Dr. Leah Backhus, MD, MPH
Dr. Leah Backhus is a nationally recognized thoracic surgical oncologist at Stanford University School of Medicine in Stanford, California, and Chief of Thoracic Surgery at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System. Her particular focus is on thoracic oncology, minimally invasive surgical techniques, and the treatment of pleural mesothelioma. She holds the distinction of having performed the first pressurized intrathoracic aerosol chemotherapy (PITAC) procedure for mesothelioma in North America.[1]
Education and Career
Dr. Backhus earned her undergraduate degree in Human Biology from Stanford University before going on to complete her medical degree at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine.
She completed her general surgery residency at LAC USC and her cardiothoracic surgery residency at UCLA. She later earned a Master of Public Health (MPH) in Health Services from the University of Washington. She is board-certified by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery in Thoracic and Cardiac Surgery, as well as by the American Board of Surgery in General Surgery.[2]
At Stanford, Dr. Backhus is the Thelma and Henry Doelger Professor of Cardiovascular Surgery, Professor in the University Medical Line within the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, and serves as a Member of both the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute and the Stanford Cancer Institute. She is Co-Director of the Thoracic Surgery Clinical Research Program and Associate Program Director for the Thoracic Track of the CT Surgery Residency Training Program. She also serves as Director of Faculty Development for the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery.[2]
Dr. Backhus’s clinical expertise centers on general thoracic surgery with special emphasis on thoracic oncology and minimally invasive surgical approaches. She also has specialized expertise in adult chest wall surgery and in intrathoracic and intrapleural chemotherapy techniques, including hyperthermic intrathoracic chemotherapy (HITHOC) and pressurized intrathoracic aerosol chemotherapy (PITAC), both used to treat mesothelioma and other pleural tumors. Dr. Backhus performed the first PITAC procedure for mesothelioma in North America in March 2026. A second case followed in May 2026, making Stanford Health Care one of only a handful of centers in the world offering this innovative treatment to patients.[1]
Dr. Backhus appeared in an episode of the children’s television program Doc McStuffins to introduce young viewers to the role of the thoracic surgeon.[2]
Professional Memberships and Activities
Dr. Backhus is active in numerous professional organizations and holds leadership roles across the field of cardiothoracic surgery, including:[2][3]
- Society of Thoracic Surgeons (Member since 2010; Director-At-Large, 2019–2025)
- American Association for Thoracic Surgery (Member since 2019)
- American College of Surgeons (Fellow since 2013)
- American Society of Clinical Oncology (Member since 2016)
- American Medical Association (Member since 2016)
- Society of University Surgeons (Member since 2020)
- International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (Member since 2017)
- Western Thoracic Surgical Association (Member since 2011)
- Women in Thoracic Surgery (Member since 2010; Vice President, 2024–2026)
- Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society (Faculty Member since 2018)
Dr. Backhus currently serves as Deputy Editor of JAMA Surgery and previously served as Chair of the ACGME Thoracic Surgery Resident Review Committee (2019–2022). She has also served as Chair of the Task Group on Lung Cancer in Women for the National Lung Cancer Roundtable of the American Cancer Society.[2]
Honors and Awards
Dr. Backhus has received numerous honors recognizing her excellence as both a surgeon and educator:[2] [4]
- Extraordinary Women in Cardiothoracic Surgery Award, Society of Thoracic Surgeons (2023)
- McGoon Award for Teaching in Thoracic Surgery, Thoracic Surgery Residents Association (2019)
- Levi Watkins Innovation and Leadership Scholarship, Thoracic Surgery Foundation (2019)
Research
Dr. Backhus’s research interests focus on cancer survivorship, imaging surveillance following lung cancer treatment, and health equity in thoracic oncology. She is Co-Director of the Thoracic Surgery Clinical Research Program at Stanford and has received grant funding through the Veterans Affairs Administration and the NIH.[2]
Her work also encompasses the clinical application of innovative intrathoracic chemotherapy techniques—including HITHOC and PITAC—for the treatment of pleural mesothelioma and other thoracic malignancies. She is a member of the National Lung Cancer Roundtable of the American Cancer Society and serves on the Task Group on Health Equity. Dr. Backhus has published over 200 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters and has presented her research nationally and internationally.[2][3]
Dr. Backhus’s recent publications include:
Impact of hyperthermic intrathoracic chemotherapy (HITHOC) during resection of pleural mesothelioma on patient survival. Elliott IA, He H, Lui NS, Liou DZ, Guenthart BA, Shrager JB, Berry MF, Backhus LM; Journal of Thoracic Disease. 2023 Nov 30;15(11):6140–6150.
Impact of guideline therapy on survival of patients with stage I–III epithelioid mesothelioma. Liou DZ, Wang Y, Bhandari P, Shrager JB, Lui NS, Backhus LM, Berry MF; Journal of Thoracic Disease. 2023 Dec 30;15(12):6661–6673.
Does delaying surgery following induction chemotherapy compromise survival in patients with mesothelioma? Wong LY, Baiu I, Leipzig M, Titan A, Liou DZ, Lui N, Berry MF, Shrager JB, Backhus LM; Journal of Cancer Metastasis and Treatment. 2023 Sep.
