Mary-Beth M. Percival, MD

What influenced your decision to pursue medicine?

I grew up in a household with two physicians; my mother is a hematologist-oncologist and my father is an endocrinologist. It sometimes seemed like my parents spoke in their own special language when they would share stories about work with one another. I was always intrigued by their conversations and longed to be a part of them. What also appealed to me was observing their dedication to their patients. I, too, wanted to be able to able to help guide people through a trying time in their lives. Once I decided to study medicine, I knew that, like my mother, I wanted to work in an academic setting like Fred Hutch, a place where I could make contributions on multiple fronts through patient care, teaching and research.

What do you think is helpful for patients to know about dealing with a challenging diagnosis?

Being diagnosed with a cancer like leukemia or a similar disease can feel like a roller coaster ride. I encourage patients and families to expect the unexpected. Setbacks may happen along the way; fevers, rashes or other symptoms may suddenly appear that necessitate a hospital stay or a shift in the treatment plan. As frustrating and unnerving as these moments can be, it’s important to put them in perspective. Frequently, these setbacks are small blips on the way toward recovery. I am part of a skilled team of nurses, nurse practitioners and other staff committed to helping you persevere through the difficult moments of cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Provider Background

Specialty: Medical Oncology

Area of clinical practice

Hematologic malignancies

Leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome, myeloproliferative neoplasms

I am a board-certified hematologist-oncologist who treats patients with leukemia and disorders that affect blood-cell formation, such as myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). My clinical practice spans Fred Hutch and UW Medical Center. I enjoy the opportunity to develop long-term relationships with patients and provide care across both the clinic and hospital settings.

My research is focused on developing early-phase clinical trials that test new drugs or new combinations of drugs for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). I also study the factors that affect survival and health outcomes for those with AML.