Dr. Richard D. Carvajal, MD

Expert Publications

• Treatment implications of the emerging molecular classification system for melanoma.
• Therapeutic implications of the emerging molecular biology of uveal melanoma.
• Treatment of locally recurrent mucosal melanoma with topical imiquimod.
• Therapeutic implications of KIT in melanoma.
• Unstable angina associated with cisplatin and carboplatin in a patient with advanced melanoma.
• Ipilimumab-induced colitis on FDG PET/CT.
• Atypical melanocytic proliferations and new primary melanomas in patients with advanced melanoma undergoing selective BRAF inhibition.
• Mucosal melanoma: pathogenesis, clinical behavior, and management.
• Ipilimumab for metastatic melanoma.
• Dropped head syndrome: report of three cases during treatment with a MEK inhibitor.
• Anal versus rectal melanoma: does site of origin predict outcome?
• Anti-programmed death-1 and anti-programmed death-ligand 1 antibodies in cancer therapy.
• Surveillance options for patients with uveal melanoma following definitive
• Ipilimumab for patients with advanced mucosal melanoma.
• Clinical activity of ipilimumab for metastatic uveal melanoma: a retrospective review of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and University Hospital of Lausanne experience.

Clinical Trials

• A Study of LY3321367 Alone or With LY3300054 in Participants With Advanced Relapsed/Refractory Solid Tumors
• Safety and Efficacy of IMCgp100 Versus Investigator Choice in Advanced Uveal Melanoma
• Intermittent Selumetinib for Uveal Melanoma
• Phase 1/1b Study to Evaluate the Safety and Tolerability of CPI-444 Alone and in Combination With Atezolizumab in Advanced Cancers
• A Study of the Intra-Patient Escalation Dosing Regimen With IMCgp100 in Patients With Advanced Uveal Melanoma
• A Multiple Dose, Dose Escalation Trial of AEB1102 in Patients With Advanced Solid Tumors
• Crizotinib in High-Risk Uveal Melanoma Following Definitive Therapy

Media Releases

Get to know Oncologist Dr. Richard D. Carvajal, who serves patients in New York, New York.

As the Director of Experimental Therapeutics and Director of the Melanoma Service at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Dr. Carvajal is focused on the development of novel therapies for patients with melanoma and other cancers, with the overall objective of controlling and curing these diseases.

To achieve this goal, he uses the increasing knowledge of the underlying biology of cancer to rapidly integrate this knowledge, novel therapeutic agents, and efficient trial design in order to improve the outcomes of cancer patients everywhere. Working closely with the laboratory scientists, the group is using the techniques of molecular biology to identify specific proteins, genes, or other molecules that influence the growth of each person’s cancer, with the goal of selecting the most promising therapies for individual patients.

Throughout his academic career, Dr. Carvajal graduated with his medical degree from New York University School of Medicine in 2000. He then performed his residency at the University of Michigan Medical Center, and his fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Following his training, he attained board certification in internal medicine, medical oncology, and hematology by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM). The ABIM is a physician-led, non-profit, independent evaluation organization driven by doctors who want to achieve higher standards for better care in a rapidly changing world. 

In researching melanoma, Dr. Carvajal has focused his efforts on the study and treatment of uncommon clinical and molecular subsets of melanoma such as melanomas arising from the eye (uveal melanomas), from the mucosal surfaces of the body (mucosal melanomas), and from the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, or under the fingernails (acral melanomas). 

In an advance that helped to launch a new era of personalized medicine in melanoma therapy, Dr. Carvajal led a clinical trial of imatinib (Gleevec) in patients with melanoma characterized by the presence of a mutation in a gene called KIT. While this mutation is rare in cutaneous melanoma, it is found in about 20% of mucosal and acral melanomas. Based in part on the positive results of this trial, where long-lasting tumor responses were observed in patients with these diseases, the use of imatinib in melanomas harboring KIT mutations was added to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines for the treatment of melanoma. Uveal melanoma is characterized by mutations in genes called GNAQ and GNA11 that lead to activation of a growth pathway called the MAPK pathway. Before 2013, there were no effective treatments for metastatic disease; however, another trial that Dr. Carvajal developed and conducted identified selumetinib, a medicine that blocks the MAPK pathway, as the first effective treatment for patients with advanced uveal melanoma.

The doctor’s research has been supported by the National Cancer Institute, the Food and Drug Administration, the Conquer Cancer Foundation, the Melanoma Research Alliance, the Melanoma Research Foundation, the Empire Clinical Research Investigator Program, and the generous philanthropic support of patients and their families. 

In addition to Dr. Carvajal’s work at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, he serves as the Co-Chair of the International Rare Cancer Initiative Uveal Melanoma Working Group, a joint initiative between the National Cancer Institute, the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer, and the Cancer Research UK. He is also affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian Lawrence Hospital, and serves as an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Columbia University Medical Center.

Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. A medical professional who practices oncology is an oncologist. An oncologist is a doctor who treats cancer and provides medical care for a person diagnosed with cancer. They lead a cancer treatment team of various healthcare professionals, treat patients with radiation therapy, coordinate treatment plans and prescribe various types of treatment, including chemotherapy and immunotherapy, as well as assist patients with pain management.

In light of his vast accomplishments, Dr. Carvajal has authored or co-authored more than 150 peer-reviewed manuscripts, books, and book chapters. He has received several awards in recognition of his work, including the Louise and Allston Boyer Young Investigator Award and the Melanoma Research Foundations CURE OM Vision of Hope Award.

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