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
- Genitourinary Cancer Treatment
- Renal Metastases Treatment
Procedures I perform
- Abdominal Wall Biopsy
- Biopsy Of Salivary Gland
- Biopsy Of Tongue
- Bladder Cancer Treatment
- Blood Clot Treatment
- Blood Transfusion
- Bone Biopsy
- Bone Cancer Staging
- Bone Marrow Aspiration
- Cancer Treatment
- Chemotherapy Administration
- Cold Laser Therapy
- Deep Vein Thrombosis Management
- Ecmo Cannulation
- Fallopian Tube Removal
- Genitourinary Cancer Treatment
- Hepatic Artery Infusion
- Intravenous (IV) Fluids
- Introduction Of Antineoplastic
- Kidney Cancer Treatment
- Laryngoscopy With Tumor Excision
- Liver Tumor Ablation
- Low-Dose Rate Brachytherapy For Prostate Cancer
- Metastatic Cancer Treatment
- Nonautologous Red Blood Cells Transfusion
- Packed Red Blood Cell Transfusion
- Palliative Care For Bone Cancer
- Parathyroid Tumor Surgery
- Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation
- Pharmacological Imaging
- Photon Therapy For Cancer
- Platelet Transfusion
- Prolotherapy Infusions
- Prostate Cancer Treatment
- Radiopharmaceutical Therapy
- Red Blood Cell Transfusion
- Renal Metastases Treatment
- Seminoma Treatment
- Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography
- Testicular Cancer Treatment
- Thrombocytapheresis
- Transitional Cell Carcinoma Treatment
- Uveitic Glaucoma Treatment
- Watchful Waiting For Cancer
- White Blood Cell Transfusion
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
- Employee Health Plan
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- United Student Resources
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- CIGNA Indemnity
- First Health PPO
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- CareFirst EPO
- POS OA
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- First Health PPO
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- CIGNA PPO
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- IH-Open HMO Option
- Beech Street PPO
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- Optimum Choice
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- MultiPlan, Inc
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- Aetna Classic 3500
- United Healthcare Choice
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
- IH-HMO
- TRICARE for Life East
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- HumanaChoice PPO
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- IH-Indemnity
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- Medicare FFS
- IH-POS Plus
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- Navigate
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- IH-Open HMO
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- Police and Fire Clinic
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
- OA Plus
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- Aetna Basic
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- HealthyBlue PPO
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- CIGNA EPO
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- Blue Choice Advantage
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- Sentara Health
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- IH-EPO Plus
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- Choice POS II
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- UHC Passport
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- TRICARE East Prime
- Tricare Reserve Select
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- Aetna VA Exchange
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- BlueChoice Open Access
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- IH-Open POS Plus
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- Aetna HMO
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- Core Essential (HMO)
- TRICARE East Select
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- Choice POS II Open Access
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- HighMark
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- IH-POS
- IH-PPO
- CareFirst NASCO
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- IH-Network Only Plus
- CareFirst Administrators
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- Choice POS
- IH-Open POS II
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- Aetna Classic 5000
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- Network OA
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- Choice Fund PPO
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- Medicare Direct
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Medical Genetics & Genomics, Clinical Genetics and Genomics
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology
Residency: Georgetown University Hospital (2015)
Residency: Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine (2012)
Graduate: Ramathibodi Hospital Faculty of Medicine (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