"Fred Hutch Cancer Center" "Cures Start Here"

Emily Palmquist, MD

Provider

Emily Palmquist, MD

Physician, Fred Hutch
Associate Professor, Department of Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine

Specialty:

Surgery

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

Request an Appointment Print

“Breast oncology care is heavily multidisciplinary, so we come at it from every angle. The goal is for every patient to go on with their lives and forget they had breast cancer.”

— Dr. Palmquist

What brought you to breast oncology?

I was a resident in general surgery, where I saw people with a variety of conditions, and I was very drawn to breast cancer patients. Breast cancer is incredibly common, and yet patients do very well overall. I really enjoy forming relationships with patients and being able to help them navigate through a stressful and scary time in their lives. It has been very rewarding.

What do you hope it's like for a patient to work with you?

Patients have so many ways they can get information. I think our job as surgeons and physicians is to help patients have the right information so they can make good decisions. I want us to think about things as a team. I’m not here to tell patients what to do. It’s my job, with my training and experience, to help them digest what is going on and navigate the process in the best way for them.

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers, so a lot of literature and data helps to formulate our treatment plans. I want to help patients be well informed so they can make the best decisions for themselves.

Provider Background

Area of Clinical Practice
Breast cancers, breast health

I am a surgeon who sees patients at the South Lake Union Clinic, UW Medical Center – Northwest and UW Medical Center – Montlake.

While we are seeing better treatment outcomes in breast cancer over time, we are also continuing to make sure patients’ self-reported cosmetic and emotional outcomes are improving. We want to provide not only the best cancer care, but also the best patient experience, and to do that, we need to get feedback from patients. They lived with this. We want to make the process the best for them and take everything they experienced into consideration.

Diseases Treated

Benign Breast Disease

Breast Health

Ductal Carcinoma in Situ

Lobular Carcinoma in Situ

Phyllodes Breast Tumors

Languages

English

Education, Experience and Certifications

Undergraduate Degree
Boston College

Medical Degree
Tufts University School of Medicine

Fellowship
Memorial-Sloan Kettering, Breast Surgical Oncology

Residency
Tufts Medical Center, General Surgery

Board Certification
General Surgery, 2021, American Board of Surgery

Awards

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

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 physician has written.

View Dr. Palmquist'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.

Meet Other Providers

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.

More About Insurance