Farhood Farjah, MD, MPH, FACS
Dr. Farhood Farjah is a thoracic surgeon at the University of Washington and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle, Washington. He is a specialist in thoracic oncology and minimally invasive surgery, with expertise in multi-disciplinary management of lung and esophageal cancer, mesothelioma, thymoma, and other rare thoracic malignancies. He is especially skilled in thoracoscopic and robotic surgery and advanced diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy.[1]
Dr. Farjah is committed to understanding patients’ goals and helping them achieve them, saying, “Patients seek out specialists for a variety of reasons – symptoms, a diagnosis, a cure, advice on further testing, a first, second, or even third opinion, specialized treatment, follow-up care, palliative care, and hope.”[1]
Education and Career
Dr. Farjah earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Oregon Clark Honors College, where he majored in Biochemistry. He attended the Oregon Health and Science University for medical school, and after earning his medical degree he completed an internship and residency in General Surgery at the University of Washington, completing a Master of Public Health degree at the same time. He then completed an additional fellowship and residency in General Surgery at the University of Washington, followed by a fellowship in Cardiothoracic Surgery during which he received advanced training in thoracic oncology and minimally invasive surgery at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York.[1]
In addition to his clinical practice and research, Dr. Farjah has led a population health approach to promoting lung cancer screening among eligible primary care patients. His work has led to numerous invitations to serve on leadership and practice guideline committees, including the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, the American College of Chest Physicians, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, and the National Lung Cancer Roundtable.[1]
Professional Memberships and Activities
Dr. Farjah is an active member of several professional organizations, including:[2]
- Society of Thoracic Surgeons
- American Association for Thoracic Surgery
- Western Thoracic Surgery Association
- American College of Surgeons
- Surgical Outcomes Club
He also serves on the editorial boards for CHEST, Annals of Thoracic Surgery, and the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery.
Research
In addition to his clinical role, Dr. Farjah is an Endowed Chair in Lung Cancer Research and the Associate Medical Director for the University of Washington Surgical Outcomes Research Center. His research is focused on identifying the most advantageous diagnostic and treatment options, on developing and confirming the effectiveness of tools clinicians use to inform their decisions, and on assisting health system leaders to make informed policy decisions based on data.[1]
Dr. Farjah has been awarded a $1.9 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to lead a multi-institutional team to better understand how intensely to evaluate individuals with incidentally detected lung nodules. He also received funding from the CHEST Foundation and the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute.
His recent publications include:[1]
- Verdial FC, Berfield KS, Wood DE, Mulligan MS, Roth JA, Francis DO, Farjah F Safety and Costs of Endobronchial Ultrasound-Guided Nodal Aspiration and Mediastinoscopy. Chest 2020 Mar; 157; 3; 686-693;
- Verdial FC, Madtes DK, Hwang B, Mulligan MS, Odem-Davis K, Waworuntu R, Wood DE, Farjah F Prediction Model for Nodal Disease Among Patients With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. The Annals of thoracic surgery 2019 Jun; 107; 6; 1600-1606;
- Thornblade LW, Mulligan MS, Odem-Davis K, Hwang B, Waworuntu RL, Wolff EM, Kessler L, Wood DE, Farjah F Challenges in Predicting Recurrence After Resection of Node-Negative Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. The Annals of thoracic surgery 2018 Nov; 106; 5; 1460-1467;
- Krantz SB, Howington JA, Wood DE, Kim KW, Kosinski AS, Cox ML, Kim S, Mulligan MS, Farjah F Invasive Mediastinal Staging for Lung Cancer by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Database Participants. The Annals of thoracic surgery 2018 Oct; 106; 4; 1055-1062;
