Victor G. Prieto, M.D., Ph.D.
Department of Anatomical Pathology, Division of Pathology-Lab Medicine Div
About Dr. Prieto
I am a Pathologist/Dermatopathologist with special interest in melanoma. I joined MDACC in 1999 in both Departments of Pathology and Dermatology. I was the Fellowship Director of the Dermatopathology Program between 2001 and 2012 and Fellowship Director of the Surgical Pathology Program between 2015 and 2020. I was the section chief of the dermatopathology section between 1999 and 2016. I became the Chair of the Department of Anatomical Pathology in 2015.
Read More
I have been the Co-Director of the melanoma tissue bank at MDACC for the last 18 years. During this time, I have participated in multiple melanoma projects, both within the institution and within the umbrella of the NCI and SPORE groups. I have examined the pattern of expression of iNOS, retinoid receptors, galectin-3, tyrosin kinases, and related molecules in primary and metastatic melanoma. I have studied the morphologic predictors of melanoma behavior and I am involved in the assessment of the application of immunotherapies and newer targeted therapies in melanoma. I am also a contributor to the Blue Book of the WHO on cutaneous neoplasms.
In the News
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Department Chair, Department of Pathology, Division of Pathology/Lab Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Professor, Department of Pathology, Division of Pathology/Lab Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 1991 | University of Barcelona, Department of Cellular Biology, Barcelona, ESP, PHD, Medicine |
| 1986 | School of Medicine, University of Alicante, Barcelona, ESP, MD, Anatomic Pathology |
| 1979 | Institute Joaquin Turina, Madrid, ESP, C.O.U, Preuniversity Course |
| 1978 | International School Lope de Vega, Benidorm, ESP, Bachillerato, Bachillerato, equivalent to high school |
Experience & Service
Administrative Appointments/Responsibilities
Medical Director, Department of Histology Laboratory, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2011 - 2014
Section Chief, Department of Pathology/Laboratory Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 1999 - 2016
Honors & Awards
| 2020 | Neil Smith Medal, British Society for Dermatopathology |
| 2018 | Harlan J. Spjut Award, Houston Society of Clinical Pathology |
| 2018 | Walter R. Nickle Award, American Society of Dermatopathology |
| 2012 | ASDP Mentorship in Dermatopathology Award, American Society of Dermatopathology (ASDP) |
| 2004 | Educator of the Month, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center |
| 1999 | Lamar Callaway Award, Duke University Medical Center |
| 1998 | Fetter Award, Department of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center |
| 1997 | Munksgaard award, Journal of Cutaneous Pathology |
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Farah M, Reuben A, Spassova I, Yang RK, Kubat L, Nagarajan P, Ning J, Li W, Aung PP, Curry JL, Torres-Cabala CA, Hudgens CW, Ugurel S, Schadendorf D, Gumbs C, Little LD, Futreal A, Wistuba II, Prieto VG, Wang L, Wong MK, Wargo JA, Becker JC, Tetzlaff MT. T Cell Repertoire in combination with T cell density predicts clinical outcomes in patients with merkel cell carcinoma. J Invest Dermatol 140(11):2146-2156.e4, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32304704.
- Gonzàlez-Farré M, Ronen S, Keiser E, Prieto VG, Aung PP. Three Types of Nodal Melanocytic Nevi in Sentinel Lymph Nodes of Patients With Melanoma: Pitfalls, Immunohistochemistry, and a Review of the Literature. Am J Dermatopathol 42(10):739-744, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32271206.
- Ramani NS, Aung PP, Gu J, Sfamenos S, Sdringola-Maranga C, Nagarajan P, Tetzlaff MT, Curry JL, Ivan D, Diab A, Prieto VG, Hwu WJ, Torres-Cabala CA. TERT amplification but not activation of canonical Wnt/β-catenin pathway is involved in acral lentiginous melanoma progression to metastasis. Mod Pathol 33(10):2067-2074, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32404956.
- Ai D, Yao J, Yang F, Huo L, Chen H, Lu W, Soto LMS, Jiang M, Raso MG, Wang S, Bell D, Liu J, Wang H, Tan D, Torres-Cabala C, Gan Q, Wu Y, Albarracin C, Hung MC, Meric-Bernstam F, Wistuba II, Prieto VG, Sahin AA, Ding Q. TRPS1: a highly sensitive and specific marker for breast carcinoma, especially for triple-negative breast cancer. Mod Pathol. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 33011748.
- Cho WC, Wang WL, Milton DR, Ingram DR, Nagarajan P, Curry JL, Ivan D, Lazar AJ, Hwu WJ, Prieto VG, Torres-Cabala CA, Aung PP. Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase Protein Expression Is More Frequent in Acral Lentiginous Melanoma Than in Other Types of Cutaneous Melanoma. Arch Pathol Lab Med. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 33053175.
