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
- Adjuvant Hormone Therapy
- Cancer Treatment Monitoring
- Melanoma Treatment
- Neoadjuvant Therapy
- Prolotherapy Infusions
- Vaccinations
Procedures I perform
- A1c Testing
- Adjuvant Hormone Therapy
- Antiangiogenic Therapy
- Blood Cell Count
- Blood Chemistry Test
- Blood Transfusion
- Bone Cancer Staging
- Bone Density Scan
- Brca Gene Testing
- Cancer Immunotherapy
- Cancer Risk Assessment
- Cancer Treatment
- Cancer Treatment Monitoring
- Cancer Treatment Sensitivity Testing
- Chemotherapy Administration
- Clinical Trials
- Computed Tomography
- Dopamine Therapy
- Esophageal Cancer Diagnosis
- Flow Immunophenotyping
- Genetic Counseling
- Hepatic Artery Infusion
- Hormone Replacement Therapy
- Immunohistochemistry Staining
- Immunotherapy
- Intravenous (IV) Fluids
- Investigational Liver Transplant Therapies
- Kidney Function Test
- Killer Cell Therapy
- Liquid Biopsy
- Liver Biopsy
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
- Melanoma Resection
- Melanoma Treatment
- Neoadjuvant Therapy
- Oncology Consultation
- Pathology Consultation
- Pet-Ct Scan
- Pharmacogenomics
- Polymerase Chain Reaction
- Prolotherapy Infusions
- Proteomic Testing
- Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography
- Skin Cancer Treatment
- Tumor Marker Testing
- Vaccinations
- Wide Local Excision
- X-Ray
Practice locations
Distance from Change Location Enter your Location
3800 Reservoir Rd NW
Lombardi Cancer Center
Washington, DC, 20007
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
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- Choice POS II
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- Beech Street PPO
- Navigate
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- POS OA
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- CIGNA Indemnity
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- Tricare Reserve Select
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- Choice POS II Open Access
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- IH-Open HMO
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- IH-Open HMO Option
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- CareFirst NASCO
- CIGNA EPO
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- TRICARE East Prime
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- IH-Indemnity
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- CareFirst EPO
- Network OA
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- Choice Fund PPO
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- Aetna HMO
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- CIGNA PPO
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- Aetna Classic 5000
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- HealthyBlue PPO
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- Aetna Basic
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- BlueChoice Open Access
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- Medicare Direct
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- Optimum Choice
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- MultiPlan, Inc
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- Blue Choice Advantage
- United Student Resources
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- UHC Passport
- IH-EPO Plus
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- Aetna Classic 3500
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- United Healthcare Choice
- IH-POS
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- Medicare FFS
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- IH-PPO
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- First Health PPO
- HumanaChoice PPO
- IH-Open POS Plus
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- IH-Open POS II
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- Choice POS
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- HighMark
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- IH-Network Only Plus
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- IH-POS Plus
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
- IH-HMO
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- Employee Health Plan
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- CareFirst Administrators
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- First Health PPO
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- Aetna VA Exchange
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- OA Plus
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- Police and Fire Clinic
- Sentara Health
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- Core Essential (HMO)
- TRICARE East Select
- TRICARE for Life East
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
Videos
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Internal Medicine
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology
Fellowship: Tufts Medical Center (1987)
Fellowship: Tufts Medical Center (1986)
Residency: Tufts Medical Center (1984)
Internship: Tufts Medical Center (1981)
Medical School: Tufts University School of Medicine (1980)