Alexander N. Shoushtari, MD

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.