- Ronen S, Prieto VG, Aung PP. Epithelioid Angioleiomyoma Mimicking Metastatic Melanoma in a Liver Tumor. J Cutan Pathol 47(9):824-828, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32274822.
- Vougiouklakis T, Aung PP, Vasudevaraja V, Prieto VG, Torres-Cabala CA, Sulman EP, Snuderl M, Jour G. Correlative study of epigenetic regulation of tumor microenvironment in spindle cell melanomas and cutaneous malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors. Sci Rep 10(1):12996, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32747660.
- Kwon D, Ronen S, Giubellino A, Keiser E, Aung PP, Nagarajan P, Tetzlaff MT, Ivan D, Curry JL, Prieto VG, Torres-Cabala CA. Cutaneous Adnexal Carcinosarcoma: Immunohistochemical and Molecular Evidence of Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition. J Cutan Pathol. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32564423.
- Yildiz P, Aung PP, Milton DR, Hruska C, Ivan D, Nagarajan P, Tetzlaff MT, Curry JL, Torres-Cabala C, Prieto VG. Measurement of Tumor Thickness in Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinomas: Do the Different Methods Provide Better Prognostic Data?. Am J Dermatopathol 42(5):337-342, 2020. PMID: 31464719.
- Chen PL, Neishaboori N, Tetzlaff MT, Chen WS, Aung PP, Curry JL, Nagarajan P, Ivan D, Hwu WJ, Prieto VG, Torres-Cabala CA. BAP-1 Expression Status by Immunohistochemistry in Cellular Blue Nevus and Blue Nevus-like Melanoma. Am J Dermatopathol 42(5):313-321, 2020. PMID: 32310893.
- Nagarajan P, Piao J, Ning J, Noordenbos LE, Curry JL, Torres-Cabala CA, Diwan AH, Ivan D, Aung PP, Ross MI, Royal RE, Wargo JA, Wang WL, Samdani R, Lazar AJ, Rashid A, Davies MA, Prieto VG, Gershenwald JE, Tetzlaff MT. Prognostic model for patient survival in primary anorectal mucosal melanoma: stage at presentation determines relevance of histopathologic features. Mod Pathol 33(3):496-513, 2020. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31383963.
- Prieto VG. Common traps/pitfalls and emergency diagnosis in dermatopathology. Mod Pathol 33(Suppl 1):128-139, 2020. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31673083.
- Scolyer RA, Rawson RV, Gershenwald JE, Ferguson PM, Prieto VG. Melanoma pathology reporting and staging. Mod Pathol 33(Suppl 1):15-24, 2020. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31758078.
- Yildiz P, Ronen S, Aung PP, Trinidad C, Kajoian A, Prieto VG. Extramammary Paget Disease-A Challenging Case. Am J Dermatopathol 41(11):867-868, 2019. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 30807292.
- Ibarra BS, Huen A, Nagarajan P, Torres-Cabala CA, Prieto VG, Aung PP. From mycosis fungoides to herpetic folliculitis: The significance of deeper H&E tissue sections in dermatopathology. J Cutan Pathol 46(8):624-626, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 30883857.
- Ruis, SJ., Al Salihi S, Prieto VG, Priyadharsin N, Tetzlaff MT, Curry JL, Ivan D, Torres-Cabala CA, Aung PA. Unusual cutanous metastatic carcinoma. Annals of Diagnostic Pathology(43), 2019. PMID: 31675677.
- Bell D, Bell AH, Kupferman ME, Prieto VG, Weber RS, Hanna EY. Comparative transcriptome analysis of sinonasal inverted papilloma and associated squamous cell carcinoma: Out-HOXing developmental genes. Head Neck. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31041828.
- Jour G, Vasudevaraja V, Prieto VG, Snuderl M, Torres-Cabala CA, Al-Rohil R, Sulman EP, Ballester LY, Aung PP. BCAT1 and miR-2504: novel methylome signature distinguishes spindle/desmoplastic melanoma from superficial malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor. Mod Pathol 32(3):338-345, 2019. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 30310175.
- Aung PP, Nagarajan P, Tetzlaff MT, Curry JL, Tang G, Abdullaev Z, Pack SD, Ivan D, Prieto VG, Torres-Cabala CA. Melanoma With Loss of BAP1 Expression in Patients With No Family History of BAP1-Associated Cancer Susceptibility Syndrome: A Case Series. Am J Dermatopathol 41(3):167-179, 2019. PMID: 30801340.
- Fedda F, Migden MR, Curry JL, Torres-Cabala CA, Tetzlaff MT, Aung PP, Prieto VG, Ivan D, Myers JN, Nagarajan P. Angiotropism in recurrent cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma: Implications for regional tumor recurrence and extravascular migratory spread. J Cutan Pathol 46(2):152-158, 2019. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 30414196.
