Rebecka L. Meyers, MD

Languages spoken: English

Academic Information

Departments: Surgery - Professor, Pediatrics - Adjunct Professor

Divisions: Pediatric Administration, Pediatric Surgery

Academic Office Information

Rebecka.Meyers@hsc.utah.edu

Board Certification

  • American Board of Surgery (Sub: General Surgery)
  • American Board of Surgery (Sub: Pediatric Surgery)

Research Interests

  • Hepatoblastoma
  • Pleural Effusion
  • Empyema, Pleural
  • Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted
  • Clostridium Difficile Enterocolitis
Dr. Rebecka Meyers, an international expert in hepatoblastoma and liver tumors, clinically specializes in pediatric surgical oncology, pectus excavatum, and conjoined twins. She served as Chief of the Division of Pediatric Surgery from 2001-2011 and is a recognized leader in the field of pediatric surgery.

Dr. Meyers was a driving force establishing the Pediatric Liver Transplant program at Primary Children’s in 1997 and served as the Pediatric Surgical Director of the Liver Transplant Program from 1997 to 2009. She combines her expertise in pediatric liver transplantation with her passion for treating children’s cancer with a career focus on the treatment of complex liver tumors in children. She has served as chair of the national Children’s Oncology Group (COG) Liver Committee since 2008 and has led multiple national and international research investigations in the study of liver tumors in children.

Dr. Meyers other special interests include complex surgical resection and reconstruction in the treatment of all types of children’s solid tumors and cancers, congenital disorders of the liver and biliary atresia, neonatal birth defects, conjoined twins, and especially pectus chest wall deformities. In 2001 she was chief surgeon on a surgical team that emergently separated thoraco-omphalopagus twins joined at the chest, heart, liver, biliary tree and intestine. In 2006 she led a team of nine surgeons in the separation of thoraco-omphalo-ischiopagus tripus conjoined twins with only one kidney necessitating live saving kidney transplant in one of the twins. Her interest in pectus chest wall deformities has grown over the years since she introduced the minimally invasive Nuss procedure to Utah in 1999. She has since reconstructed hundreds of children and young adults with complex chest wall deformity and treats patients from all over the intermountain west with this and other complex deformities.

Dr. Meyers clinical interests also include the following conditions: Inguinal hernia, Umbilical hernia, Undescended testicle, Hydrocele, Cholecystectomy (removal of the gallbladder), Gastrostomy (placement of a stomach tube), Appendectomy (removal of the appendix), Vascular access (ports and central lines), Ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, Gastroesophageal reflux disease, Chest wall deformities (pectus excavatum and pectus carinatum), Pediatric endocrine surgery (thyroid and adrenal tumors/pancreas surgery)

Education History

Fellowship St. Christopher's Hospital for Children
Pediatric Surgery/Pediatric Liver Transplant 		Fellow
Residency University of California, San Francisco
General Surgery 		Resident
Research Fellow UCSF - Cardiovascular Research Institute
Fetal Cardiovascular Research 		Research Fellow
Internship University of California, San Francisco
Surgery 		Intern
Professional Medical Oregon Health Sciences University Medical School
Medicine 		M.D.
Undergraduate Stanford University
Human Biology and Philosophy 		B.A.

