Daniel G. Coit, MD, FACS

Daniel G. Coit, MD, FACS

Areas of Expertise

My Specialties

  • General Surgical Oncology
  • Melanoma
  • Sarcoma

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About Me

What I Do at MSK
  • Attending Surgeon
Get To Know Me

I am a surgical oncologist whose primary area of clinical and research interest is melanoma. In 1991, I introduced lymph-node mapping and sentinel lymph-node biopsy for melanoma and other selected skin cancers. Together, these procedures can determine during surgery whether a tumor has spread to surrounding lymph nodes.

Using lymph node mapping, we can pinpoint the precise lymph node into which a nearby tumor is likely to travel first (called the sentinel node). If a biopsy of the sentinel node indicates cancer spread, the surrounding lymph nodes are removed. But if there is no evidence of cancer in the sentinel node, patients are spared from additional lymph node surgery.

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My research has focused primarily on detecting and defining the clinical significance of individual melanoma cells in the sentinel lymph nodes, blood, and bone marrow of melanoma patients, with the goal of identifying patients at highest risk of cancer recurrence following surgery to remove a melanoma.

I served as Chief of the Gastric and Mixed Tumor Service in Memorial Sloan Kettering’s Department of Surgery from 1997 until October 2003. This service focuses primarily on the surgical management of less common malignancies, including melanoma, sarcoma, gastric cancer, and pancreatic cancer, and also provides surgical support for the Lymphoma Service.

I currently serve as a co-leader of the Melanoma Disease Management Team — a multidisciplinary team of surgeons, medical oncologists, pathologists, and other medical professionals at Memorial Sloan Kettering who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of melanoma. On a national and international level, I am involved in advancing new ways to diagnose and treat melanoma as a member of the American Joint Commission on Cancer Melanoma Staging Committee, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Melanoma Advisory Group, the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer Melanoma Working Group, the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group’s Melanoma Working Group, and the World Health Organization Melanoma Committee.

In addition to my interest in melanoma, I also have an expertise in the treatment of gastric cancer. I served on the program committee of the International Gastric Cancer National Meeting in 2001. And in 2002, I was co-leader of the Gastric Cancer Working Group of the National Cancer Institute’s Stomach Cancer Progress Review Group. I am currently the co-principal investigator of two gastric cancer studies at Memorial Sloan Kettering. The first evaluates the effectiveness of chemotherapy prior to surgery in high-risk gastric cancer patients, and the second is a “Quality of Life Assessment” of gastric cancer patients. I am also an active member of the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group Upper GI Cancer Working Group.

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center plays a key role in training oncology doctors, and I have had a long-standing interest in the training of surgical oncology fellows. I served as the Director of Surgical Education for the Surgical Oncology Fellowship Training Program at Memorial Sloan Kettering from 1991 to 1997, and I was Director of the Society of Surgical Oncology Training Committee, where I oversaw the administration of all surgical oncology fellowships across the nation from 1994 to 1999.

As part of my interest in spreading information we have learned about cancer at Memorial Sloan Kettering, I have lectured extensively, both nationally and internationally, and authored a number of manuscripts and reviews on various surgical oncology topics.

My Role at MSK

A surgeon is a doctor with special training in many kinds of surgery.

Areas of Expertise

My Specialties

  • General Surgical Oncology
  • Melanoma
  • Sarcoma
  • Pancreatic Cancer
  • Gastric Cancer
Education & Honors

Education

  • MD, University of Cincinnati

Residencies

  • Surgery - New England Deaconess Hospital
  • Surgery - Aberdeen Royal Infirmary
  • Surgery - New England Deaconess Hospital

Awards and Honors

  • Castle Connolly: America’s Top Doctor (2024)
  • Top Doctors New York Metro Area, Castle Connolly (2023)
  • Castle Connolly: America's Top Doctors (2023)
  • Castle Connolly: New York Magazine Top Doctors (2002-2020)

Fellowships

  • Surgery - Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Board Certifications

  • Surgery

Insurance Information

Understanding your insurance options is an important part of managing your cancer care. We have relationships with many common healthcare providers and plans.

Aetna

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO PPO, POS, Transplant

Aetna Medicare Advantage (MTA retirees only)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

Blue Cross Blue Shield Federal Employee Program

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, PPO

Blue Cross Blue Shield New York

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO

Blue Cross Blue Shield states outside of NY/NJ

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO PPO, POS

Blue Cross Health Plus

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Carrum Health

In Network Coverage Type
Supplemental

Cigna

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, HMO

MSK has a tentative agreement with Cigna to continue coverage in 2024.

Connecticare

In Network Coverage Type
POS, EPO, HMO

Emblem

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO

Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Emblem to learn more.

Emblem Essential

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Emblem Medicare Advantage

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO

Empire Blue Cross Medicare Advantage

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO, DSN

Empire Essential

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Empire Plan / NYSHIP (Blue Cross/UnitedHealthcare split plan)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

Fidelis

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO

Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Fidelis to learn more.

