Heather Lillemoe, MD
Department of Breast Surgical Oncology, Division of Surgery
About Heather Lillemoe
Dr. Lillemoe is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Breast Surgical Oncology with a dual appointment in the Department of Surgical Oncology, Sarcoma Section. Her clinical practice focuses on both patients with breast cancer and soft tissue sarcoma.
She received her undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University and her medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. She completed her General Surgery residency training at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in 2021. During this time, she completed a two-year clinical research fellowship at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center as well as a Surgical Education Research Fellowship through the Association for Surgical Education. She went on to complete a Complex General Surgical Oncology fellowship at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Dr. Lillemoe’s academic interests include clinical outcomes research related to patients with sarcomas and other non-epithelial cancers of the breast. She has been involved with the development of clinical practice algorithms for these patients with rare breast tumors. She has a strong interest in surgical education research and curriculum development.
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Assistant Professor, Department of Breast Surgical Oncology, Division of Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Assistant Professor, Department of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 2014 | University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, US, MD |
| 2010 | Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, US, Medicine, Health, and Society, BA |
Postgraduate Training
| 2021-2023 | Clinical Fellowship, Complex General Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas |
| 2018-2018 | Certificate, Clinical Effectiveness, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts |
| 2017-2019 | Research Fellowship, NIH T32, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas |
| 2014-2021 | Clinical Residency, General Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee |
Board Certifications
| 2024 | American Board of Surgery, Complex General Surgical Oncology |
| 2021 | American Board of Surgery, General Surgery |
Experience & Service
Administrative Appointments/Responsibilities
Rotation Site Director, Department of Breast Surgical Oncology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2024 - Present
Associate Program Director, Department of Surgical Oncology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2024 - Present
Associate Program Director, Department of Breast Surgical Oncology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2024 - Present
Other Appointments/Responsibilities
Education Fellow, Complex General Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2018 - 2019
Institutional Committee Activities
Committee Member, American College of Surgeons, Cancer Surgery Standards Program Education Committee, 2021 - Present
Honors & Awards
| 2021 | Harwell Wilson Award for Surgical Excellence |
| 2020 | Alfred Blalock Surgical Resident Award |
| 2018 | JOGS Best Article Award |
| 2018 | SSAT Residents and Fellows Research Conference Award |
| 2017 | H. William Scott, Jr. Research Scholarship Award |
| 2013 | Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society |
| 2013 | Teaching Scholar, University of Maryland Second Summer Education Program |
| 2010 | Magna Cum Laude, Vanderbilt University |
| 2009 | National Spanish Honor Society, Sigma Delta Pi |
Professional Memberships
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Tomczak, K, Patel, MS, Bhalla, A, Peterson, CB, Landers, S, Callahan, SC, Zhang, D, Wong, J, Landry, JP, Lazar, A, Livingston, JA, Guadagnolo, BA, Lyu, H, Lillemoe, HA, Roland, CL, Keung, EZ, Scally, CP, Hunt, KK, McCutcheon, IE, Slopis, JM, Gu, J, Scheet, PA, Wang, L, Rai, K, Torres, KE. Plasma DNA Methylation-Based Biomarkers for MPNST Detection in Patients With Neurofibromatosis Type 1. Molecular Carcinogenesis 64(1):44-56, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 39600120.
- Kiefer J, Paidisetty P, Elmorsi RAI, Nguyen CHM, Yu JZ, Hunt KK, Lillemoe HA, Mericli AF, Olenczak JB. Contemporary Trends in Reconstruction for Patients With Sarcoma of the Breast. J Surg Oncol, 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 39665744.
- Del Calvo H, Wu Y, Lin HY, Nassif EF, Zarzour MA, Guadagnolo BA, Hunt KK, Bedrosian I, Lillemoe HA. Margin Width and Local Recurrence in Patients with Phyllodes Tumors of the Breast. Ann Surg Oncol 31(12):8048-8056, 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 39085546.
- Behrens S, Lillemoe HA, Dineen SP, Russell MC, Visser B, Berman RS, Farma JM, Grubbs E, Davis JL. Perceptions of Readiness for Practice After Complex General Surgical Oncology Fellowship: A Survey Study. Ann Surg Oncol 31(1):31-41, 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 37936022.
