Duke Health Provider
I am a surgical neuropathologist and part of your health care team. I will meet with you if you desire to learn more about your diagnosis.
Thomas J. Cummings, MD
Neuropathologist
Duke Health Provider
Where I See Patients
Duke Cancer Center Brain Tumor Clinic - Durham, NC
Duke University Hospital - Durham, NC
Board Certified
American Board of Pathology, Neuropathology
American Board of Pathology, Pathology - Anatomic - General
I am a surgical neuropathologist and part of your health care team. I will meet with you if you desire to learn more about your diagnosis.
My Locations
Closed:
Opening Monday at 8:00 am
20 Duke Medicine Cir
Durham,
NC
27710-2000
Fax:
919-385-9309
About Me
I am a surgical neuropathologist, and I specialize in tumors and medical diseases of the brain, spinal cord, nerves, muscles, and eyes. I am a physician who is part of your health care team, and I specialize in diagnosing disease by examining your biopsy cells and tissue under a microscope.
Current Appointments and Affiliations
- Professor of Pathology, Pathology 2011
- Professor of Ophthalmology, Ophthalmology 2011
- Member of the Duke Cancer Institute, Duke Cancer Institute 1997
Languages I Speak
English
Training and Education
Board Certification
American Board of Pathology, Neuropathology
American Board of Pathology, Pathology - Anatomic - General
Fellowship
Neuropathology, Duke University Medical Center, 1999-2001
Residency
Surgical Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, 1997-1999
Education
MD, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Clinical Focus and Research
Publications and Grants
Grants1
Books1
Academic Articles167
Book Sections13
Conference Papers17
- Research Training In Neuro-Oncology awarded by National Institutes of Health 2005 - 2010
- Cummings, Thomas J. Ophthalmic Pathology A Concise Guide. Springer Science & Business Media, 2012.
- Papalas, John A., Alan D. Proia, Mike Hitchcock, Parag Gandhi, and Thomas J. Cummings. “Neurothekeoma palpebrae: A report of 3 cases.” Am J Dermatopathol 32, no. 4 (June 2010): 374–79. https://doi.org/10.1097/dad.0b013e3181beaac7.
- Karikari, Isaac O., Nasreen A. Syed, and Thomas J. Cummings. “Secretory meningiomas of the orbit.” Orbit 28, no. 6 (2009): 408–11. https://doi.org/10.3109/01676830903104694.
- Cummings, Thomas J., Leslie G. Dodd, Christopher R. Eedes, and Gordon K. Klintworth. “Hereditary benign intraepithelial dyskeratosis: an evaluation of diagnostic cytology.” Arch Pathol Lab Med 132, no. 8 (August 2008): 1325–28. https://doi.org/10.5858/2008-132-1325-HBIDAE.
- McLendon, R., and T. J. Cummings. “Neuropathology of gliomas.” In The Duke Glioma Handbook: Pathology, Diagnosis, and Management, 146–68, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781107588721.008.
- Odashiro, A. N., T. J. Cummings, and M. N. Burnier. “Eye and ocular adnexa.” In Sternberg’s Diagnostic Surgical Pathology: Sixth Edition, Vol. 1–2, 2015.
- Wilson, J. W., L. Vajzovic, F. E. Robles, T. J. Cummings, P. Mruthyunjaya, and W. S. Warren. “Imaging pigment chemistry in melanocytic conjunctival lesions with pump-probe microscopy,” Vol. 8567, 2013. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2003137.
- Vajzovic, Lejla, Gargi Khare Vora, Sanghamitra Deb, Jesse W. Wilson, Francisco E. Robles, Thomas J. Cummings, Prithvi Mruthyunjaya, and Warren Warren. “Optimizing Laser Parameters for Pump-Probe Microscopy of Conjunctival Melanocytic Lesions.” In INVESTIGATIVE OPHTHALMOLOGY & VISUAL SCIENCE, Vol. 55. ASSOC RESEARCH VISION OPHTHALMOLOGY INC, 2014.
- Layne, A. C., T. J. Cummings, C. D. Guy, D. M. Cardona, R. C. Bentley, M. J. Shealy, X. Zhang, and S. J. McCall. “TTF-1 Is Expressed in a Subset of Esophageal Adenocarcinomas.” In LABORATORY INVESTIGATION, 94:188A-188A. NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP, 2014.
