Position: Head of the Surgical Department No. 12 (dermal oncology), oncologist
Degree: DSc
Title: Professor
Education
In 1977 Pr. Demidov graduated from the N.I. Pirogov Second State Medical Institute. After training in residency and PhD program he successfully defended his PhD thesis “Study of prognostic factors for skin melanoma.” In 1997, he completed and defended his DSc dissertation “Optimization of treatment methods for loco-regional stage skin melanoma.”
Pr. Demidov hold certifications in oncology, pediatric oncology, surgery, and good clinical practice (GCP).
Pr. Demidov has received specialized professional training in dermal oncology and immunological oncology abroad. In 1989 and 1991, he had spent several months at the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, USA) in the Division of Surgical Immunology under the supervision of Professor Charles Balch, one of the leading experts in melanoma, who created the largest registry of melanoma patients and founded the TNM system for the disease.
Scientific interests
Pr. Demidov’s scientific interests include clinical trials and clinical practice for melanomas of the skin, eye and Merkel cell carcinoma; adjuvant (preventative) therapy of high-risk skin melanoma using recombinant interferon, targeted and immuno-oncological drugs; drug therapy of metastatic melanomas of the skin, eye and mucosa; consulting patients with skin melanoma diagnosis during or after pregnancy; discussion and planning of subsequent pregnancies after melanoma diagnosis; study of the effectiveness of biogenic pharmaceuticals (vaccines, vitamin D, etc.) as complementary drugs.
Pr. Demidov also develops approaches to early diagnosis of skin melanoma considering its significance in the battle for patients’ life. He states that early diagnosis prevents patients from gaining the status of a sick person and promotes full recovery. For this purpose, methods of instrumental diagnostics of pigmentation pathologies of the skin were implemented in out-patient practice including dermoscopy and computer diagnostics. Participation of the Melanoma Day led to creation of the Melanoma Week seasonal screening program. In the framework of this program, patients with dysplastic nevus syndrome (DNS) and children with giant congenital nevi are closely monitored (in collaboration with specialist in pigmentation pathology in children Dr. Doroshenko at the outpatient department of the Scientific Research Institute of Children’s Oncology and Hematology of the N.N. Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology).
Due to Pr. Demivdov’s initiative, a postgraduate course in dermal oncology with certification was created at the N.N. Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology.
Professional experience
In 1982, Pr. Demidov started working at the N.N. Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology as a researcher. Subsequently he worked as a leading researcher and scientific curator of topics of skin melanoma and immunotherapy under direct supervision of prominent Soviet and Russian oncologist, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences N.N. Trapeznikov until 2001. In 2002, Pr. Demidov became the head of the newly created Division of Biotherapy which he continues to supervise to this day. Scientific research at the division covers two main areas: dermal oncology and immuno-oncology. Dermal oncology includes improvement of diagnosis and treatment methods for melanoma of the skin, eye and mucosa; treatment of Merkel cell carcinoma, advanced basal cell carcinoma. Immuno-oncology, or biotherapy, is focused on implementation of immunotherapy as complimentary and adjuvant component in treatment of oncological diseases.
In the last 20 years he supervised dozens of clinical trials, results of some of which are considered breakthroughs in oncology.
In Russia, Pr. Demidov has been the main organizer of large international and Russian conferences on melanoma. He supervised creation of the Association of Specialists on Melanoma (Melanoma.pro).
Publications
Pr. Demidov has authored more than 300 scientific publications in Russian and international journals, co-authored 7 monographs, edited 2 books. Pr. Demidov holds 6 patents.
Memberships in professional medical organizations
Pr. Demidov is a member of international expert groups on melanoma treatment and diagnosis including W. H. O. Melanoma Programme, Global Melanoma Task Force and Melanoma World Society.
