About me
Suthee Rapisuwon, MD, is a board-certified medical oncologist, medical geneticist, and hematologist at MedStar Georgetown Cancer Institute at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. As a specialist in skin melanomas and genetic medical conditions, Dr. Rapisuwon treats cancers of the skin, prostate, kidney, testicles, and bladder. He also is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer, and American Association of Cancer Research.
Dr. Rapisuwon’s approach to care centers on providing individualized and comprehensive services. He begins by fully educating patients about their diagnoses and clearly discussing medication, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and clinical trial options. He then works with them to design comprehensive care plans. He is passionate about combining standard protocols with medical advances to help patients live heathier lives.
Dr. Rapisuwon is dedicated to advancing cancer research of the skin, eyes, and urinary tract as well as those caused by metabolic, hereditary, and other genetic factors. As a principal and translational researcher, he is part of national studies that examine novel diagnostic tools and medication therapies to treat advanced melanomas, non-melanoma skin cancers, and other diseases. He also has a particular interest in innovative treatments that could provide new hope to people who have complex eye cancers. Referring physicians should know that Dr. Rapisuwon is part of a countrywide network of clinicians who collaborate to connect patients with clinical trial opportunities.
Philosophy of Care
“I’ve devoted my career to clinical research, a field of scientific study focused on discovering better ways to save lives and improve health. Whether such breakthroughs help people defeat cancers or manage them like chronic diseases, every step is important. I hope my commitment to care not only helps current patients, but also leads to new pathways that comforts future generations too.
Additionally, I’m a volunteer doctor with the Marines – yet another way I enjoy serving others and giving back to the community.”
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
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
- D-SNP)
- United Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- Cigna HMO & Network (HMO)
- Innovation Health: Open POS Plus
- Federal Employee Program (Std/Basic PPO/Blue Focus)
- Maryland Point of Service Plan (MPOS)
- Carefirst Healthy Blue (HMO/POS)
- United Navigate
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- Virginia Premier
- Innovation Health: POS Plus
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO) |
- United MD IPA (HMO)
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan (USFHP)
- Anthem Plus BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- Cigna POS/Network POS
- Tricare East Select
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network (VA CCN)
- Carefirst BlueChoice HMO
- Carefirst Blue Preferred PPO
- United Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA
- United Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- United AARP Medicare Complete
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- Innovation Health: HMO & EPO Plus
- Kaiser Flexible Choice
- United Options (PPO) (includes Empire PPO)
- United Nursing Home Plan (C-SNP
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- Medicaid - District of Columbia
- Cigna Network Open Access
- HumanaChoice PPO
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- United Mamsi Life & Health
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- Beech Street PPO
- I-SNP
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs (HSCSN)
- Carefirst EPO
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- HealthyBlue PPO
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- United Core Essential (HMO)
- WellPoint Maryland
- Cigna Preferred Medicare
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- Cigna POS Open Access & Open Access Plus
- Anthem HMO - BCBS of VA HealthKeepers
- United Choice Plus
- Cigna Indemnity
- Tricare East Prime
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- Carefirst BlueChoice Opt Out Open Access
- United MD IPA Preferred (POS)
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- Private Health Care Systems (PHCS) (PPO)
- United Group Medicare Advantage Plans
- United Choice
- Innovation Health: Network Only Plus
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- Cigna PPO and PPO Plus
- Innovation Health: Indemnity
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- Innovation Health: Open POS II
- Kaiser Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- Innovation Health: POS
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- CareFirst BC/BS Advantage Core/Enhanced
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- Traditional Medicare Fee for Service
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- Tricare for Life East
- Medicaid - Maryland
- Carefirst BlueChoice Open Access
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- Police and Fire Clinic
