"Fred Hutch Cancer Center" "Cures Start Here"

Evan Y. Yu, MD

Provider

Evan Y. Yu, MD

Section Head, Medical Oncology, Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutch
Medical Director, Clinical Research Support, Fred Hutch/University of Washington/Seattle Children's Cancer Consortium
Assistant Fellowship Director, UW Medicine
Professor, Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutch
Professor, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Washington School of Medicine

Specialty:

Medical Oncology

South Lake Union Clinic
Fred Hutch at UW Medical Center - Montlake

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“Scientific understanding and science-based treatments are important, but there’s so much more to treating cancer.”

— Dr. Yu

What do you uniquely bring to patients?

I plant myself directly on the line between the laboratory and the clinic and engage both sides to develop a personalized approach to a selection of novel therapies. Your medical care needs to be built on a foundation of science and education, but I also bring an added dimension to my job by understanding biologic mechanisms of drug sensitivity and resistance. It’s really about working with you as a whole person, not just your cancer. I also recognize the importance of your relationship with your circle of loved ones. Oncology gives doctors a rare opportunity to connect deeply with families — from the outset of treatment through the course of the disease, sometimes over several years. I value the chance to get to know you and your family and will work intensively with you over time.

How do you combine being a scientist and physician?

I always had a scientific bent and wanted to be a physician. The summer after my first year of med school, I worked with a urologist and met men being treated for prostate cancer. The patients, who were grappling with their diagnosis and considering their options, inspired me to specialize in oncology. I felt deep respect and compassion for those undergoing cancer treatment, but that really deepened once my father developed bladder cancer. Before my father’s illness, I was very much a molecular scientist. But having someone close to me get cancer made me think about the disease more holistically, rather than only as a ball of abnormal cells or a sample in a tissue culture dish. Now, I find myself dedicated to strengthening the links between clinical care and lab research so that the prognosis for patients only gets better and better. Today, I try to meld the clinical care and the biology. I’m passionate about searching for the next wave of cancer treatments — targeted agents with greater cancer specificity and fewer side effects for you.

Provider Background

Area of Clinical Practice
Genitourinary cancers

I’m a medical oncologist who specializes in genitourinary oncology — treating patients with prostate, bladder and testicular cancers. Since 2004, I’ve been taking part in innovative cancer research here at Fred Hutch. I work as the director of our Prostate Cancer Clinical Research Group and am a member of the Institute for Prostate Cancer Research, a collaboration between Fred Hutch and UW Medicine. We strive to understand the causes of prostate cancer and its progression, develop new prevention strategies, devise innovative diagnostics and improve survival and quality of life.

One of my areas of research is focused on developing new imaging compounds for use in PET scans that are easier to use and more likely to detect cancers. My other research interests include cancer treatment-induced bone loss, bone metastases, bone biomarkers, molecular imaging of bone, novel therapeutics and new immunotherapeutic approaches.

Diseases Treated

Testicular Cancer

Prostate Cancer

Languages

English
Chinese (Mandarin)

Education, Experience and Certifications

Medical Degree
University of Washington School of Medicine

Residency
Bringham and Women's Hospital, Internal Medicine

Fellowship
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Hematology-Oncology

Board Certification
Medical Oncology, 2003, 2013, American Board of Internal Medicine

Awards

Seattle Magazine's 2018 Top Doctors Award
Dr. Yu has been recognized as a Top Doctor in this peer-nominated award.

U.S. News and World Report “Top Doctor” 2011–present

Castle Connolly America’s Top Doctors 2011–present

Stories

All news

Building health equity in big ways and small

Building health equity in big ways and small Pathways to Equity Symposium highlights need for individual efforts, community collaborations and systemic change to improve outcomes May 4, 2023

The latest in prostate cancer research: 7 takeaways

The latest in prostate cancer research: 7 takeaways 7 takeaways from community symposium highlighting recent advances in prevention, screening and treatment May 14, 2019

Immunotherapy options provide lower side effects

Immunotherapy options provide lower side effects April 28, 2017

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.

Find a Clinical Trial Led by Dr. Yu

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. Yu's 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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