Alexander C. J. van Akkooi MD, PhD, FRACS
Chair of Melanoma Surgical Oncology, Melanoma Institute Australia; Associate Professor of Melanoma Surgical Oncology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, AustraliaProf. Dr. Alexander van Akkooi is a board-certified surgical oncologist specializing in cutaneous oncology (melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer, particularly Merkel cell carcinoma) at the Melanoma Institute Australia, University of Sydney, and Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. He is the immediate past-chairman of the EORTC (European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer) Melanoma Group. Prof. Dr. van Akkooi has published over 225 peer-reviewed papers in high-impact journals, including NEJM, The Lancet, The Lancet Oncology, Cell, and Nature Medicine, among others, and has presented at numerous international meetings. He is a member of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), Society for Melanoma Research (SMR), and American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).
Prof. Dr. van Akkooi was awarded his medical degree from Erasmus University in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. He was a resident in general surgery at Maasstad Ziekenhuis in Rotterdam and underwent residency training in surgical oncology at the Netherlands Cancer Institute in Amsterdam and Erasmus MC Cancer Institute in Rotterdam. His PhD was awarded cum laude in 2011 from Erasmus University on the topic of "Sentinel Node Tumor Load Assessment in Melanoma: Dilemmas and Clinical Management."
Disclosures
- Advisory board/consultant: Amgen; Bristol-Myers Squibb; MSD-Merck; Merck-Pfizer; NeraCare; Novartis; Pierre Fabre; Provectus; Sanofi; Sirius Medical; 4SC
- Research funding: (to his institute): Amgen; Merck-Pfizer
Recent Contributions to PracticeUpdate:
- Invasive Disease–Free Survival Outcomes With SLNB vs Omission of Axillary Surgery in Patients With Early-Stage Breast Cancer Treated With Breast-Conserving Surgery
- 2024 Top Story in Oncology: Neoadjuvant Nivolumab and Ipilimumab for Resectable Stage III Melanoma
- Subcutaneous vs Intravenous Nivolumab for Renal Cell Carcinoma
- 15-Gene Expression Profile and PRAME as an Integrated Prognostic Test for Uveal Melanoma
- Long-Term Outcomes of Treatment With Nivolumab Plus Ipilimumab in Patients With Advanced Melanoma
- Clinicopathological Features and Treatment Outcomes Among Patients With Cutaneous Melanomas of the Head and Neck vs Melanomas Arising at Other Sites
- ESMO 2024: Recommendations From Dr. Alex van Akkooi for Melanoma
- DNA Liquid Biopsy–Based Prediction of Cancer-Associated Venous Thromboembolism
- Oncolytic Adenoviral Therapy Plus Pembrolizumab for BCG-Unresponsive Non–Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer
- Long-Term Outcomes After Adjuvant Dabrafenib Plus Trametinib for Stage III Melanoma