Erin P. Ward

Erin P. Ward, MD

Languages spoken: English

Academic Information

Departments Primary - Surgery

Divisions: Surgical Oncology

Board Certification

  • American Board of Surgery
  • American Board of Surgery (Sub: Complex General Surgical Oncology)

Erin P. Ward, MD is a surgical oncologist who specializes in the treatment of patients with abdominal cancers. She specializes in the surgical management of appendix cancer, neuroendocrine tumors, gastric cancer, and metastatic colorectal cancer. She is an expert in the treatment of peritoneal surface malignancies and other cancers that may have spread to the peritoneal lining, including the use of advanced therapies such as cytoreduction and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC).

Dr. Ward is an Assistant Professor at the University of Utah; prior to joining she trained with world-renowned experts at the Medical College of Wisconsin and the University of California San Diego. Dr. Ward grew up in Michigan where she earned her medical degree at the College of Human Medicine at Michigan State University. She completed her general surgery residency and a two-year research fellowship at the University of California San Diego. She completed her training with a two-year Complex Surgical Oncology and completed an AHPBA Certified hepato-pancreatic biliary surgery fellowship at the Medical College of Wisconsin. She is board certified in both general surgery and complex general surgical oncology.

Dr. Ward is one of two Commission on Cancer Liaison Physicians at the Huntsman Cancer Institute and actively pursuing research to understand better the impact of psychosocial health on cancer patient outcomes and patient-reported outcomes.

Dr. Ward’s primary research focus is defining the impact of psychosocial health on the long-term and short-term outcomes for cancer patients.

Dr. Ward’s clinical interests include:

  • Metastatic colorectal cancer
  • Appendiceal cancer
  • Gastric cancer
  • Neuroendocrine tumors
  • Minimally invasive surgery
  • Mesothelioma
  • Peritoneal based malignancies
  • HIPEC

Education History

Fellowship Medical College of Wisconsin
 Fellow
Fellowship Medical College of Wisconsin
 Fellow
Chief Resident University of California, San Diego School of Medicine
 Administrative Chief Resident
Research Fellow University of California, San Diego School of Medicine
 Research Fellow
Residency University of California, San Diego School of Medicine
 Resident
Professional Medical Michigan State University College of Human Medicine
 MD
Undergraduate Michigan State University
 BS
Undergraduate Michigan State University
 BS

