
Alexander N. Shoushtari, MD
Melanoma Oncologist & Cellular Therapist
Titles
Clinical Director, Melanoma Service; Member, Cellular Therapy Service
Clinical Expertise
Melanoma; Acral Melanoma; Mucosal Melanoma; Uveal Melanoma; Cell Therapy; Clinical Trials of Targeted or Immune-Based Therapies
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New Patient Appointments
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Dr. Shoushtari accepts the following list of insurance providers. Select your insurance provider to see more details.
Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): HMO, EPO PPO, POS, Transplant
Payor Type: Medicare/Medicare Advantage
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO
Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): HMO, PPO
Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO, POS, EPO, HMO
Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): HMO, EPO PPO, POS
Payor Type: Medicaid/Managed Medicaid
In Network Coverage Type(s): HMO
Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): Supplemental
Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO, POS, HMO
Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): POS, EPO, HMO
Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO, POS, EPO, HMO
Payor Type: Medicaid/Managed Medicaid
In Network Coverage Type(s): HMO
Payor Type: Medicare/Medicare Advantage
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO, HMO
Payor Type: Medicare/Medicare Advantage
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO, HMO, DSN
Payor Type: Medicaid/Managed Medicaid
In Network Coverage Type(s): HMO
Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO
Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): HMO, EPO
Payor Type: Medicaid/Managed Medicaid
In Network Coverage Type(s): HMO
Payor Type: Medicare/Medicare Advantage
In Network Coverage Type(s): HMO
Payor Type: Medicare/Medicare Advantage
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO
Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): EPO, HMO, PPO, POS
Payor Type: Medicaid/Managed Medicaid
In Network Coverage Type(s): HMO
Payor Type: Medicare/Medicare Advantage
In Network Coverage Type(s): HMO, PPO
Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO EPO
Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): HMO
Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO
Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): EPO
Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): EPO
Payor Type: Medicare/Medicare Advantage
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO, HMO
Payor Type: Medicaid/Managed Medicaid
In Network Coverage Type(s): State Government
Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO, POS, EPO
Payor Type: Medicaid/Managed Medicaid
In Network Coverage Type(s): State Government
Payor Type: Medicaid/Managed Medicaid
In Network Coverage Type(s): State Government
Payor Type: Medicare/Medicare Advantage
In Network Coverage Type(s): Federal Government
Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): Supplemental
Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO/OAP
Payor Type: Other
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO, POS, EPO, HMO
Payor Type: Medicare/Medicare Advantage
In Network Coverage Type(s): TBD
Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): HMO/EPO
Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO, EPO
Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): State Government
Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO, POS, HMO
Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO, HMO
Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO, POS
Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO, POS, HMO
Contact and Location
- 646-888-4161 Office Phone
- Speaks English

Memorial Sloan Kettering has locations throughout New York City, Long Island, New Jersey, and Westchester. These locations offer many services, including screening, chemotherapy, and medical testing.
See all locationsAbout Me
Education
MD, Rush Medical College
Residencies
Internal Medicine - University of Chicago Medical Center
Fellowships
Medical Oncology - Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center/Weill Cornell Medical College
Board Certifications
Internal Medicine; Medical Oncology
I am a board-certified medical oncologist who exclusively sees people with melanoma, and I have the largest practice in our Melanoma Service. In 2022, I saw 123 new patients with melanoma and conducted 1,648 patient visits.
Within the global melanoma community, I am best known for treating patients with acral, mucosal, and uveal (eye) melanomas. These less common types of melanoma arise in the eye or on hairless surfaces of the body and can often be more difficult to treat than the more common skin melanomas. I work hard with our world-class surgeons, dermatologists, and radiation specialists to coordinate interdisciplinary, team-based care that gets patients the best possible results.
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Treatment for melanoma, like much of modern medicine, is changing quickly and is becoming more sub-specialized. This is generally a very good thing; it ensures doctors like me are at the cutting edge of care for your melanoma. Sometimes, however, navigating a cancer diagnosis and its treatment options can feel like an endless maze of appointments. I became a medical oncologist to help lead people through this difficult process. The foundation of excellent cancer care is good communication. I am a child of two immigrants, so I know how confusing, complicated, and rushed medical interactions can feel when doctors use a lot of jargon and type their notes while they are in the room with you. I pride myself not only on clear, compassionate communication, but also on giving people the time they need to process information. This ensures we can make the best decisions on how to manage melanoma together. When my patients and their loved ones finish an appointment with me, they can expect to understand what is happening with their cancer, what the next steps are in their medical care, and what the months and years ahead will look like.
