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