Selected Publications

Journal Article

  1. Jensen K, Sood D, Horns JJ, Das R, Hanley A, Fritz J, Ward EP (2026). Disparities in outcomes and costs of gastrectomy for gastric cancer among patients with depression and anxiety. Surg Oncol Insight, 3(2).
  2. Hallet J, Falconi M, Buerba GA, Clarke C, Maxwell J, Soares H, Stttner S, Nieveen van Dijkum E, Acher AW, Andreasi V, Bartsch D, Bubis L, Cavallucci D, Chan D, Clemente U, Del Chiaro M, Daskalakis K, Dominguez-Rosado I, Dumitra T, Duncan K, Fermi F, Fusai GK, Hackert T, Howe JR, Huivaniuk I, Kaemmerer D, Landoni L, McNamara M, Niessen A, Pascher A, Perren A, Pommier R, Sachdeva S, Sadowski S, Sauvanet A, Singhi A, Sorbye H, Ward E, Wei A, Yen L, Soreide K, Partelli S (2026). Surgical management of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours. Br J Surg, 113(4).
  3. Greenbaum A, Kosich M, Marek L, Ward E, Pankratz S, Mishra SI, Rai VK, Popek S, Baste LM, Hernandez MC, Fahy B (2025). Decision Regret and Burden in Caregivers of Patients with Appendiceal Cancer Undergoing Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy. Ann Surg Oncol, 33(2), 1684-1693.
  4. Greenbaum A, Kosich M, Marek L, Ward E, Pankratz S, Mishra SI, Rai VK, Popek S, Baste LM, Hernandez MC, Fahy B (2025). ASO Visual Abstract: Decision Regret and Burden in Caregivers of Patients with Appendiceal Cancer Undergoing Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy. Ann Surg Oncol, 33(2), 1718.
  5. Vasenina V, Sood D, Hanley AW, Fritz JM, Ward EP (2026). Beyond survival: the hidden impact of depression on life after cancer. J Cancer Surviv.
  6. Godfrey EL, Mahoney F, Bansal VV, Su DG, Hanna DN, Lopez-Ramirez F, Baron E, Turaga KK, Benson AB 3rd, Setia N, Winer JH, Gunderson CG, Shah R, Magge DR, Solsky I, Eng C, Eng OS, Shergill A, Shen JP, Misdraji J, Foote MB, Luo W, Peritoneal Surface Malignancies Consortium Group (2024). Consensus guideline for the management of patients with appendiceal tumors, part 2: Appendiceal tumors with peritoneal involvement. Cancer, 131(13), e35874.
  7. Su DG, Brown LM, Bansal VV, Bakkila B, Concors SJ, Turaga KK, Gunderson C, Bergsland E, Strosberg JR, Halfdanarson TR, Metz DC, Kunstman JW, Kunz PL, Gangi A, Peritoneal Surface Malignancies PSM Consortium Group (2025). Consensus Guideline for the Management of Peritoneal Metastases from Neuroendocrine Neoplasms. Ann Surg Oncol.
  8. Schultz KS, Bansal VV, Wach MM, Bhutiani N, Godley FA 4th, Wang JJ, Waheed MT, Buchheit JT, Papai E, Campbell S, Schleimer LE, Su DG, Turaga KK, Gunderson CG, White MG, Uppal A, Raghav KPS, Labow DM, Sarpel U, Shergill AP, Shen JP, Eng C, Foote MB, Baumgartner JM, Peritoneal Surface Malignancies PSM Consortium Group (2025). Consensus Guideline for the Management of Colorectal Cancer with Peritoneal Metastases. Ann Surg Oncol.
  9. Butensky SD, Bansal VV, Su DG, Waheed MT, Nikiforchin A, Gomez-Mayorga JL, Olecki E, Radomski SN, Sun B, Turaga KK, Gunderson CG, Lacy J, Badgwell BD, In H, Kennedy T, Yoon HH, Greer JB, Sundar R, Woo Y, Peritoneal Surface Malignancies PSM Consortium Group (2025). Consensus Guideline for the Management of Gastric Cancer with Synchronous Peritoneal Metastases. Ann Surg Oncol.
  10. Brown LM, Wilkins SG, Bansal VV, Su DG, Gomez-Mayorga J, Turaga KK, Gunderson CG, Lee B, Nash GM, Hays JL, Raghav KP, Husain AL, Kluger MD, Zauderer MG, Kindler HL, Alexander HR, Peritoneal Surface Malignancies PSM Consortium Group (2025). Consensus Guideline for the Management of Peritoneal Mesothelioma. Ann Surg Oncol.
  11. Bansal VV, Godfrey EL, Sadjadi J, Bello RJ, Kwakman R, Abreu AA, Vudatha V, Sparkman BK, Freudenberger DC, Su DG, Turaga KK, Micic D, Malec M, Tun S, Polite B, Lambert LA, Greenbaum A, Gunderson CG, Smith TJ, Kopecky KE, Powers BD, Maduekwe UN, Ward EP, Peritoneal Surface Malignancies PSM Consortium Group (2025). Consensus Guideline for the Management of Malignant Gastrointestinal Obstruction in Patients with Peritoneal Surface Malignancies. Ann Surg Oncol.
  12. Godfrey EL, Mahoney F, Bansal VV, Su DG, Hanna DN, Lopez-Ramirez F, Baron E, Turaga KK, Benson AB 3rd, Cusack J, Winer JH, Gunderson CG, Misdraji J, Shah R, Magge DR, Solsky I, Eng C, Eng OS, Shergill A, Shen JP, Foote MB, Peritoneal Surface Malignancies PSM Consortium Group (2025). Consensus Guideline for the Management of Patients with Appendiceal Tumors, Part 1: Appendiceal Tumors Without Peritoneal Involvement. Ann Surg Oncol.
  13. Graves A, Sadjadi J, Kosich M, Ward E, Sood D, Fahy B, Pankratz S, Mishra SI, Greenbaum A (2024). Decision Regret in Patients with Appendiceal Cancer Undergoing Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy. Ann Surg Oncol, 31(12), 7978-7986.