- Lillemoe HA, Hanna DN, Baregamian N, Solórzano CC, Terhune KP, Geevarghese SK, Kiernan CM. The use of an educational time-out in thyroid and parathyroid surgery to move the needle in periprocedural education. Surgery 173(1):84-92, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 36216620.
- Lillemoe HA, Passot G, Kawaguchi Y, DeBellis M, Glehen O, Chun YS, Tzeng CD, Aloia TA, Lopez J, Vauthey JN. RAS/TP53 Co-mutation is Associated With Worse Survival After Concurrent Resection of Colorectal Liver Metastases and Extrahepatic Disease. Ann Surg 276(2):357-362, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 33351476.
- Witt RG, Cope B, Chiang YJ, Newhook T, Lillemoe H, Tzeng CD, Chen IB, Fisher SB, Lucci A, Wargo JA, Lee JE, Ross MI, Gershenwald JE, Robinson J, Keung EZ. Utilization and evolving prescribing practice of opioid and non-opioid analgesics in patients undergoing lymphadenectomy for cutaneous malignancy. J Surg Oncol 125(4):719-729, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 34904258.
- Lillemoe HA, Geevarghese SK. Stopping the Progression of Moral Injury: A Priority During Surgical Training. Ann Surg 274(6):e643-e645, 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 34387198.
- Almarzooq ZI, Lillemoe HA, White-Manigault E, Wickham T, Curtin LS. The Single Match: Reflections on the National Resident Matching Program's Sustained Partnership With Learners. Acad Med 96(8):1116-1119, 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 33913441.
- Wang XS, Shi Q, Williams LA, Lillemoe HA, Chen TY, Gottumukkala V, Garcia-Gonzalez A, Malveaux D, Kamal M, Cleeland CS, Aloia TA. Development of a patient-reported outcome tool for assessing symptom burden during perioperative care in liver surgery: The MDASI-PeriOp-Hep. Eur J Oncol Nurs 52:101959, 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 33964632.
- Lillemoe HA, Newhook TE, Aloia TA, Grubbs EG, Chang GJ, Katz MHG, Vauthey JN, Lee JE, Tzeng CD. Perceptions of opioid use and prescribing habits in oncologic surgery: A survey of the society of surgical oncology membership. J Surg Oncol 122(6):1066-1073, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32632993.
- Kawaguchi Y, Kopetz S, Lillemoe HA, Hwang H, Wang X, Tzeng CD, Chun YS, Aloia TA, Vauthey JN. A New Surveillance Algorithm After Resection of Colorectal Liver Metastases Based on Changes in Recurrence Risk and RAS Mutation Status. J Natl Compr Canc Netw 18(11):1500-1508, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 33152698.
- Kim BJ, Lillemoe HA, Newhook TE, Dewhurst WL, Arvide EM, Katz MHG, Aloia TA, Vauthey JN, Lee JE, Tzeng CD. Educating surgical oncology providers on perioperative opioid use: A departmental survey 1 year after the intervention. J Surg Oncol 122(3):547-554, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32447769.
- Cloyd JM, Mizuno T, Kawaguchi Y, Lillemoe HA, Karagkounis G, Omichi K, Chun YS, Conrad C, Tzeng CD, Odisio BC, Huang SY, Hicks M, Wei SH, Aloia TA, Vauthey JN. Comprehensive Complication Index Validates Improved Outcomes Over Time Despite Increased Complexity in 3707 Consecutive Hepatectomies. Ann Surg 271(4):724-731, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 30339628.
- Kawaguchi Y, Lillemoe HA, Vauthey JN. Comment on "Reappraising the Concept of Conditional Survival After Pancreatectomy for Ductal Adenocarcinoma". Ann Surg 271(2):e17, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 31592895.
- Lillemoe HA, Lynch KA, Schuller MC, Meier AH, Potts JR, Fryer JP, Harrington DT. Beyond the Surgical Time-Out: A National Needs Assessment of Preoperative Communication in US General Surgery Residency Programs. J Surg Educ 77(6):e172-e182, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32855105.
- Lillemoe HA, Stonko DP, George BC, Schuller MC, Fryer JP, Sullivan ME, Terhune KP, Geevarghese SK. A Preoperative Educational Time-Out is Associated with Improved Resident Goal Setting and Strengthens Educational Experiences. J Surg Educ 77(1):18-26, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 31327734.
