"Fred Hutch Cancer Center" "Cures Start Here"

Brittany R. Barber, MD, MSc, FRCSC

Provider

Brittany R. Barber, MD, MSc, FRCSC

Physician, Fred Hutch
Assistant Professor, Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine

Specialty:

Surgery

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

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“Every single day, I learn something new from my patients about humanity that humbles me. That’s what brings me to work every day.”

— Dr. Barber

Why do you conduct research along with caring for patients?

Research improves our ability to get the best outcomes for you. I compete to earn research awards and grants, like the National Poliquin Research award to foster high-quality research and innovation in head and neck surgery, to accelerate advances in care. Once you leave surgery, I want your recovery to be as seamless as possible so you have fewer hurdles and distractions and can heal faster and more completely.

What do you love about being part of Fred Hutch?

It is truly a privilege to take care of patients with complex head and neck issues here, where we’re on the leading edge of head and neck surgical care and reconstruction. Whether you have a benign or cancerous tumor, I am driven to provide you with the best possible care to optimize your results and quality of life. I treat you like you are my family member and work to bolster your mental and physical well-being however I can.

Provider Background

Area of Clinical Practice
Head and neck cancers, skin cancers

My practice is dedicated to surgery for benign and cancerous head and neck tumors as well as facial plastic and reconstructive surgery. I’ve given more than 40 national and international podium presentations and written more than 20 peer-reviewed publications about caring for people with head and neck cancer.

My clinical interests include head and neck cancer surgery, robotic surgery and salivary and endocrine surgery. I have a special interest in reconstructive surgery for skin cancers.

My research interests are in quality improvement of performance metrics in head and neck cancer surgery, quality of life and distress measurement in people with head and neck cancer, peripheral nerve regeneration and de-escalation trials for cancers related to human papillomavirus (HPV).

Diseases Treated

Endocrine Tumors

Head and Neck Cancers

Merkel Cell Carcinoma

Salivary Gland Cancer

Languages

English

Education, Experience and Certifications

Undergraduate Degree
University of Alberta

Medical Degree
University of Alberta

Residency
University of Alberta, Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery

Fellowship
University of Liverpool School of Medicine, Liverpool, UK, Head and Neck Surgical Oncology; Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, Head and Neck Surgical Oncology/Microvascular Reconstruction

Other
Master, University of Oxford

Awards

Seattle Met's 2023 Top Doctors award
Dr. Barber has received this peer-nominated award for exceptional patient care for multiple years.

The University of Oxford’s Nilay Patel Memorial Award
In 2016 for her work on distress management in head and neck cancer patients

The RE Fraser Excellence in Teaching Award

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.

View Clinical Trials

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 provider has written.

View Dr. Barber'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 dieticians, 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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