  14. Clarke CN, Ward E, Henry V, Nimmer K, Phan A, Evans DB (2024). Impact of Regional Metastasis on Survival for Patients with Nonfunctional Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors: A Systematic Review. Ann Surg Oncol, 31(8), 4976-4985.
  15. Ward EP, Vincent-Sheldon S, Tolat P, Kulkarni N, Aldakkak M, Budithi R, Clarke CN, Tsai S, Evans DB, Christians KK (2024). Median arcuate ligament release at the time of pancreaticoduodenectomy or total pancreatectomy. Surgery.
  16. Ward EP, Okamuro L, Khan S, Hosseini M, Valasek MA, Ronquillo N Jr, Kelly KJ, Veerapong J, Lowy AM, Baumgartner J (2021). Ki67 does not predict recurrence for low-grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasms with peritoneal dissemination after cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC. Hum Pathol, 113, 104-110.
  17. Miller JB, Ward E, Staley LA, Stevens J, Teerlink CC, Tavana JP, Cloward M, Page M, Dayton L, Alzheimers Disease Genetics Consortium, Cannon-Albright LA, Kauwe JSK (2020). Identification and genomic analysis of pedigrees with exceptional longevity identifies candidate rare variants. Neurobiol Dis, 143, 104972.
  18. Badaracco AG, Ward E, Barback C, Yang J, Wang J, Huang CH, Kim M, Wang Q, Nam S, Delong J, Blair S, Trogler WC, Kummel A (2019). Indocyanine green modified silica shells for colon tumor marking. Appl Surf Sci, 499.
  19. Weiss A, Lopez NE, Ward EP, Lee KC, Caudle AS, Dickson-Witmer D, Chang C, Kelly K, Martin LW, Jacobs LK, Hunt KK, Yao K, Blair SL (2019). Challenges in Clinical Trial Implementation: Results from a Survey of the National Accreditation Program of Breast Centers (NAPBC). Ann Surg Oncol, 26(13), 4364-4371.
  20. Wang A, Prieto JM, Ward E, Bickler S, Henry M, Kling K, Thangarajah H, Ignacio R Jr (2018). Operative treatment for intussusception: Should an incidental appendectomy be performed? J Pediatr Surg, 54(3), 495-499.
  21. Voss RK, Ward EP, Ojeda-Fournier H, Blair SL (2018). Doppler Ultrasound-Visible SignalMark Microspheres are Better Identified than HydroMARK® Clips in a Simulated Intraoperative Setting in Breast and Lung Tissue. Ann Surg Oncol, 25(12), 3740-3746.
  22. Ward EP, Yang J, Delong JC, Sung TW, Wang J, Barback C, Mendez N, Horgan S, Trogler W, Kummel AC, Blair SL (2018). Identifying lost surgical needles with visible and near infrared fluorescent light emitting microscale coating. Surgery, 163(4), 883-888.
  23. Langness S, Ward E, Halbach J, Lizardo R, Davenport K, Bickler S, Kling K, Thangarajah H, Grabowski J, Fairbanks T (2017). Plasma D-dimer safely reduces unnecessary CT scans obtained in the evaluation of pediatric head trauma. J Pediatr Surg, 53(4), 752-757.
  24. DeLong JC, Ward EP, Lwin TM, Brumund KT, Kelly KJ, Horgan S, Bouvet M (2017). Indocyanine green fluorescence-guided parathyroidectomy for primary hyperparathyroidism. Surgery, 163(2), 388-392.
  25. Ward EP, Wang A, Thangarajah H, Lazar D, Bickler S, Fairbanks T, Kling KM (2017). Preemptive Ladd Procedure in congenital diaphragmatic hernia and Abdominal Wall defects does not reduce the risk of future volvulus. J Pediatr Surg, 52(12), 1956-1961.
  26. Ward EP, Unkart JT, Bryant A, Murphy J, Blair SL (2017). Influence of Distance to Hospital and Insurance Status on the Rates of Contralateral Prophylactic Mastectomy, a National Cancer Data Base study. Ann Surg Oncol, 24(10), 3038-3047.
  27. Ward EP, Weiss A, Blair SL (2017). Incidence and treatments of DCIS in octogenarians: grade matters. Breast Cancer Res Treat, 165(2), 403-409.
  28. Yang J, Ward E, Sung TW, Wang J, Barback C, Mendez N, Blair S, Trogler WC, Kummel AC (2017). Silica Shells/Adhesive Composite Film for Color Doppler Ultrasound Guided Needle Placement. ACS Biomater Sci Eng, 3(8), 1780-1787.
  29. Yang J, Wang J, Ta CN, Ward E, Barback CV, Sung TW, Mendez N, Blair SL, Kummel AC, Trogler WC (2017). Ultrasound Responsive Macrophase-Segregated Microcomposite Films for in Vivo Biosensing. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces, 9(2), 1719-1727.
  30. Ward EP, Shiavazzi D, Sood D, Marsden A, Lane J, Owens E, Barleben A (2016). Computed Tomography Fractional Flow Reserve Can Identify Culprit Lesions in Aortoiliac Occlusive Disease Using Minimally Invasive Techniques. Ann Vasc Surg, 38, 151-157.
  31. Ward EP, Wang J, Mendez N, Yang J, Barback C, Wang-Rodriguez J, Trogler W, Kummel AC, Blair S (2016). Utilization of iron (III)-doped nanoshells for in vivo marking of nonpalpable tumors using a VX2 rabbit model. Am J Surg, 212(6), 1140-1146.
  32. Robles J, Weiss A, Ward EP, Unkart J, Blair SL (2016). Treatment of Breast Cancer in Women Aged 80 and Older: A Systematic Review. Breast Cancer: Current Research, 1(4).
  33. Weiss A, Lee KC, Romero Y, Ward E, Kim Y, Ojeda-Fournier H, Einck J, Blair SL (2014). Calcifications on mammogram do not correlate with tumor size after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Ann Surg Oncol, 21(10), 3310-6.

