Nishan Tchekmedyian, M.D.
Nishan Tchekmedyian, M .D., has been recognized by Greater Newport Physicians, a group that named him New Physician of the Year in 2017 and Specialist of the Year in 2019, 2020 and 2021 for his high-quality, patient-focused care. He finds inspiration in his patients' ability to continue with regular life, family events, work and social engagements despite the emotional and physical struggles of cancer.
Dr. Tchekmedyian earned his medical degree at the David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, then was an intern and resident in internal medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. He specialized in medical oncology and hematology as a clinical fellow at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute. Dr. Tchekmedyian has led innovative research into a potential immunotherapy for patients with advanced prostate cancer and a new targeted therapy for a rare mutation seen in lung and other cancers.
Dr. Tchekmedyian is fluent in Spanish and Armenian.
City of Hope Orange County Lennar Foundation Cancer Center
Irvine, CA 92618
2010, M.D., David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles
2006, B.A., B.S., University of California Los Angeles, Business Economics
Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology
2013-2016, Clinical Fellow in Hematology and Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, University of South Florida
2010-2013, Clinical Fellow in Medicine, Harvard Medical School
2010-2013, Intern and Resident in Internal Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA
Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research, City of Hope, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Newport Beach, Torrance, California
2018-2021, Medical Director, Orange County Pod, Pacific Shores Medical Group
2016-2021, Hematologist-Oncologist, Pacific Shores Medical Group, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Newport Beach, Torrance, California
2019-2021, Greater Newport Physicians Specialist of the Year Award
2017, Greater Newport Physicians New Physician of the Year Award
2012, Highly Rated Poster, American Association of Cancer Research Annual Meeting, Chicago
2011, Wings of Honor Alumni Award, The Pegasus School, California
2006, Outstanding Senior Award, granted to one graduating senior in Molecular, Cell and Developmental
2006, Biology at UCLA for academic, research, and community accomplishments
2006, Highest Honors in Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology at UCLA
2005, Dean’s Prize, Outstanding Research Presentation, Annual UCLA Science Poster Day
2005, UCLA Finalist, Council on Undergraduate Research: Posters on Capitol Hill
2003-2006, Howard Hughes Research Program Fellowship / Merit Scholarship, UCLA
- Tchekmedyian N, Paxton B, Lebel F, Heymach JV. Prolonged Central Nervous System Response in a patient with HER2 mutant NSCLC treated with first line Poziotinib. J Thorac Oncol Clin and Research Reports. August 2020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtocrr.2020.100081
- Zhu VW, Lin YT, Kim DW, Loong HH, Nagasaka M, To H, Ang YL, Ock CY, Tchekmedyian N, Ou SI, Syn NL, Reungwetwattana T, Lin CC, Soo RA. An International Real-World Analysis of the Efficacy and Safety of Lorlatinib through Early or Expanded Access Programs in Patients with Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor-Refractory ALK-Positive or ROS1-Positive NSCLC. J Thorac Oncol. 2020 Apr 28:S1556-0864(20)30334-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jtho.2020.04.019. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 32360579.
- Gray JE, Saltos A, Tanvetyanon T, Haura EB, Creelan B, Antonia SJ, Shafique M, Zheng H, Dai W, Saller JJ, Chen Z, Tchekmedyian N, Goas K, Thapa R, Boyle TA, Chen DT, Beg AA. Phase I/Ib Study of Pembrolizumab Plus Vorinostat in Advanced/Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Clin Cancer Res. 2019 Nov 15;25(22):6623-6632. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-19-1305. Epub 2019 Aug 13. PubMed PMID: 31409616
- Tchekmedyian N, Mudad R, Blanco FF, Raymond VM, Garst J, Erlander MG, Haura E, Berz D. Longitudinal monitoring of ctDNA EGFR mutation burden from urine correlates with patient response to EGFR TKIs: A case series. Lung Cancer. 2017 Jun;108:22-28.10.1016/j.lungcan.2017.02.010. Epub 2017 Feb 20. PubMed PMID:28625639
- Wang E, Martin A, Tchekmedyian N, Prithviraj G. H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute/University of South Florida, Tampa, FL. Plasma Cell Dyscrasias of the Lung: An Atypical Presentation of Non-IgM Lymphoplasmacytic Lymphoma CHEST, Volume 150, Issue 4, 1098A
- Tchekmedyian N, Ali SM, Miller VA, Haura EB. Acquired ALK L1152R Mutation Confers Resistance to Ceritinib and Predicts Response to Alectinib. Journal Thoracic Oncology. Manuscript accepted for publication on March 29, 2016.
- Tchekmedyian N, Gray JE, Creelan BC, Chiappori AA, Beg AA, Soliman H, Perez BA, Antonia, SJ. Propelling Immunotherapy Combinations Into the Clinic. Oncology (Williston Park), 29(12). 2015.
- Benz MR, Tchekmedyian N, Eilber FC, Federman N, Czernin J, Tap WD. Utilization of positron emission tomography in the management of patients with sarcoma. Current Opinion in Oncology. 21(4); 345-351. 2009.
- Finn RS, Dering J, Ginther C, Wilson CA, Glaspy P, Tchekmedyian N, Slamon DJ. Dasatinib, an orally active small molecule inhibitor of both the src and abl kinases, selectively inhibits growth of basal-type/“triple negative” breast cancer cell lines growing in vitro. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment. 105(3): 319-326. 2007.
- Ucar K, Tchekmedyian N. Book Review, “Cancer: What Causes it, What Doesn’t”. Cancer Treatment Today. Pg. 10. 2003.