- Tetzlaff MT, Curry JL, Ning J, Sagiv O, Kandl TL, Peng B, Bell D, Routbort M, Hudgens CW, Ivan D, Kim TB, Chen K, Eterovic AK, Shaw K, Prieto VG, Yemelyanova A, Esmaeli B. Distinct Biological Types of Ocular Adnexal Sebaceous Carcinoma: HPV-Driven and Virus-Negative Tumors Arise through Nonoverlapping Molecular-Genetic Alterations. Clin Cancer Res 25(4):1280-1290, 2019. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 30420449.
- Aung PP, Parra ER, Barua S, Sui D, Ning J, Mino B, Ledesma DA, Curry JL, Nagarajan P, Torres-Cabala CA, Efstathiou E, Hoang AG, Wong MK, Wargo JA, Lazar AJ, Rao A, Prieto VG, Wistuba I, Tetzlaff MT. B7-H3 Expression in Merkel Cell Carcinoma-Associated Endothelial Cells Correlates with Locally Aggressive Primary Tumor Features and Increased Vascular Density. Clin Cancer Res. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 30808776.
- Amaria RN, Reddy SM, Tawbi HA, Davies MA, Ross MI, Glitza IC, Cormier JN, Lewis C, Hwu WJ, Hanna E, Diab A, Wong MK, Royal R, Gross N, Weber R, Lai SY, Ehlers R, Blando J, Milton DR, Woodman S, Kageyama R, Wells DK, Hwu P, Patel SP, Lucci A, Hessel A, Lee JE, Gershenwald J, Simpson L, Burton EM, Posada L, Haydu L, Wang L, Zhang S, Lazar AJ, Hudgens CW, Gopalakrishnan V, Reuben A, Andrews MC, Spencer CN, Prieto V, Sharma P, Allison J, Tetzlaff MT, Wargo JA. Publisher Correction: Neoadjuvant immune checkpoint blockade in high-risk resectable melanoma. Nat Med 24(12):1942, 2018. PMID: 30361511.
- Bell A, Bell D, Chakravarti N, Ma J, Henton N, Prieto VG. Detection of a MicroRNA molecular signature of ultraviolet radiation in the superficial regions of melanocytic nevi on sun-exposed skin. Mod Pathol 31(11):1744-1755, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 29955145.
- Chen WS, Tetzlaff MT, Diwan H, Jahan-Tigh R, Diab A, Nelson K, Glitza IC, Kaunitz GJ, Johnson D, Torres-Cabala C, Pacha O, Taube JM, Maloney K, Prieto VG, Curry JL. Suprabasal acantholytic dermatologic toxicities associated checkpoint inhibitor therapy: A spectrum of immune reactions from paraneoplastic pemphigus-like to Grover-like lesions. J Cutan Pathol 45(10):764-773, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 29943453.
- Arudra K, Patel R, Tetzlaff MT, Hymes S, Subbiah V, Meric-Bernstam F, Torres-Cabala C, Aung PP, Nagarajan P, Diab A, Prieto VG, Nelson K, Curry JL. Calcinosis cutis dermatologic toxicity associated with fibroblast growth factor receptor inhibitor for the treatment of Wilms tumor. J Cutan Pathol 45(10):786-790, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 30021048.
- Middleton LP, Phipps R, Routbort M, Prieto VG, Medeiros LJ, Riben M, Contreras A, Kelley J, Patel K, Bingham J, Wagar EA. Fifteen-Year Journey to High Reliability in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. Am J Med Qual 33(5):530-539, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 29512395.
- AUC Task Force, Vidal CI, Armbrect EA, Andea AA, Bohlke AK, Comfere NI, Hughes SR, Kim J, Kozel JA, Lee JB, Linos K, Litzner BR, Missall TA, Novoa RA, Sundram U, Swick BL, Yadira Hurley M, Rating Panel, Alam M, Argenyi Z, Duncan LM, Elston DM, Emanuel PO, Ferringer T, Fung MA, Hosler GA, Lazar AJ, Lowe L, Plaza JA, Prieto VG, Robinson JK, Schaffer A, Subtil A, Wang WL. Appropriate Use Criteria in Dermatopathology: Initial Recommendations from the American Society of Dermatopathology. J Cutan Pathol. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 29566273.
- Jour G, Aung PP, Merrill ED, Curry JL, Tetzlaff MT, Nagarajan P, Ivan D, Prieto VG, Duvic M, Miranda RN, Torres-Cabala CA. Differential expression of CCR4 in primary cutaneous gamma/delta (γ/δ) T cell lymphomas and mycosis fungoides: Significance for diagnosis and therapy. J Dermatol Sci 89(1):88-91, 2018. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 29030090.
- Prieto VG. Sentinel Lymph Nodes in Cutaneous Melanoma. Clin Lab Med 37(3):417-430, 2017. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28802493.