- CareFirst NASCO
- Anthem (POS & Open Access POS) BCBS of VA HealthKeepers
- Cigna HMO Open Access
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- Kaiser Permanente Signature-Added Choice
- HumanaChoice Honor’s plan PPO
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- CareFirst Blue Card Program (Out-of-area BCBS plans)
- United GEHA (for all other states) Compass Rose
- Medicaid - Virginia
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- United Select Plus (POS)
- Kaiser Select-Added Choice
- Aetna HMO
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- United Optimum Choice
- CareFirst Administrators
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- United Golden Rule
- Innovation Health: PPO
- Kaiser Medicare Plus
- Aetna Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- Tricare Reserve Select
- Aetna Choice POS & Choice POS II
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- United Student Resources
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- Cigna Choice Fund PPO
- United Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) & OCI Direct (HMO)
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- Aetna HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- Kaiser HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- Carefirst BlueChoice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- United Erickson Advantage Plans
- Aetna Open HMO/Open HMO Option/Open EPO Plus
- Kaiser Signature
- Kaiser Select
- Cigna EPO
- Innovation Health: Open Network Only Plus
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- First Health PPO
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Medical Genetics and Genomics, Clinical Genetics (MD)
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Hematology
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Internal Medicine
Fellowship Program: MedStar Georgetown University Hospital (2015)
Residency Program: University Hospitals of Cleveland (2012)
Medical School: Mahidol Univ.-Siriraj Hospital (2003)
Awards
- Honors, Doctor of Medicine, Mahidol University (2003)
Hospital affiliations
News and publications
- Dissecting the Treatment-Naïve Ecosystem of Human Melanoma Brain Metastasis, Cell, July 7, 2022
- Multicenter, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Seviprotimut-L Polyvalent Melanoma Vaccine in Patients with Opst-Resection Melanoma at High Risk of Recurrence, The Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer, October 2021
- PET/CT Scan and Biopsy-Driven Approach for Safe Anti-PD-1 Therapy Discontinuation in Patients with Advanced Melanoma, The Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer, October 9, 2021
- Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy Associated with Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy: Endomyocardial Biopsy Provides Pathological Insights to Dual Diseases. Journal of the American College of Cardiology: CardioOncology, June 1, 2021
- Chronic Immune-Related Adverse Events Following Adjuvant Anti-PD1 Therapy for High-Risk Resected Melanoma, The Journal of the American Medical Association Oncology, May 1, 2021
- A Multicenter Analysis of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors as Adjuvant Therapy Following Treatment of Isolated Brain Metastasis, Oncologist, November 23, 2020
- Exceptional Response and Multisystem Autoimmune-Like Toxicities Associated with the Same T-Cell Clone in a Patient with Uveal Melanoma Treated with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors, The Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer, March 4, 2019
- Clinical Characterization of Colitis Arising from Anti-PD-1 Base Therapy, Oncoimmunology, October 31, 2018
- High Response Rate to PD-1 Blockade in Desmoplastic Melanomas, Nature, January 18, 2018
- Thrombocytopenia in Patients with Melanoma Receiving Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy, The Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer, February 21, 2017
- The Efficacy of Anti-PD-1 Agents in Acral and Mucosal Melanoma, Cancer, November 15, 2016
- Safety And Efficacy of Anti-PD-1 in Patients with Baseline Cardiac, Renal, or Hepatic Dysfunction, The Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer, October 1, 2016
- Circulating Biomarkers to Monitor Cancer Progression and Treatment, Computational and Structural Biotechnology, June 1, 2016
- Phase II Trial of Imatinib in AIDS-Associated Kaposi’s Sarcoma: AIDS Malignancy Consortium Protocol, Journal of Clinical Oncology, February 10, 2014
- Novel Somatic KIT Exon 8 Mutation with Dramatic Response to Imatinib in a Patient with Mucosal Melanoma: a Case Report, Melanoma Research, 2014
- Multiple Muscle Cell Alterations in a Case of Encephalomyopathy, Ultrastructural Pathology, February 2014
- Discordance Between Cobas BRAFV600 Testing and VE1 Immunohistochemistry in a Melanoma Patient with Bone Marrow Metastases, American Journal of Dermatopathology, September 2016
- Cardiofaciocutaneous and LEOPARD Syndromes, American Journal of Medical Genetics Part C Seminars in Medical Genetics, May 15, 2011