Erin P. Ward
( out of 102 reviews )

Erin P. Ward, MD

Languages spoken: English

Clinical Locations

Huntsman Cancer Institute - Cancer Hospital South

Salt Lake City
801-587-4415

  • Erin Ward

    Erin P. Ward, MD is a surgical oncologist who specializes in the treatment of patients with abdominal cancers. She specializes in the surgical management of appendix cancer, neuroendocrine tumors, gastric cancer, and metastatic colorectal cancer. She is an expert in the treatment of peritoneal surface malignancies and other cancers that may have spread to the peritoneal lining, including the use of advanced therapies such as cytoreduction and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC).

    Dr. Ward is an Assistant Professor at the University of Utah; prior to joining she trained with world-renowned experts at the Medical College of Wisconsin and the University of California San Diego. Dr. Ward grew up in Michigan where she earned her medical degree at the College of Human Medicine at Michigan State University. She completed her general surgery residency and a two-year research fellowship at the University of California San Diego. She completed her training with a two-year Complex Surgical Oncology and completed an AHPBA Certified hepato-pancreatic biliary surgery fellowship at the Medical College of Wisconsin. She is board certified in both general surgery and complex general surgical oncology.

    Dr. Ward is one of two Commission on Cancer Liaison Physicians at the Huntsman Cancer Institute and actively pursuing research to understand better the impact of psychosocial health on cancer patient outcomes and patient-reported outcomes.

    Dr. Ward’s primary research focus is defining the impact of psychosocial health on the long-term and short-term outcomes for cancer patients.

    Dr. Ward’s clinical interests include:

    • Metastatic colorectal cancer
    • Appendiceal cancer
    • Gastric cancer
    • Neuroendocrine tumors
    • Minimally invasive surgery
    • Mesothelioma
    • Peritoneal based malignancies
    • HIPEC

    Specialties

    Board Certification

    American Board of Surgery
    American Board of Surgery (Sub: Complex General Surgical Oncology)

    Patient Rating

    5.0 /5
    ( out of 102 reviews )

    The patient rating score is an average of all responses on our patient experience survey. The rating averages scores for all questions about care from our providers.

    The scale on which responses are measured is 1 to 5 with 5 being the best score.

    Patient Comments

    Patient comments are gathered from our patient experience survey and displayed in their entirety. For the convenience of our visitors, some patient comments have been translated from their original language into English while preserving their original meaning as accurately as possible. Patients are de-identified for confidentiality and patient privacy.

    June 20, 2025
    HUNTSMAN CANCER CENTER

    She is the best

    June 13, 2025
    HUNTSMAN CANCER CENTER

    She's wonderful!

    June 11, 2025
    HUNTSMAN CANCER CENTER

    Dr. Erin Ward is so great at explaining the reasons behind decisions, or laying out the different approaches to healing. I can't say enough about how well I was taken care of, and her team is phenomenal.

    May 31, 2025
    HUNTSMAN CANCER CENTER

    Dr. Ward is excellent. She took a lot of time with me and explained the procedure very well. I have total confidence in her.

    May 03, 2025
    HUNTSMAN CANCER CENTER

    She is very knowledgeable and genuinely is concerned about my health needs. She listens and is not rushed when answering questions and discussing treatment options. I would highly recommend her.

    April 17, 2025
    HUNTSMAN CANCER CENTER

    Erin is very personable and easy to speak with. I felt like we had a conversation that I could understand and be a part of. Definitely not just being talked to.

    April 12, 2025
    HUNTSMAN CANCER CENTER

    Dr. Ward was very knowledgeable and understanding. She was very helpful in making decisions regarding my tumor.

    April 08, 2025
    HUNTSMAN CANCER CENTER

    Dr Ward is the best. She is very thorough and yet calming and reassuring at the same time. She took great care of me!

    April 06, 2025
    HUNTSMAN CANCER CENTER

    I recommend Dr Ward without reservations!

    See More Patient Comments

  • Erin P. Ward, MD is a surgical oncologist who specializes in the treatment of patients with abdominal cancers. She specializes in the surgical management of appendix cancer, neuroendocrine tumors, gastric cancer, and metastatic colorectal cancer. She is an expert in the treatment of peritoneal surface malignancies and other cancers that may have spread to the peritoneal lining, including the use of advanced therapies such as cytoreduction and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC).

    Dr. Ward is an Assistant Professor at the University of Utah; prior to joining she trained with world-renowned experts at the Medical College of Wisconsin and the University of California San Diego. Dr. Ward grew up in Michigan where she earned her medical degree at the College of Human Medicine at Michigan State University. She completed her general surgery residency and a two-year research fellowship at the University of California San Diego. She completed her training with a two-year Complex Surgical Oncology and completed an AHPBA Certified hepato-pancreatic biliary surgery fellowship at the Medical College of Wisconsin. She is board certified in both general surgery and complex general surgical oncology.

