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
- IH-PPO
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- TRICARE East Select
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- IH-Open HMO Option
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- Aetna Basic
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- TRICARE for Life East
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- Beech Street PPO
- Choice POS II
- POS OA
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- Choice Fund PPO
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- United Healthcare Choice
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- BlueChoice Open Access
- Blue Choice Advantage
- CIGNA PPO
- Employee Health Plan
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- IH-POS
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- CareFirst EPO
- First Health PPO
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- CIGNA Indemnity
- Navigate
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- Aetna HMO
- Choice POS
- Sentara Health
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- CareFirst NASCO
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- OA Plus
- MultiPlan, Inc
- Core Essential (HMO)
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- CareFirst Administrators
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- Medicare FFS
- HighMark
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- HumanaChoice PPO
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
- Aetna VA Exchange
- IH-HMO
- Tricare Reserve Select
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- IH-Open HMO
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- Medicare Direct
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- TRICARE East Prime
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- IH-Open POS II
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- IH-POS Plus
- Network OA
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- Police and Fire Clinic
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- Optimum Choice
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- Choice POS II Open Access
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- IH-Network Only Plus
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
- CIGNA EPO
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- First Health PPO
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- Aetna Classic 3500
- United Student Resources
- IH-Open POS Plus
- IH-Indemnity
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- HealthyBlue PPO
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- Aetna Classic 5000
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- IH-EPO Plus
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- UHC Passport
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- Kaiser Permanente Select
Videos
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Internal Medicine
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)