Title and address of our institution

Massachusetts General Hospital
55 Fruit Street
Boston, MA 02114; USA

Title and address of our group

Massachusetts General Hospital Melanoma Genetics Program
Hensin Tsao, MD PhD, Director
Department of Dermatology
Bartlett 622
48 Blossom Street
Boston, MA 02114

The name, address and contact e-mail, tel of the group leader

Hensin Tsao, MD PhD
Director
Department of Dermatology
Massachusetts General Hospital Melanoma Genetics Program
Bartlett 622
48 Blossom Street
Boston, MA 02114

Phone: 617-726-9569
Fax: 617-724-2745
Email: tsao.hensin@mgh.harvard.edu

A paragraph describing the group

The Massachusetts General Hospital Pigmented Lesion Center (MGH PLC).
The MGH PLC is the oldest continuously-operational multidisciplinary melanoma group in the United States. Established in 1966 by Dr. Thomas B. Fitzpatrick (Dermatology), Dr. John Raker (Surgery), Dr. Wallace Clark and Dr. Martin C. Mihm (Pathology), the MGH PLC was created to advance understanding of a relatively rare cancer at that time- cutaneous melanoma. The MGH PLC is co-directed by Drs. Arthur J Sober and Hensin Tsao and remains the major center for melanoma patient care for the New England area and the site of active ongoing melanoma research. The MGH PLC shares a seat with many other international melanoma centers on the World Health Organization Melanoma Programme.

As a care center, the MGH PLC evaluates over 200-300 new melanoma patients per year and attends to over 3000 visits. Additional patients are also treated and managed in the medical and surgical oncology units as well as within surgery. As a teaching site, the MGH PLC trains dermatology residents from Harvard Medical School and other rotating residents and students, postgraduate dermatopathology fellows and fully-trained physicians from around the world interested in melanocytic tumors.

The Massachusetts General Hospital Melanoma Genetics Program

In 2000, the MGH Cancer Center initiated a core group of cancer genetics programs dedicated to the research and management of patients with hereditary malignancies. The Melanoma Genetics Program emerged from this initiative and is fully integrated into the MGH PLC. The Melanoma Genetics Program provides genetic counseling services for melanoma patients and coordinates genetics research utilizing the rich patient population. The Melanoma Genetics Program is comprised of Dr. Hensin Tsao, a molecular geneticist researcher and dermatologist, Ms. Kristin Niendorf, a senior genetics counselor and Dr. Arthur J. Sober, a melanoma clinical researcher and dermatologist.

Related Links

MGH Center for Cancer Risk Analysis; Melanoma Genetics Program
www.cancer.mgh.harvard.edu/cancer_riskanalysis_clinicalresearch.htm

MGH Pigmented Lesion Center; Melanoma Center
www.cancer.mgh.harvard.edu/cancer_melanoma_services.htm