinic Keratosis (AK)
- Adrenal Neoplasm
- Genitourinary Cancers
- Prostate Cancer
- Renal Metastases
- Seminoma
- Transitional Cell Carcinoma
Conditions and procedures
Conditions I treat
- Abdominal Cancer
- Actinic Keratosis (AK)
- Adrenal Neoplasm
- Adverse Effects To Anticoagulants
- Amyloidosis
- Anemia
- Anemia And Bone Marrow Disorders
- Anemia Of Chronic Disease
- Antiphospholipid Syndrome
- Antithrombin Deficiency
- Aplastic Anemia
- Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia
- Bleeding Disorder
- Blood Cancer
- Blood Clotting Disorder
- Bone Marrow Disorders
- Bone Marrow Failure Syndromes
- Braf V600e V600k Mutations
- Brain Metastases
- Cancer
- Cancer During Pregnancy
- Cancer Pain
- Cancer Related Fatigue
- Cancer Survivor
- Catastrophic Antiphospholipid Syndrome (CAPS)
- Coagulation Disorders
- Cold Agglutinin Disease
- Cooley Anemia
- Cryoglobulinemia
- Deep Thrombophlebitis
- Deep Vein Thrombosis
- Diamond Blackfan Anemia
- Endocrine Complications Of Cancer Therapy
- Essential Thrombocytosis
- Factor Eight Disorder
- Factor Nine Deficiency
- Factor V Leiden
- Familial Aplastic Anemia
- Fanconi Anemia
- Genitourinary Cancers
- Glucose 6 Phosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency
- Head And Neck Tumors
- Hemochromatosis
- Hemoglobinopathies
- Hemolytic Anemia
- Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome
- Heparin Induced Thrombocytopenia
- Hereditary Cancer Risk
- Hereditary Spherocytosis
- Hypercoagulable State
- Hypogammaglobulinemia
- Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura
- Iron Deficiency Anemia
- Iron Metabolism Disorders
- Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis
- Leukocytosis
- Leukopenia
- Liver Cancer
- Liver Metastases
- Lung Mass
- Lymphopenia
- Malignancies Of The Genitourinary System
- Maternal Hematologic Disorders
- Metastatic Melanoma
- Monoclonal Gammopathy Of Undetermined Significance
- Mucosal Melanoma
- Myelodysplastic Syndrome
- Neutropenia
- Oral Complications Of Cancer
- Pancytopenia
- Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria
- Petechiae
- Platelet Disorder
- Poems Syndrome
- Polycythemia
- Porphyria
- Post Thrombotic Syndrome (PTS)
- Primary Myelofibrosis
- Primary Systemic Amyloidosis
- Prostate Cancer
- Protein C Deficiency
- Protein S Deficiency
- Prothrombin Gene Mutation
- Pulmonary Metastases
- Pure Red Cell Aplasia
- Purpura
- Recurrent Thrombosis
- Red Blood Cell Disorders
- Renal Metastases
- Secondary Polycythemia
- Seminoma
- Side Effects Of Cancer Treatment
- Splenic Sequestration
- Splenomegaly
- Stomach Cancer
- Thalassemia
- Thrombocytopenia
- Thrombocytosis
- Thrombophilia
- Thrombotic Disorders
- Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura
- Transitional Cell Carcinoma
- Venous Occlusive Crisis
- Von Willebrand Disease
- White Blood Cell Disorders
Procedures I perform
- Adjuvant Chemotherapy
- Anticoagulation
- Biological Targeted Therapy
- Blood Transfusion Therapy
- Bone Marrow Biopsy
- Cancer Chemotherapy
- Cancer Genomics
- Chemoradiation
- Clinical Trials
- Early Detection Of Cancer
- Lupus Anticoagulant
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
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- United MD IPA Preferred (POS)
- United MD IPA (HMO)
- Kaiser Permanente Signature-Added Choice
- Kaiser Signature
- Kaiser HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- Kaiser Select-Added Choice
- Kaiser Select
- Kaiser Medicare Plus
- Kaiser Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- Kaiser Flexible Choice
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- HumanaChoice PPO
- HumanaChoice Honor’s plan PPO
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs (HSCSN)
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- Cigna POS/Network POS
- Cigna Indemnity
- Cigna POS Open Access & Open Access Plus
- Cigna Network Open Access
- Cigna HMO Open Access
- Cigna PPO and PPO Plus
- Cigna EPO
- Cigna Choice Fund PPO
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- Innovation Health: Indemnity
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- Innovation Health: PPO
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- Cigna HMO & Network (HMO)
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- WellPoint Maryland
- Virginia Premier
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- United Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan (USFHP)
- Private Health Care Systems (PHCS) (PPO)
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- Police and Fire Clinic
- United Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) & OCI Direct (HMO)
- United Optimum Choice
- United Navigate
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- Innovation Health: Open POS Plus
- Innovation Health: Open POS II
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- Aetna Choice POS & Choice POS II
- Innovation Health: POS Plus
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- Innovation Health: POS
- Aetna Open HMO/Open HMO Option/Open EPO Plus
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA
- Aetna HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- Innovation Health: HMO & EPO Plus
- Aetna Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- Aetna HMO
- Innovation Health: Open Network Only Plus
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- Innovation Health: Network Only Plus
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- Cigna Preferred Medicare
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO) |
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network (VA CCN)
- United Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- United Student Resources
- United Select Plus (POS)
- United Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- United Options (PPO) (includes Empire PPO)
- United Golden Rule
- United GEHA (for all other states) Compass Rose
- D-SNP)
- I-SNP
- United Nursing Home Plan (C-SNP
- United Erickson Advantage Plans
- United Choice Plus
- United Choice
- United Mamsi Life & Health
- United Core Essential (HMO)
- United Group Medicare Advantage Plans
- United AARP Medicare Complete
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- Traditional Medicare Fee for Service
- Medicaid - Virginia
- Medicaid - Maryland
- Medicaid - District of Columbia
- Tricare for Life East
- Tricare Reserve Select
- Tricare East Select
- Tricare East Prime
- First Health PPO
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- Maryland Point of Service Plan (MPOS)
- HealthyBlue PPO
- Federal Employee Program (Std/Basic PPO/Blue Focus)
- CareFirst NASCO
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- CareFirst BC/BS Advantage Core/Enhanced
- CareFirst Blue Card Program (Out-of-area BCBS plans)
- CareFirst Administrators
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- Carefirst BlueChoice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- Carefirst Healthy Blue (HMO/POS)
- Carefirst BlueChoice Opt Out Open Access
- Carefirst BlueChoice Open Access
- Carefirst BlueChoice HMO
- Carefirst EPO
- Carefirst Blue Preferred PPO
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Internal Medicine
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Hematology
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology
Fellowship: Louisiana State University School Of Medicine (2020)
Residency: Ochsner Clinic Foundation (2014)
Medical School: Louisiana State University School of Medicine (2011)