- Layne, A. C., T. J. Cummings, C. D. Guy, D. M. Cardona, R. C. Bentley, M. J. Shealy, X. Zhang, and S. J. McCall. “TTF-1 Is Expressed in a Subset of Esophageal Adenocarcinomas.” In MODERN PATHOLOGY, 27:188A-188A. NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP, 2014.
Insurance Accepted
Duke Health contracts with most major health insurance carriers and transplant networks, including the ones listed below.
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Aetna
- Aetna Choice POS, Aetna Choice POS II
- Aetna Elect Choice HMO, Aetna Open Access Elect Choice
- Aetna Health Network Only, Aetna Health Network Option
- Aetna HMO
- Aetna Limited Benefit Insurance PPO
- Aetna Managed Choice POS
- Aetna Medicare Assure Plan (HMO D-SNP)
- Aetna Medicare Eagle Plan (PPO)
- Aetna Medicare Essential Plan (PPO)
- Aetna Medicare Value Plan (HMO)
- Aetna Open Access HMO, Open Access Aetna Select, Aetna Open Access Managed Choice
- Aetna Open Choice PPO
- Aetna PCP Coordinated POS Plan
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (QPOS)
- Aetna Select HMO
- Aetna Traditional Choice
- Aetna Voluntary Indemnity Group Plan
- Aetna Whole Health – Duke WakeMed WKCC
- Aetna/CVS Health
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Ambetter
- Ambetter of North Carolina
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Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC
- Blue Advantage
- Blue Medicare (HMO, PPO)*
- Blue Options (123, PPO, HSA)
- Blue Select
- NC State Employees Health Plan
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*Duke HomeCare and Hospice does not participate in the plan.
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Cigna
- Cigna Behavioral Health (*Limited eligibility)
- Cigna Choice Plus
- Cigna Connect Individual Family Plan
- Cigna Open Access
- Cigna Open Access Plus
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*Please call Cigna Behavioral Heath to see if the provider is participating in your plan.
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Duke Group Plans
- Duke Basic
- Duke Select
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Experience Health
- Experience Health Medicare Advantage (HMO) Plan
- Gateway Health Alliance
- Healthgram
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Humana
- Humana Choice (PPO)
- Humana Choice - Medicare Advantage (PPO)
- Humana ChoiceCare - Medicare Advantage (PPO)
- Humana Gold Choice - Medicare Advantage (PFFS)
- Humana Gold Plus - Medicare Advantage (HMO)
- Humana Medicare Advantage Group Plan - NC State Retirees
- MedCost
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Medicare
- First Medicare Direct
- Medicare Part A
- Medicare Part B
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NC Medicaid
- AmeriHealth Caritas North Carolina
- Carolina Complete Health
- Healthy Blue
- NC Medicaid Direct
- WellCare of North Carolina
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TRICARE
- TRICARE Prime
- TRICARE Prime Remote
- TRICARE Select
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United Healthcare
- AARP Medicare Advantage Plan 2 (HMO-POS)
- AARP Medicare Complete (HMO, PPO)*
- AARP Medicare Complete Essential (HMO)*
- All Savers Alternate Funding
- All Savers Fully Insured
- United Healthcare (HMO, PPO, POS)**
- United Healthcare Charter/Charter Balance/Charter Plus
- United Healthcare Choice/Choice Plus
- United Healthcare Core/Core Essential
- United Healthcare Navigate/Navigate Plus/Navigate Balanced
- United Healthcare Option PPO
- United Healthcare Passport Connect Choice/Choice Plus
- United Healthcare Passport Connect Options PPO
- United Healthcare Select/Select Plus
- United Healthcare Shared Services - Harvard Pilgrim/UHC Options PPO Network
- United Medical Resources (UMR)
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*Duke HomeCare and Hospice and mental health providers do not participate with the plan.
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**Duke Health does not participate in UHC plans on the Health Insurance Marketplace.
Before scheduling your appointment, we strongly recommend you contact your insurance company to verify that the Duke Health location or provider you plan to visit is included in your network. Your insurance company will also be able to inform you of any co-payments, co–insurances, or deductibles that will be your responsibility. If you proceed in scheduling an appointment and your health insurance benefits do not participate with Duke, your out of pocket liability may be higher. We will contact you regarding your coverage and patient liability. If you are uninsured, learn more about our financial assistance policy.
External Relationships
Duke requires faculty members to report certain relationships outside of their employment in order to ensure potential conflicts can be addressed. This faculty member has reported no outside activities that relate to their Duke responsibilities.