Our Melanoma Service is passionate about giving people with melanoma access to the best new treatment options. I recently led MSK’s trials of tebentafusp, the first FDA-approved therapy specifically for uveal melanoma. I am proud to say that MSK was one of the first places in the world to offer tebentafusp to patients with this type of melanoma. More recently, I was appointed to MSK’s Cellular Therapy Service to treat patients with tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy, an experimental cell therapy that has shown promise for melanomas that do not respond to standard immune therapy. My scientific publications focus on the new drugs we test in clinic and how we can use a patient’s genetic information to understand if they might benefit from treatment and why.
When I am not working or sleeping, I am usually spending time with loved ones or trying to improve my Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Awards and Honors
- Wings of Hope Award, Melanoma Research Foundation
- Young Investigator Award, American Society of Clinical Oncology
- Junior Investigator Award, Ocular Melanoma Foundation
Colleagues
Doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering work as teams, with specialists from all different areas. This allows us to consider all your needs together, and to give you the best possible care.
Clinical Trials
- Clinical Trials Investigated by Dr. Shoushtari
- A Phase I Study of FHD-286 in People with Uveal Melanoma
- A Phase I/II Study of DYP688 for People with Advanced Uveal Melanoma and Other Melanomas with GNAQ/11 Gene Mutations
- A Phase I/II Study of IOV-4001 in People with Inoperable or Metastatic Melanoma or Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
- A Phase I/IIA Study of LNS8801 with and without Pembrolizumab Immunotherapy in People with Advanced Melanoma
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- A Phase II Study of Axitinib/Nivolumab Alone and with Ipilimumab or Radiation Therapy to Treat Previously Untreated Advanced Mucosal Melanoma
- A Phase II Study of Nemvaleukin Alfa in People with Cutaneous Melanoma or Mucosal Melanoma
- A Phase II Study of Nivolumab Immunotherapy Alone and with Cabozantinib to Prevent Mucosal Melanoma Relapse after Surgery
- A Pilot Study of Lifileucel in People with Metastatic Melanoma to the Brain that Is Not Causing Symptoms
- A Pilot Study of LN-144 Immunotherapy in People with Metastatic Uveal Melanoma
- Expanded Access to Lifileucel to Treat Inoperable or Metastatic Melanoma
- Clinical Trials Co-Investigated by Dr. Shoushtari
- A Phase 2 Study of OKI-179 Plus Binimetinib in People With Melanoma Containing an NRAS Gene Mutation
- A Phase IB Study of Belvarafenib Alone and in Combination with Cobimetinib in People with Advanced Melanoma Who Had Immunotherapy
- A Phase II Study of Autologous Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocyte Immunotherapy in People with Metastatic Melanoma or Lung Cancer

Memorial Sloan Kettering's doctors and scientists are constantly developing new treatments for cancer. MSK is typically running hundreds of clinical trials at a given time.
You may be able to participate in a clinical trial even if you are new to MSK. Search our online directory to find trial information and see more about who can participate.
Search clinical trialsResearch and Publications
Visit PubMed for a full listing of Dr. Shoushtari’s journal articles. Pubmed is an online index of research papers and other articles from the US National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.
See all on PubMedPatient Reviews
At MSK, we’re committed to delivering the best care to every patient. We use feedback from our patients to continue to improve our care. We also post patient reviews online to help you make healthcare choices. Learn more about our patient experience reviews.
Disclosures
Doctors and faculty members often work with pharmaceutical, device, biotechnology, and life sciences companies, and other organizations outside of MSK, to find safe and effective cancer treatments, to improve patient care, and to educate the health care community.
MSK requires doctors and faculty members to report (“disclose”) the relationships and financial interests they have with external entities. As a commitment to transparency with our community, we make that information available to the public.
Alexander N. Shoushtari discloses the following relationships and financial interests:
-
Bristol-Myers Squibb
Provision of Services
-
Novartis
Provision of Services
If you’re a patient at MSK and would like more information about your doctor’s external relationships, please talk with your doctor.
The information published here is for a specific annual disclosure period. There may be differences between information on this and other public sites as a result of different reporting periods and/or the various ways relationships and financial interests are categorized by organizations that publish such data.
This page and data include information for a specific MSK annual disclosure period (January 1, 2021 through disclosure submission in spring 2022). This data reflects interests that may or may not still exist. This data is updated annually.
Learn more about MSK’s COI policies here. For questions regarding MSK’s COI-related policies and procedures, email MSK’s Compliance Office at [email protected].