Selected Publications

  1. Rich BS, Fishbein J, Lautz T, Rubalcava NS, Kartal T, Newman E, Wok PE, Romao RLP, Whitlock R, Naik-Mathuria B, Polites SF, Lfberg K, Lascano D, Kim E, Davidson J, Btter A, Kastenberg ZJ, Short SS, Meyers RL, Mastropolo R, Malek MM, Weller J, Irfan A, Rhee DS, Utria AF, Rothstein DH, Riehle K, Commander SJ, Tracy E, Becktell K, Hallis B, Lal D, Li O, Dal-Soglio DB, Pich N, Quevedo OG, Murphy AJ, Davidoff AM, Barber JC, Watters E, Dasgupta R, Glick RD (2022). Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor: A multi-institutional study from the Pediatric Surgical Oncology Research Collaborative. Int J Cancer, 151(7), 1059-1067.
  2. Short SS, Kastenberg ZJ, Wei G, Bondoc A, Dasgupta R, Tiao GM, Watters E, Heaton TE, Lotakis D, La Quaglia MP, Murphy AJ, Davidoff AM, Mansfield SA, Langham MR, Lautz TB, Superina RA, Ott KC, Malek MM, Morgan KM, Kim ES, Zamora A, Lascano D, Roach J, Murphy JT, Rothstein DH, Vasudevan SA, Whitlock R, Lal DR, Hallis B, Btter A, Baertschiger RM, Lapidus-Krol E, Putra J, Tracy ER, Aldrink JH, Apfeld J, Le HD, Park KY, Rich BS, Glick RD, Fialkowski EA, Utria AF, Meyers RL, Riehle KJ (2022). Histologic type predicts disparate outcomes in pediatric hepatocellular neoplasms: A Pediatric Surgical Oncology Research Collaborative study. Cancer, 128(14), 2786-2795.
  3. Al-Hadidi A, Rinehardt HN, Sutthatarn P, Talbot LJ, Murphy AJ, Whitlock R, Condon S, Naik-Mathuria B, Utria AF, Rothstein DH, Chen SY, Wong-Michalak S, Kim ES, Short SS, Meyers RL, Kastenberg ZJ, Johnston ME 2nd, Zens T, Dasgupta R, Malek MM, Calabro K, Pich N, Callas H, Lautz TB, McKay K, Lovvorn HN 3rd, Commander SJ, Tracy ET, Lund SB, Polites SF, Davidson J, Dhooma J, Seemann NM, Marquart JP, Gainer H, Lal DR, Rich BS, Glick RD, Maloney L, Radu S, Fialkowski EA, Kwok PE, Romao RLP, Rubalcava N, Ehrlich PF, Newman E, Diehl T, Le HD, Polcz V, Petroze RT, Stanek J, Aldrink JH (2022). Incidence and management of pleural effusions in patients with Wilms tumor: A Pediatric Surgical Oncology Research Collaborative study. Int J Cancer, 151, 1696-1702.
  4. Vasudevan SA, Meyers RL, Finegold MJ, Lpez-Terrada D, Ranganathan S, Dunn SP, Langham MR, McGahren ED, Tiao GM, Weldon CB, Malogolowkin MH, Krailo MD, Piao J, Randazzo J, Towbin AJ, BethMcCarville M, ONeill AF, Furman WL, Rodriguez-Galindo C, Katzenstein HM (2022). Outcomes of children with well-differentiated fetal hepatoblastoma treated with surgery only: Report from Children's oncology group trial, AHEP0731. J Pediatr Surg.
  5. Katzenstein HM, Malogolowkin MH, Krailo MD, Piao J, Towbin AJ, McCarville MB, Tiao GM, Dunn SP, Langham MR, McGahren ED, Finegold MJ, Ranganathan S, Weldon CB, Thompson PA, Trobaugh-Lotrario AD, ONeill AF, Furman WL, Chung N, Randazzo J, Rodriguez-Galindo C, Meyers RL (2021). Doxorubicin in combination with cisplatin, 5-flourouracil, and vincristine is feasible and effective in unresectable hepatoblastoma: A Children's Oncology Group study. Cancer, 128(5), 1057-1065.
  6. Morgan KM, Anderson KT, Johnston ME, Dasgupta R, Crowley JJ, Fahy AS, Lapidus-Krol E, Baertschiger RM, Lautz TB, Many BT, Marquart JP, Gainer H, Lal DR, Rich BS, Glick RD, MacArthur TA, Polites SF, Kastenberg ZJ, Short SS, Meyers RL, Talbot L, Abdelhafeez A, Prajapati H, Davidoff AM, Rubaclava N, Newman E, Ehrlich PF, Rothstein DH, Roach JP, Ladd P, Janek KC, Le HD, Leraas HJ, Tracy ET, Bisset L, Mora MC, Warren P, Aldrink JH, Malek MM (2022). Interhospital variability in localization techniques for small pulmonary nodules in children: A pediatric surgical oncology research collaborative study. J Pediatr Surg, 57, 1013-1017.
