James O. Park, MD, FACS

What’s your focus in oncology?

My clinical expertise is in minimally invasive surgery for diseases of the liver, pancreas and upper gastrointestinal tract. I was one of the first physicians to begin performing robotic liver and pancreatic surgeries in the Pacific Northwest. Today, I’m part of the Pancreatic Specialty Care Clinic at Fred Hutch and the Liver Tumor Clinic at UW Medical Center.

In addition to seeing patients, I conduct research involving innovative nanotechnology — the manipulation of individual atoms and molecules to improve the diagnosis and treatment of liver cancer. I believe if we can design better imaging technology, we can select patients for surgery more effectively and their outcomes will be significantly improved.

How do you approach treatment?

I believe there is no greater example of human trust than a patient putting his or her life in the hands of a surgeon. I am very privileged to have your confidence while you face complex and sometimes extended cancer treatments. My focus is on treating you like we are family, and I teach my trainees to do the same. I strive to provide a highly personalized management plan for each patient that balances your wishes and beliefs with the most current evidence-based treatment.

Provider Background

Specialty: Surgery

Area of clinical practice
Gastrointestinal cancers

Liver tumors and cancer
My clinical practice is focused on the treatment of benign and malignant diseases of the liver, gall bladder, bile duct, pancreas and upper gastrointestinal tract. I am the director of the UW Liver Tumor Clinic and an active member of the Center for Advanced Minimally Invasive Liver Oncologic Therapy (CAMILOT), where I am pioneering minimally invasive robotic surgery for complex hepatobiliary diseases.

Pancreatic cancer
I am part of the interdisciplinary team at the Fred Hutch Pancreatic Cancer Specialty Clinic and a UW associate professor of hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgical oncology. As chair of the Robotic Steering Committee, I focus on developing minimally invasive robotic surgery for pancreatic diseases. My research lab studies cancer-targeted imaging and treatments that use nanotechnology. I am also the clinical director of surgical specialties for the WWAMI Institute for Simulation in Healthcare (WISH)