Review

  1. Takahashi H, Dehal A, In H, Kwon S, Eskander M, Vidri RJ, Ecker BL, Ward E, Philips P, Konstantinidis IT, Vohra N, Kaplan B, Nunns G, Davis J, Grotz TE, Williams R, Kukar M, Society of Surgical Oncology SSO Gastrointestinal GI Disease Site Working Group (2026). Biomarker-Driven Management of Nonmetastatic GEJ Adenocarcinoma. [Review]. Ann Surg Oncol, 33(8), 7343-7357.
  2. Takahashi H, Dehal A, In H, Kwon S, Eskander M, Vidri RJ, Ecker BL, Ward E, Philips P, Konstantinidis IT, Vohra N, Kaplan B, Nunns G, Davis J, Grotz TE, Williams R, Kukar M, Society of Surgical Oncology SSO Gastrointestinal GI Disease Site Working Group (2026). Biomarker-Driven Management of Nonmetastatic GEJ Adenocarcinoma. [Review]. Ann Surg Oncol, 33(8), 7343-7357.
  3. Holowatyj AN, Overman MJ, Votanopoulos KI, Lowy AM, Wagner P, Washington MK, Eng C, Foo WC, Goldberg RM, Hosseini M, Idrees K, Johnson DB, Shergill A, Ward E, Zachos NC, Shelton D, Appendix Cancer Pseudomyxoma Peritonei ACPMP Research Foundation (2025). Defining a 'cells to society' research framework for appendiceal tumours. [Review]. Nat Rev Cancer, 25(4), 293-315.
  4. Ward EP, Zeh Iii HJ, Tsai S (2021). Current Controversies in Neoadjuvant Therapy for Pancreatic Cancer. [Review]. Surg Oncol Clin N Am, 30(4), 657-671.
  5. Ward EP, Evans DB, Tsai S (2020). Ten-year experience in optimizing neoadjuvant therapy for localized pancreatic cancer-Medical college of Wisconsin perspective. [Review]. J Surg Oncol, 123(6), 1405-1413.

Case Report

  1. Weiss A, Ward EP, Baumgartner JM, Lowy AM, Kelly KJ (2018). Cirrhosis is not a contraindication to cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy in highly selected patients. World J Surg Oncol, 16(1), 87.
  2. Halbach J, Ward E, Langness S, Davenport K, Bickler SW, Fairbanks T, Kling K (2017). Gallbladder Polyps in Children: A Painful Inflammatory Process. Am Surg, 83(4), e140-142.

Editorial

  1. Gupta P, Godfrey EL, Schultz KS, Yu LJ, Bansal VV, Gomez-Mayorga J, Papageorge M, Proussaloglou EM, Su DG, Merl MY, Ward E, Sood D, Magge DR, Senthil M, Kopecky KE, Turaga KK, Sarpel U, Peritoneal Surface Malignancies PSM Consortium Group (2025). Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy: A Call to Study Reproductive Safety for Healthcare Workers. Ann Surg Oncol.
  2. Bansal VV, Witmer HDD, Childers CP, Su DG, Turaga KK, RVU Writing Group, PSM Consortium Group (2024). When Benchmarks Fail Us: A Case Study in Cytoreductive Surgery. Ann Surg Oncol, 32(1), 19-23.
  3. Ward EP, Greenbaum A (2024). Exploring the Patient Experience Through Qualitative Methods: The Missing Piece of Cytoreductive Surgery and HIPEC Research. Ann Surg Oncol.
  4. Cortina CS, Ward EP, Kong AL (2021). The consideration for outpatient mastectomy during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Am J Surg, 222(2), 290-291.

Abstract

  1. Sood, DJ, Ward, EP (2024). Evaluating the impact of depression on self-reported quality of life measurements for patients with a history of cancer: A 2022 behavioral risk factor surveillance system questionnaire study. [Abstract].

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