  7. Trobaugh-Lotrario A, Katzenstein HM, Ranganathan S, Lopez-Terrada D, Krailo MD, Piao J, Chung N, Randazzo J, Malogolowkin MH, Furman WL, McCarville EB, Towbin AJ, Tiao GM, Dunn SP, Langham MR, McGahren ED, Feusner J, Rodriguez-Galindo C, Meyers RL, ONeill AF, Finegold MJ (2021). Small Cell Undifferentiated Histology Does Not Adversely Affect Outcome in Hepatoblastoma: A Report From the Children's Oncology Group (COG) AHEP0731 Study Committee. J Clin Oncol (40(5), pp. 459-467). United States.
  8. Meyers R, Hiyama E, Czauderna P, Tiao GM (2021). Liver Tumors in Pediatric Patients. [Review]. Surg Oncol Clin N Am, 30(2), 253-274.
  9. Lautz TB, Farooqui Z, Jenkins T, Heaton TE, Doski JJ, Cooke-Barber J, Murphy AJ, Davidoff AM, Mansfield SA, Kim ES, Zuber S, Goodhue C, Vasudevan SA, LaQuaglia MP, Piche N, Le-Nguyen A, Aldrink JH, Malek MM, Siow VS, Glick RD, Rich BS, Meyers RL, Short SS, Butter A, Baertschiger RM, Fialkowski EA, Dasgupta R (2020). Thoracoscopy vs thoracotomy for the management of metastatic osteosarcoma: A Pediatric Surgical Oncology Research Collaborative Study. Int J Cancer, 148(5), 1164-1171.
  10. Many BT, Lautz TB, Dobrozsi S, Wilkinson KH, Rossoff J, Le-Nguyen A, Dakhallah N, Piche N, Weinschenk W, Cooke-Barker J, Goodhue C, Zamora A, Kim ES, Talbot LJ, Quevedo OG, Murphy AJ, Commander SJ, Tracy ET, Short SS, Meyers RL, Rinehardt HN, Aldrink JH, Heaton TE, Ortiz MV, Baertschiger R, Wong KE, Lapidus-Krol E, Butter A, Davidson J, Stark R, Ramaraj A, Malek M, Mastropolo R, Morgan K, Murphy JT, Janek K, Le HD, Dasgupta R, Lal DR, PEDIATRIC SURGICAL ONCOLOGY RESEARCH COLLABORATIVE (2020). Appendectomy Versus Observation for Appendicitis in Neutropenic Children With Cancer. Pediatrics, 147(2).
  11. Harris CJ, Helenowski I, Murphy AJ, Mansfield SA, LaQuaglia MP, Heaton TE, Cavalli M, Murphy JT, Newman E, Overmen RE, Kartal TT, Cooke-Barber J, Donaher A, Malek MM, Kalsi R, Kim ES, Zobel MJ, Goodhue CJ, Naik-Mathuria BJ, Jefferson IN, Roach JP, Mata C, Pich N, Joharifard S, Sultan S, Short SS, Meyers RL, Bleicher J, Le HD, Janek K, Btter A, Davidson J, Aldrink JH, Richards HW, Tracy ET, Commander SJ, Fialkowski EA, Troutt M, Dasgupta R, Lautz TB (2020). Implications of Tumor Characteristics and Treatment Modality on Local Recurrence and Functional Outcomes in Children with Chest Wall Sarcoma: A Pediatric Surgical Oncology Research Collaborative Study. Ann Surg.
  12. Rhee DS, Rodeberg DA, Baertschiger RM, Aldrink JH, Lautz TB, Grant C, Meyers RL, Tracy ET, Christison-Lagay ER, Glick RD, Mattei P, Dasgupta R, American Pediatric Surgical Association Cancer Committee (2020). Update on pediatric rhabdomyosarcoma: A report from the APSA Cancer Committee. J Pediatr Surg, 55(10), 1987-1995.
  13. Vasudevan SA, Ha TN, Zhu H, Heaton TE, LaQuaglia MP, Murphy JT, Barry WE, Goodhue C, Kim ES, Aldrink JH, Polites SF, Leraas HJ, Rice HE, Tracy ET, Lautz TB, Superina RA, Davidoff AM, Langham MR Jr, Murphy AJ, Btter A, Davidson J, Glick RD, Grijalva J, Gow KW, Ehrlich PF, Newman EA, Lal DR, Malek MM, Le-Nguyen A, Pich N, Rothstein DH, Short SS, Meyers R, Dasgupta R (2020). Pancreaticoduodenectomy for the treatment of pancreatic neoplasms in children: A Pediatric Surgical Oncology Research Collaborative study. Pediatr Blood Cancer, 67(9), e28425.