- Saenz-Ibarra B, Prieto VG, Torres-Cabala CA, Huen A, Nagarajan P, Tetzlaff MT, Curry JL, Ivan D, Aung PP. Coccidioidomycosis Involving Lungs and Skin: A Mimicker of Metastatic Disease. Am J Dermatopathol. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28857979.
- Khoury JD, Wang WL, Prieto VG, Medeiros LJ, Kalhor N, Hameed M, Broaddus R, Hamilton SR. Validation of Immunohistochemical Assays for Integral Biomarkers in the NCI-MATCH EAY131 Clinical Trial. Clin Cancer Res. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28839110.
- Pfeiffer ML, Ozgur OK, Myers JN, Peng A, Ning J, Zafereo ME, Thakar S, Thuro B, Prieto VG, Ross MI, Esmaeli B. Sentinel lymph node biopsy for ocular adnexal melanoma. Acta Ophthalmol 95(4):e323-e328, 2017. e-Pub 2016. PMID: 27775232.
- Valero-Torres A, Prieto VG, Nagarajan P, Torres-Cabala CA, Tetzlaff MT, Curry JL, Ivan D, Aung PP. Metastatic Melanoma With Papillary Features: A Mimic and Possible Diagnostic Pitfall. Am J Dermatopathol 39(6):468-470, 2017. PMID: 28525424.
- Agarwal A, Gopinath A, Tetzlaff MT, Prieto VG. Phosphohistone-H3 and Ki67: Useful Markers in Differentiating Dermatofibroma From Dermatofibrosarcoma Protuberans and Atypical Fibrohistiocytic Lesions. Am J Dermatopathol. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28609344.
- Aung PP, Nagarajan P, Prieto VG. Regression in primary cutaneous melanoma: etiopathogenesis and clinical significance. Lab Invest. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28240749.
- Konopinski J, Prieto VG, Ivan D, Nagarajan P, Tetzlaff MT, Curry JL, Torres-Cabala CA, Fuller GN, Aung PP. Isolated Ectopic Cutaneous Atypical Meningioma of the Scalp: Another Mimicker of Primary Adnexal Tumor. Am J Dermatopathol. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28178009.
- Jain P, Prieto VG, Manning JT, Fowler N, Medeiros LJ, Kanagal-Shamanna R. Synchronous Presentation of Intra-nodal Follicular Dendritic Cell Sarcoma and Castleman Disease. Am J Hematol. e-Pub 2016. PMID: 27862216.
- Nagarajan P, Tetzlaff MT, Curry JL, Prieto VG. Use of New Techniques in Addition to IHC Applied to the Diagnosis of Melanocytic Lesions, With Emphasis on CGH, FISH, and Mass Spectrometry. Actas Dermosifiliogr. e-Pub 2016. PMID: 27344067.
- Mudaliar K, Tetzlaff MT, Duvic M, Ciurea A, Hymes S, Milton DR, Tsai KY, Prieto VG, Torres-Cabala CA, Curry JL. BRAF inhibitor therapy-associated melanocytic lesions lack the BRAF V600E mutation and show increased levels of cyclin D1 expression. Hum Pathol 50:79-89, 2016. e-Pub 2015. PMID: 26997441.
- Danialan R, Tetzlaff MT, Torres-Cabala CA, Mays SR, Prieto VG, Bell D, Curry JL. Cutaneous metastasis from anaplastic thyroid carcinoma exhibiting exclusively a spindle cell morphology. A case report and review of literature. J Cutan Pathol 43(3):252-7, 2016. e-Pub 2015. PMID: 26347145.
- Plaza JA, Torres-Cabala C, Ivan D, Prieto VG. HER-2/neu expression in extramammary Paget disease: a clinicopathologic and immunohistochemistry study of 47 cases with and without underlying malignancy. J Cutan Pathol(36):729-733, 2009.
Abstracts
- Curry JL, Tetzlaff MT, Wang SA, Landon G, Alouch N, Patel SP, Nagarajan P, Gupta S, Aung PP, Devine CE, Khoury JD, Loghavi S, Prieto VG, DiNardo CD, Gershenwald JE. Case Report of Myeloid Sarcoma Masquerading as In-Transit Metastasis at a Previous Melanoma Site: Avoiding a Diagnostic Pitfall. Am J Dermatopathol 40(11):831-835, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 29863571.
Grant & Contract Support
| Title: | Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
| Role: | Co-Principal Investigator |
| Title: | Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
| Role: | Co-Principal Investigator |
| Title: | Predictor of response to neoadjuvant therapy in melanoma |
| Funding Source: | Melanoma Research Alliance |
| Role: | Collaborator |
| Title: | The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Spore in Melanoma |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
| Role: | Core Co-PI |
Patient Reviews
CV information above last modified March 22, 2024