Mara Y. Roth, MD

Why did you decide to specialize in endocrinology?

Before I became an endocrinologist, I worked as a generalist in a rural hospital in New Zealand for a year. I met a woman who was the matriarch of a large family. She had an endocrine tumor that was causing her body to produce excess hormones. As a result, she had been admitted to the hospital over and over again for symptoms related to the tumor. While the treatment was a fairly straightforward surgery, she had to travel four hours away to get it. It was a big decision for her and her family; we held several family meetings, with up to 80 people in the hospital’s auditorium, to talk the situation through. It was so gratifying when everyone agreed that she should get the treatment and essentially be cured of this endocrine cancer. During this time in my career, I met a lot of people like my patient who were suffering from untreated endocrine diseases. I decided then and there that I wanted to learn more about the endocrine system so that I could help people with these health problems feel better.

What do you think patients appreciate about working with you?

Endocrine cancers tend to be rare. Many endocrinologists don’t often see patients with these cancers in their practices; however, they are my specialty. I am involved in the development of national treatment guidelines for endocrine cancers, and I stay abreast of what the latest research indicates. I think patients appreciate my level of expertise and knowledge in this area of medicine. I enjoy helping patients understand the diagnosis and treatment of endocrine cancers so they can choose a path forward that matches their life goals. Most people with these diseases require long-term monitoring, which means I get to develop strong relationships with my patients that last for decades.

Provider Background

Specialty: Endocrinology

Area of clinical practice

Head and neck cancers

Endocrine tumors

I am a board-certified endocrinologist who cares for patients with tumors or other diseases of the endocrine system. This complex system regulates many functions in the body, such as sleep and digestion, through the production of hormones. Endocrine tumors affect glands that produce these hormones, causing our normal bodily processes to go awry. At Fred Hutch, I serve as the co-director of the endocrine tumor program. I also see patients at the Endocrine and Diabetes Care Center at UW Medical Center-Roosevelt.

My research at Fred Hutch is focused on thyroid cancer. I am studying new advanced therapies for metastatic thyroid cancer and examining thyroid cancer outcomes with the goal of better understanding survivorship concerns and updating national treatment guidelines for this disease. Another of my research interests is male reproductive physiology. I am a member of the Endocrine Society, the American Thyroid Association and the American Society of Andrology.