  14. Haeberle B, Rangaswami A, Krailo M, Czauderna P, Hiyama E, Maibach R, Lopez-Terrada D, Aronson DC, Alaggio R, Ansari M, Malogolowkin MH, Perilongo G, ONeill AF, Trobaugh-Lotrario AD, Watanabe K, Schmid I, von Schweinitz D, Ranganathan S, Yoshimura K, Hishiki T, Tanaka Y, Piao J, Feng Y, Rinaldi E, Saraceno D, Derosa M, Meyers RL (2020). The importance of age as prognostic factor for the outcome of patients with hepatoblastoma: Analysis from the Children's Hepatic tumors International Collaboration (CHIC) database. Pediatr Blood Cancer, 67(8), e28350.
  15. Overman RE, Kartal TT, Cunningham AJ, Fialkowski EA, Naik-Mathuria BJ, Vasudevan SA, Malek MM, Kalsi R, Le HD, Stafford LC, Lautz TB, Many BT, Jones RE, Btter A, Davidson J, Williams A, Dasgupta R, Lewis J, Troutt M, Aldrink JH, Mansfield SA, Lal DR, Xiao J, Meyers RL, Short SS, Newman EA (2020). Optimization of percutaneous biopsy for diagnosis and pretreatment risk assessment of neuroblastoma. Pediatr Blood Cancer, 67(5), e28153.
  16. Weldon CB, Madenci AL, Tiao GM, Dunn SP, Langham MR, McGahren ED, Ranganathan S, Lpez-Terrada DH, Finegold MJ, Malogolowkin MH, Piao J, Huang L, Krailo MD, Meyers RL, Katzenstein HM (2019). Evaluation of the diagnostic biopsy approach for children with hepatoblastoma: A report from the children's oncology group AHEP 0731 liver tumor committee. J Pediatr Surg, 55(4), 655-659.
  17. Polites SF, Heaton TE, LaQuaglia MP, Kim ES, Barry WE, Goodhue CJ, Murphy AJ, Davidoff AM, Langham MR, Meyers RL, Short SS, Lautz TB, Glick RD, Vasudevan SA, Bence CM, Lal DR, Baertschiger RM, Emr B, Malek MM, Dasgupta R (2020). Pneumonectomy for Pediatric Tumors-a Pediatric Surgical Oncology Research Collaborative Study. Ann Surg, 274, e605-e609.
  18. Dasgupta R, Billmire D, Aldrink JH, Meyers RL (2016). What is new in pediatric surgical oncology? Curr Opin Pediatr, 29(1), 3-11.
  19. Aronson DC, Meyers RL (2016). Malignant tumors of the liver in children. Semin Pediatr Surg, 25(5), 265-275.
  20. Russell KW, Rollins MD, Barnhart DC, Mone MC, Meyers RL, Skarda DE, Soukup ES, Black RE, Molitor MS, Stoddard GJ, Scaife ER (2015). Charge Awareness Affects Treatment Choice: Prospective Randomized Trial in Pediatric Appendectomy. Ann Surg, 262(1), 189-93.
  21. Meyers RL (2014). Hepatic Tumors. In Ziegler MM, Azizhan RG, von Allmen D, Weber T (Eds.), Operative Pediatric Surgery (2nd Edition, pp. 1213-26). McGraw-Hill Companies.
  22. Lopez-Terrada D, Alaggio R, de Davila MT, Czauderna P, Hiyama E, Katzenstein H, Leuschner I, Malogolowkin M, Meyers R, Ranganathan S, Tanaka Y, Tomlinson G, Fabre M, Zimmermann A, Finegold MJ (2014). Towards an international pediatric liver tumor consensus classification: proceedings of the Los Angeles COG liver tumors symposium. Mod Pathol, 27(3), 472-91.
  23. Otte JB, Meyers RL, de Ville de Goyet J (2013). Transplantation for liver tumors in children: time to (re)set the guidelines? Pediatr Transplant, 17(8), 710-2.
  24. Trobaugh-Lotrario AD, Chaiyachati BH, Meyers RL, Haberle B, Tomlinson GE, Katzenstein HM, Malogolowkin MH, von Schweinitz D, Krailo M, Feusner JH (2013). Outcomes for patients with congenital hepatoblastoma. Pediatr Blood Cancer, 60(11), 1817-25.
  25. Rodriguez-Galindo C, Krailo M, Frazier L, Chintagumpala M, Amatruda J, Katzenstein H, Malogolowkin M, Spector L, Pashankar F, Meyers R, Tomlinson G (2013). Children's Oncology Group's 2013 blueprint for research: rare tumors. Pediatr Blood Cancer, 60(6), 1016-21.
