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:
- Pembrolizumab in Stage IIB or IIC Melanoma
- Response-Directed Surgery and Adjuvant Therapy in Stage III Melanoma
- ASCO 2023: Abstract Recommendations From Dr. Alexander van Akkooi for Advanced Melanoma
- Utility of MIA and MSKCC Nomograms in Selecting Patients With Melanoma for Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy
- Decision-Making and HRQoL in Patients With Melanoma Considering Adjuvant Immunotherapy
- ctDNA-Based Molecular Residual Disease Detection for Treatment Monitoring in Patients With Advanced Melanoma
- Nivolumab and Relatlimab in Patients With Advanced Melanoma Who Progressed on Anti–PD-(L)1 Therapy
- Effect of the Introduction of Modern Immunotherapy on Outcomes of Isolated Limb Perfusion for Melanoma In-Transit Metastases
- Practice Patterns for Positive Sentinel Lymph Node in Head and Neck Melanoma
- Neoadjuvant Relatlimab and Nivolumab for Resectable Melanoma