    Dr. Ward is one of two Commission on Cancer Liaison Physicians at the Huntsman Cancer Institute and actively pursuing research to understand better the impact of psychosocial health on cancer patient outcomes and patient-reported outcomes.

    Dr. Ward’s primary research focus is defining the impact of psychosocial health on the long-term and short-term outcomes for cancer patients.

    Dr. Ward’s clinical interests include:

    • Metastatic colorectal cancer
    • Appendiceal cancer
    • Gastric cancer
    • Neuroendocrine tumors
    • Minimally invasive surgery
    • Mesothelioma
    • Peritoneal based malignancies
    • HIPEC

    Board Certification and Academic Information

    Academic Departments Surgery -Assistant Professor (Clinical)
    Academic Divisions Surgical Oncology
    Board Certification
    American Board of Surgery
    American Board of Surgery (Sub: Complex General Surgical Oncology)

    Education history

    Fellowship Complex General Surgical Oncology - Medical College of Wisconsin Fellow
    Fellowship Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary - Medical College of Wisconsin Fellow
    Chief Resident General Surgery - University of California, San Diego School of Medicine Administrative Chief Resident
    Research Fellow Surgical Oncology - University of California, San Diego School of Medicine Research Fellow
    Residency General Surgery - University of California, San Diego School of Medicine Resident
    Professional Medical Medicine - Michigan State University College of Human Medicine M.D.
    Undergraduate Physiology - Michigan State University B.S.
    Undergraduate Psychology; Specialization in Bioethics, Humanities and Society - Michigan State University B.S.

    Selected Publications

    Journal Article

    1. Graves A, Sadjadi J, Kosich M, Ward E, Sood D, Fahy B, Pankratz S, Mishra SI, Greenbaum A (2024). Decision Regret in Patients with Appendiceal Cancer Undergoing Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy. Ann Surg Oncol, 31(12), 7978-7986. (Read full article)
    2. Clarke CN, Ward E, Henry V, Nimmer K, Phan A, Evans DB (2024). Impact of Regional Metastasis on Survival for Patients with Nonfunctional Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors: A Systematic Review. Ann Surg Oncol, 31(8), 4976-4985. (Read full article)
    3. Ward EP, Vincent-Sheldon S, Tolat P, Kulkarni N, Aldakkak M, Budithi R, Clarke CN, Tsai S, Evans DB, Christians KK (2024). Median arcuate ligament release at the time of pancreaticoduodenectomy or total pancreatectomy. Surgery. (Read full article)
    4. Ward EP, Okamuro L, Khan S, Hosseini M, Valasek MA, Ronquillo N Jr, Kelly KJ, Veerapong J, Lowy AM, Baumgartner J (2021). Ki67 does not predict recurrence for low-grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasms with peritoneal dissemination after cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC. Hum Pathol, 113, 104-110. (Read full article)
    5. Badaracco AG, Ward E, Barback C, Yang J, Wang J, Huang CH, Kim M, Wang Q, Nam S, Delong J, Blair S, Trogler WC, Kummel A (2019). Indocyanine green modified silica shells for colon tumor marking. Appl Surf Sci, 499. (Read full article)
    6. Weiss A, Lopez NE, Ward EP, Lee KC, Caudle AS, Dickson-Witmer D, Chang C, Kelly K, Martin LW, Jacobs LK, Hunt KK, Yao K, Blair SL (2019). Challenges in Clinical Trial Implementation: Results from a Survey of the National Accreditation Program of Breast Centers (NAPBC). Ann Surg Oncol, 26(13), 4364-4371. (Read full article)
    7. Wang A, Prieto JM, Ward E, Bickler S, Henry M, Kling K, Thangarajah H, Ignacio R Jr (2018). Operative treatment for intussusception: Should an incidental appendectomy be performed? J Pediatr Surg, 54(3), 495-499. (Read full article)
    8. Voss RK, Ward EP, Ojeda-Fournier H, Blair SL (2018). Doppler Ultrasound-Visible SignalMark Microspheres are Better Identified than HydroMARK® Clips in a Simulated Intraoperative Setting in Breast and Lung Tissue. Ann Surg Oncol, 25(12), 3740-3746. (Read full article)
    9. Ward EP, Yang J, Delong JC, Sung TW, Wang J, Barback C, Mendez N, Horgan S, Trogler W, Kummel AC, Blair SL (2018). Identifying lost surgical needles with visible and near infrared fluorescent light emitting microscale coating. Surgery, 163(4), 883-888. (Read full article)
    10. Langness S, Ward E, Halbach J, Lizardo R, Davenport K, Bickler S, Kling K, Thangarajah H, Grabowski J, Fairbanks T (2017). Plasma D-dimer safely reduces unnecessary CT scans obtained in the evaluation of pediatric head trauma. J Pediatr Surg, 53(4), 752-757. (Read full article)
    11. DeLong JC, Ward EP, Lwin TM, Brumund KT, Kelly KJ, Horgan S, Bouvet M (2017). Indocyanine green fluorescence-guided parathyroidectomy for primary hyperparathyroidism. Surgery, 163(2), 388-392. (Read full article)
    12. Ward EP, Wang A, Thangarajah H, Lazar D, Bickler S, Fairbanks T, Kling KM (2017). Preemptive Ladd Procedure in congenital diaphragmatic hernia and Abdominal Wall defects does not reduce the risk of future volvulus. J Pediatr Surg, 52(12), 1956-1961. (Read full article)
    13. Ward EP, Unkart JT, Bryant A, Murphy J, Blair SL (2017). Influence of Distance to Hospital and Insurance Status on the Rates of Contralateral Prophylactic Mastectomy, a National Cancer Data Base study. Ann Surg Oncol, 24(10), 3038-3047. (Read full article)
    14. Ward EP, Weiss A, Blair SL (2017). Incidence and treatments of DCIS in octogenarians: grade matters. Breast Cancer Res Treat, 165(2), 403-409. (Read full article)
    15. Yang J, Ward E, Sung TW, Wang J, Barback C, Mendez N, Blair S, Trogler WC, Kummel AC (2017). Silica Shells/Adhesive Composite Film for Color Doppler Ultrasound Guided Needle Placement. ACS Biomater Sci Eng, 3(8), 1780-1787. (Read full article)
    16. Yang J, Wang J, Ta CN, Ward E, Barback CV, Sung TW, Mendez N, Blair SL, Kummel AC, Trogler WC (2017). Ultrasound Responsive Macrophase-Segregated Microcomposite Films for in Vivo Biosensing. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces, 9(2), 1719-1727. (Read full article)
    17. Ward EP, Shiavazzi D, Sood D, Marsden A, Lane J, Owens E, Barleben A (2016). Computed Tomography Fractional Flow Reserve Can Identify Culprit Lesions in Aortoiliac Occlusive Disease Using Minimally Invasive Techniques. Ann Vasc Surg, 38, 151-157. (Read full article)
    18. Ward EP, Wang J, Mendez N, Yang J, Barback C, Wang-Rodriguez J, Trogler W, Kummel AC, Blair S (2016). Utilization of iron (III)-doped nanoshells for in vivo marking of nonpalpable tumors using a VX2 rabbit model. Am J Surg, 212(6), 1140-1146. (Read full article)
    19. Robles J, Weiss A, Ward EP, Unkart J, Blair SL (2016). Treatment of Breast Cancer in Women Aged 80 and Older: A Systematic Review. Breast Cancer: Current Research, 1(4).
    20. Weiss A, Lee KC, Romero Y, Ward E, Kim Y, Ojeda-Fournier H, Einck J, Blair SL (2014). Calcifications on mammogram do not correlate with tumor size after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Ann Surg Oncol, 21(10), 3310-6. (Read full article)