  26. Workman JK, Myrick CW, Meyers RL, Bratton SL, Nakagawa TA (2013). Pediatric organ donation and transplantation. Pediatrics, 131(6), e1723-30.
  27. Scaife ER, Rollins MD, Barnhart DC, Downey EC, Black RE, Meyers RL, Stevens MH, Gordon S, Prince JS, Battaglia D, Fenton SJ, Plumb J, Metzger RR (2013). The role of focused abdominal sonography for trauma (FAST) in pediatric trauma evaluation. J Pediatr Surg, 48(6), 1377-83.
  28. Russell KW, Barnhart DC, Madden J, Leeflang E, Jackson WD, Feola GP, Meyers RL, Scaife ER, Rollins MD (2013). Non-operative treatment versus percutaneous drainage of pancreatic pseudocysts in children. Pediatr Surg Int, 29(3), 305-10.
  29. Meyers RL, Czauderna P, Otte JB (2012). Surgical treatment of hepatoblastoma. Pediatr Blood Cancer, 59(5), 800-8.
  30. Meyers RL, Tiao GM, Dunn SP, McGahren ED 3rd, Langham MR Jr, Central Surgical Review Committee Childrens Oncology Group AHEP-0731 Treatment of Children with All Stages Hepatoblastoma (2012). Surgical management of children with locally advanced hepatoblastoma. [Letter to the editor]. Cancer, 118(16), 4090-1; author reply 4094-5.
  31. Meyers RL, Aronson D, Zimmerman A (2012). Malignant Liver Tumors. In Coran, Adzick, Krummel, Laberge, Shamberger, Caldamone (Eds.), Pediatric Surgery (7th Edition, Vol 1, pp. 463-82). Philadelphia: Elsevier.
  32. Malogolowkin MH, Katzenstein HM, Krailo M, Meyers RL (2012). Treatment of hepatoblastoma: the North American cooperative group experience. Front Biosci (Elite Ed), 4, 1717-23.
  33. Meyers RL, Tiao GM, Dunn SP, Langham MR Jr (2012). Liver transplantation in the management of unresectable hepatoblastoma in children. Front Biosci (Elite Ed), 4, 1293-302.
  34. Malogolowkin MH, Katzenstein HM, Meyers RL, Krailo MD, Rowland JM, Haas J, Finegold MJ (2011). Complete surgical resection is curative for children with hepatoblastoma with pure fetal histology: a report from the Children's Oncology Group. J Clin Oncol, 29(24), 3301-6.
  35. Gupta AA, Gerstle JT, Ng V, Wong A, Fecteau A, Malogolowkin MH, Meyers RL, Grant D, Grant RM (2011). Critical review of controversial issues in the management of advanced pediatric liver tumors. Pediatr Blood Cancer, 56(7), 1013-8.
  36. Meyers RL, Otte JB (2011). Liver Transplantation for Unresectable Liver Tumors in Children. In Zimmerman A, Perilongo G, Malogolowkin M, von Schweinitz D (Eds.), Pediatric Liver Tumors (1st Edition, pp. 133-52). Berlin Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag.
  37. Pearson EG, Downey EC, Barnhart DC, Scaife ER, Rollins MD, Black RE, Matlak ME, Johnson DG, Meyers RL (2010). Reflux esophageal stricture--a review of 30 years' experience in children. J Pediatr Surg, 45(12), 2356-60.
  38. Meyers RL, Aronson DC, Von Schweinitz D, Zimmerman A, Malogolowkin MH (2010). Pediatric Liver Tumors. In Pizzo PA, Poplack DG (Eds.), Principles and Practices of Pediatric Oncology (6th Edition, pp. 838-60). Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
  39. Otte JB, Meyers R (2010). PLUTO first report. Pediatr Transplant, 14(7), 830-5.
  40. Meyers RL, Rowland JR, Krailo M, Chen Z, Katzenstein HM, Malogolowkin MH (2009). Predictive power of pretreatment prognostic factors in children with hepatoblastoma: a report from the Children's Oncology Group. Pediatr Blood Cancer, 53(6), 1016-22.