Fidelis Managed Medicaid & HARP

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Fidelis Medicare Advantage

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

First Health

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

Healthfirst

In Network Coverage Type
EPO, HMO, PPO, POS

Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Healthfirst to learn more.

Healthfirst Managed Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Healthfirst Medicare Advantage

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, PPO

Healthsmart

In Network Coverage Type
PPO EPO

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey (HMO)

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey (PPO)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey Omnia Tier I (EPO)

In Network Coverage Type
EPO

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey Omnia Tier II (EPO)

In Network Coverage Type
EPO

Horizon Medicare Advantage

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO

Husky CT Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Magnacare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO

Straight NJ Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Straight NY Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Medicare Part A&B (traditional Medicare)

In Network Coverage Type
Federal Government

Multiplan/Beech Street/PHCS

In Network Coverage Type
Supplemental

MVP

In Network Coverage Type
PPO/OAP

Non-Participating Plans with Out of Network Benefits

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO

NYC Medicare Advantage Plus for City Employees

In Network Coverage Type
TBD

Oscar

In Network Coverage Type
HMO/EPO

Oxford

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, EPO

World Trade Center Health Program (WTC)

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Qualcare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, HMO

Tricare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO

UMR

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS

United Healthcare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, HMO

Don't see your carrier or plan? We can help you understand your coverage.

If you don't have health insurance or are worried that your care may not be fully covered, our financial assistance programs may be able to help.

If you have questions about insurance, call us at 646-497-9176.

Make an Appointment

Current Patients

Request an appointment by logging on to MyMSK or calling your doctor’s office. If you aren’t registered for MyMSK, call 646-227-2593 for your Enrollment ID.

Contact and Location

Dr. Coit sees patients at one location.

Office Phone
Location
New York, NY
160 East 53rd Street New York NY 10022

Looking to see a doctor at a different location? See all MSK locations.

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.

See all Gastric and Mixed Tumor Service doctors

Clinical Trials

Smiling doctors in the lab
Find a Clinical Trial for You

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 trials

Research and Publications

Book Chapters
“Technique of hyperthermic isolation limb perfusion.” Coit DG. In: Atlas of Surgical Oncology. Monson JRT, Donohue JH, van Heerden JA, eds. Oxford: Blackwell Scientific ; 1995: 45-49.

“Malignant melanoma.” Coit DG: In: Conn’s Current Therapy. Rakel RE, ed.  Philadelphia: WB Saunders; 1997: 818-820.

“Isolated perfusion of extremity tumors.” Fraker D, Coit DG. In: Regional Therapy of Advanced Cancer. Lotze M et. al, eds. Philadelphia: Lippincott-Raven; 1997: 333-349.

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“Regional chemotherapy of melanoma.” Brady MS, Coit DG. In: Regional Chemotherapy Clinical Research and Practice. Markman M, ed. Totowa, NJ: Humana Press; 2000: 33-55.

“Cancer of the small intestine.” Coit DG. In: Cancer: Principles and Practice of Oncology. 6th ed. DeVita VT, Hellman S, Rosenberg SA, eds. Philadelphia: Lippincott-Raven; 2001: 1204-1215.

“Technique of lymphatic mapping with sentinel lymph node biopsy in patients with malignant melanoma.” Coit DG. In: Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy. Cody H., ed. London: Martin Dunitz; 2002:135-142.

“Metastatic surveillance and follow-up.” Coit DG, Ferrone CR. In: Cutaneous Melanoma. 4th ed. Balch CM, Houghton AN, Sober AJ, Soong, SJ, eds. St. Louis: Quality Medical Publishing; 2003: 511-521.

“Metastatic melanoma at distant sites — followup.” Olsen J, Coit DG. In: Textbook of Melanoma. Thompson J, Morton D, Kroon B., eds. London: Martin Dunitz; 2004: 449-458.

“Inguinofemoral, iliac/obturator, and popliteal lymphadenectomy in patients with melanoma.” Jacobs LK, Balch CM, Coit DG: In: Cutaneous Melanoma. 5th ed. Balch CM, Houghton AN, Sober AJ, Soong, SJ, Atkins MB, Thompson JF, eds. St. Louis: Quality Medical Publishing; 2009.

“Recurrent regional metastases of melanoma.” Coit DG, Ferrone CR. In: Cutaneous Melanoma. 5th ed. Balch CM, Houghton AN, Sober AJ, Soong, SJ, Atkins MB, Thompson JF eds. St. Louis: Quality Medical Publishing; 2009.

“Radical groin dissection.” Coit DG. In: Mastery of Surgery. Fischer J, eds.  Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins; 2012: 1743-57.

 

Publications on PubMed

Visit PubMed for a full listing of Dr. Coit’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 PubMed

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.

Daniel G. Coit discloses the following relationships and financial interests:

No disclosures meeting criteria for time period


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, 2022 through disclosure submission in spring 2023). 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].


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