    Review

    1. Holowatyj AN, Overman MJ, Votanopoulos KI, Lowy AM, Wagner P, Washington MK, Eng C, Foo WC, Goldberg RM, Hosseini M, Idrees K, Johnson DB, Shergill A, Ward E, Zachos NC, Shelton D, Appendix Cancer Pseudomyxoma Peritonei ACPMP Research Foundation (2025). Defining a 'cells to society' research framework for appendiceal tumours. [Review]. Nat Rev Cancer, 25(4), 293-315. (Read full article)
    2. Ward EP, Zeh Iii HJ, Tsai S (2021). Current Controversies in Neoadjuvant Therapy for Pancreatic Cancer. [Review]. Surg Oncol Clin N Am, 30(4), 657-671. (Read full article)
    3. Ward EP, Evans DB, Tsai S (2020). Ten-year experience in optimizing neoadjuvant therapy for localized pancreatic cancer-Medical college of Wisconsin perspective. [Review]. J Surg Oncol, 123(6), 1405-1413. (Read full article)

    Case Report

    1. Weiss A, Ward EP, Baumgartner JM, Lowy AM, Kelly KJ (2018). Cirrhosis is not a contraindication to cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy in highly selected patients. World J Surg Oncol, 16(1), 87. (Read full article)
    2. Halbach J, Ward E, Langness S, Davenport K, Bickler SW, Fairbanks T, Kling K (2017). Gallbladder Polyps in Children: A Painful Inflammatory Process. Am Surg, 83(4), e140-142. (Read full article)

    Editorial

    1. Bansal VV, Witmer HDD, Childers CP, Su DG, Turaga KK, RVU Writing Group, PSM Consortium Group (2024). When Benchmarks Fail Us: A Case Study in Cytoreductive Surgery. Ann Surg Oncol, 32(1), 19-23. (Read full article)
    2. Ward EP, Greenbaum A (2024). Exploring the Patient Experience Through Qualitative Methods: The Missing Piece of Cytoreductive Surgery and HIPEC Research. Ann Surg Oncol. (Read full article)
    3. Cortina CS, Ward EP, Kong AL (2021). The consideration for outpatient mastectomy during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Am J Surg, 222(2), 290-291. (Read full article)

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