Virtual Melanoma Tumor Board

Learn about the virtual melanoma tumor board program.

The Virtual Melanoma Tumor Board is a joint initiative between OHSU Knight Cancer Institute and Providence Cancer Center. The intent of the program is to bring melanoma experts at OHSU and Providence together and to the community through a virtual platform.

  • Provide the best melanoma care in the country in Oregon
  • Enable virtual access for all clinicians in Oregon to melanoma specialists in the state
  • Improve access to the best care available for all melanoma patients in Oregon
  • Increase appropriate enrollment into melanoma clinical trials to improve future melanoma care
  • Educate clinicians throughout the state on the evidence-based care practices for melanoma
  • Increase Oregon's melanoma registry awareness and use

  • The Virtual Tumor Board meets every 2nd Thursday from 7-8 am. Clinicians from OHSU and Providence can participate in the tumor board virtually by using a HIPAA-compliant, virtual platform called Nexus. We will soon be adding the ability for community medical providers to also join virtually.
  • Cases can also be presented virtually by any provider by submitting the form attached on this website (see sidebar). Once you have submitted the case, the OHSU tumor board coordinator will schedule the case for the beginning of the tumor board. Please submit cases at least 1 week prior to the tumor board.
  • Specific cases that have not been submitted for review via the established protocol will not be allowed to be presented, but general questions may be at the end of the tumor board by anyone that is participating in the conference, as time allows. Offline discussions or other solutions may also be arranged to assure every challenging case can be addressed effectively.
  • Case presentation format: 
    • Brief intro by clinician with specific question(s)
    • Imaging presented by OHSU radiology or by clinician if presented from their virtual desktop
    • Pathology presented by OHSU pathology or by clinician if presented from their virtual desktop
    • Discussion orchestrated by the moderator.
  • For questions, email Dermatology Education Manager (wilkisar@ohsu.edu)

Planning Committee:

Elizabeth Berry, M.D., Associate Professor of Dermatology, OHSU

Aimee Kohn, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Hematology/Medical Oncology, OHSU

Rajan Kulkarni, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor of Dermatology, OHSU

Sancy Leachman, M.D., Ph.D., Melanoma Specialist, Chair, Department of Dermatology, OHSU

Reid Thompson, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Radiation Medicine and Computational Biology, OHSU

Susan Tofte, F.N.P., OHSU Melanoma Specialist, Department of Dermatology  

John Vetto, M.D., OHSU Surgical Director of the Cutaneous Oncology Program; Tumor Board Director & Moderator

Other contributors:

Walter Urba, MD, PhD, Providence Oncologist, Director of Cancer Research

Dave Herron, OHSU Nexus Specialist

Pam Russell, RN, OHSU Tumor Board Coordinator