Gary L. Peck, MD — Melanoma Specialist
Dr. Gary Peck joins the Dermatologic Surgery Center of Washington after serving as Director of the Melanoma Center at the Washington Hospital Center. Upon graduating from the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, Michigan, he completed his dermatology residency training at the University of Chicago Hospitals. Dr. Peck began his career at the National Institutes of Health as a Senior Investigator in the Dermatology Branch of the National Cancer Institute. His research on vitamin A led to the development of a prescription medication (isotretinoin or Accutane) that is capable of producing complete remissions or cures even in the most severe cases of scarring nodulocystic acne. He has presented these findings at national and international meetings in England, France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Greece, India, Wales, Mexico and Japan and has published over 150 original articles, book chapters, and research abstracts.
In 1994 Dr. Peck created the Melanoma Center in the Washington Cancer Institute, the first center of its kind in the nation’s capital. The Melanoma Center is a multi-specialty clinic that has accrued over 2000 cases of melanoma and screens hundreds of high-risk patients for the development of melanoma. These patients come from the District of Columbia, the entire state of Maryland, including the Eastern Shore, and neighboring states. Dr. Peck is expert in the use of the dermatoscope for the early diagnosis of melanoma.
Dr. Peck received the 2002 Discovery Award of the Dermatology Foundation, the highest award in Dermatology in recognition of his discovery of isotretinoin (Accutane) for the treatment of severe, recalcitrant nodulocystic acne and other disorders, including the prevention of basal cell carcinomas. He is cited in the Historical Atlas of Dermatology and Dermatologists and received the American Skin Association’s Inflammatory Skin Disorders Research Achievement Award in 2000 in recognition of these findings. In addition, he received the US Public Health Service Meritorious Service Medal in 1983 and was elected as a Foreign Correspondent Member of the French Society of Dermatology in 1988. He holds two US patents on methods of using oral13-cis retinoic acid (isotretinoin, Accutane) in the treatment of acne. Most recently his history of the discovery of isotretinoin was included as a chapter in the book “To Heal the Skin – The Heroes Behind Discoveries in Dermatology”, edited by Drs. Stuart Maddin and Eileen Murray. Dr. Peck is recognized by the public as an expert dermatologist and is named as a “Top Doc” in the Washingtonian magazine.
“My melanoma was treated at the Washington Hospital Center. Dr. Gary Peck was the director of the Melanoma Center there. When Dr. Peck retired from the hospital he joined the practice of Dr. Maral Skelsey in Chevy Chase, MD. Since then, I have continued my follow-up visits with Dr. Peck at Dr. Skelsey’s office, even though it is at a great distance from my home. I do this because Dr. Peck is expert in diagnosing melanomas and takes his time examining me and answering all the questions that I and my wife have. He is a very caring professional who is truly concerned about his patients.”
