"Fred Hutch Cancer Center" "Cures Start Here"

Christopher Childers, MD, PhD

Provider

Christopher Childers, MD, PhD

Physician, Fred Hutch
Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine

Specialty:

Surgery

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“Medical providers can sometimes get caught up in wanting to immediately provide a solution and may forget to take a step back and ask patients what they know about their diagnosis, their prognosis and their goals for treatment. I want to always take the time necessary to understand each person.”

— Dr. Childers

What do you value about your work?

My father was in the United States Air Force, and I spent the first 10 years of my life in England. Bouncing around the country and the world has given me a great appreciation for the diversity of people and their lived experiences, and one of my favorite things about my work is meeting people and learning about their stories and interests. While I no longer have a British accent, I have kept the dry sense of humor and appreciation of sarcasm.

Why did you decide to focus on cancer and providing surgical care?

In medical school, I was drawn to surgery because of the tangibility of the field. I found the ability to fix something in real time to be extremely rewarding. During my general surgery training, I became interested in surgical oncology and the management of diseases of the liver and pancreas because of the complexity of the operations, the multidisciplinary care and the growing number of treatment options available to patients.

Provider Background

Area of Clinical Practice
Hepatopancreatobiliary (HPB) surgery

I am a physician who sees patients at the South Lake Union Clinic and Fred Hutch at UW Medical Center – Montlake.

My research focuses on health policy and the way financial incentives shape surgical decision-making. Laboratory and clinical researchers continue to discover novel ways to treat cancer, but if we don't have the right policies and incentives, these treatments may not ever make it to the patients who need them most.

Diseases Treated

Bile Duct Cancer

Gallbladder Cancer

Liver Tumors and Cancer

Neuroendocrine Tumors

Pancreatic Cancer

Languages

English

Education, Experience and Certifications

Undergraduate Degree
University of California, San Diego

Medical Degree
The Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University

Residency
David Geffen School of Medicine/UCLA Medical Center, University of California, Los Angeles, General Surgery

Fellowship
MD Anderson Cancer Center, Surgical Oncology

Board Certification
General Surgery, 2022; Complex General Surgical Oncology, 2024; American Board of Surgery

Other
PhD, Health Policy and Management, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health

We make promising new treatments available to you through studies called clinical trials led by Fred Hutch physicians. Many of these trials at Fred Hutch have led to FDA-approved treatments and have improved standards of care globally. Together, you and your physician can decide if a study is right for you.

View Clinical Trials

Many of our Fred Hutch physicians conduct ongoing research to improve standards of patient care. Their work is evaluated by other physicians and selected for publication to the United States National Library of Medicine, the largest medical library in the world. See scientific papers this Fred Hutch physician has written.

View Dr. Childers' Publications

Your Care Team

At Fred Hutch, you receive care from a team of providers with extensive experience in your disease. Your team includes physicians, a patient care coordinator, a registered nurse, an advanced practice provider and others, based on your needs. You also have access to experts like registered dietitians, social workers, acupuncturists, psychiatrists and more who specialize in supporting people with cancer or blood disorders.

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Insurance

Fred Hutch accepts most national private health insurance plans as well as Medicare. We also accept Medicaid for people from Washington, Alaska, Montana and Idaho. We are working to ensure that everyone, no matter what their financial situation, has access to the care they need.

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