- Lillemoe HA, Tzeng CD. ASO Author Reflections: Opioid Prescribing in Surgical Oncology-Institutional Opportunities for Educational Interventions. Ann Surg Oncol 26(Suppl 3):731-732, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31529310.
- Lillemoe HA, Marcus RK, Kim BJ, Narula N, Davis CH, Aloia TA. Detours on the Road to Recovery: What Factors Delay Readiness to Return to Intended Oncologic Therapy (RIOT) After Liver Resection for Malignancy?. J Gastrointest Surg 23(12):2362-2371, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 30809785.
- Lillemoe HA, Marcus RK, Kim BJ, Narula N, Davis CH, Shi Q, Wang XS, Aloia TA. Severe Preoperative Symptoms Delay Readiness to Return to Intended Oncologic Therapy (RIOT) After Liver Resection. Ann Surg Oncol 26(13):4548-4555, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31414293.
- Marcus RK, Lillemoe HA, Caudle AS, Weinberg JS, Gidley PW, Skibber JM, Levenback CF, Swisher SG, Aloia TA. Facilitation of Surgical Innovation: Is It Possible to Speed the Introduction of New Technology While Simultaneously Improving Patient Safety?. Ann Surg 270(6):937-941, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 30946086.
- Vicente D, Patino M, Marcus R, Lillemoe H, Limani P, Newhook T, Lee A, Tzeng CW, Segraves-Chun Y, Tweardy D, Gottumukkala V, Vauthey JN, Aloia T, Cata JP. Correction: Impact of epidural analgesia on the systemic biomarker response after hepatic resection. Oncotarget 10(59):6397, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31695849.
- Narula N, Lillemoe HA, Caudle AS, Chemaly RF, Anderson JJ, Segal C, Porter CA, Swisher SG, Levenback CF, Aloia TA. Postoperative Urinary Tract Infection Quality Assessment and Improvement: The S.T.O.P. UTI Program and Its Impact on Hospitalwide CAUTI Rates. Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf 45(10):686-693, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31371099.
- Kawaguchi Y, Lillemoe HA, Panettieri E, Chun YS, Tzeng CD, Aloia TA, Kopetz S, Vauthey JN. Conditional Recurrence-Free Survival after Resection of Colorectal Liver Metastases: Persistent Deleterious Association with RAS and TP53 Co-Mutation. J Am Coll Surg 229(3):286-294.e1, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31054911.
- Lillemoe HA, Scally CP, Adams CL, Bednarski BK, Balch CM, Aloia TA, Gershenwald JE, Lee JE, Grubbs EG. Complex General Surgical Oncology Fellowship Applicants: Trends over Time and the Impact of Board Certification Eligibility. Ann Surg Oncol 26(9):2667-2674, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31168736.
- Lillemoe HA, Marcus RK, Day RW, Kim BJ, Narula N, Davis CH, Gottumukkala V, Aloia TA. Enhanced recovery in liver surgery decreases postoperative outpatient use of opioids. Surgery 166(1):22-27, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31103198.
- Lillemoe HA, Newhook TE, Vreeland TJ, Arvide EM, Dewhurst WL, Grubbs EG, Aloia TA, Vauthey JN, Lee JE, Tzeng CD. Educating Surgical Oncology Providers on Perioperative Opioid Use: Results of a Departmental Survey on Perceptions of Opioid Needs and Prescribing Habits. Ann Surg Oncol 26(7):2011-2018, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 30937660.
- Nally MC, Kling C, Hocking KM, Lillemoe H, Boll JM, Curci JA, Garrard CL, Naslund TC, Valentine RJ. Follow-up imaging of traumatic vertebral artery dissections is unnecessary in asymptomatic patients. J Vasc Surg 69(6):1704-1709, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 30792055.
- Marcus RK, Lillemoe HA, Rice DC, Mena G, Bednarski BK, Speer BB, Ramirez PT, Lasala JD, Navai N, Williams WH, Kim BJ, Voss RK, Gottumukkala VN, Aloia TA. Determining the Safety and Efficacy of Enhanced Recovery Protocols in Major Oncologic Surgery: An Institutional NSQIP Analysis. Ann Surg Oncol 26(3):782-790, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 30627879.
- Lillemoe HA, Stonko DP, Sullivan ME, Geevarghese SK, Terhune KP. Preoperative goal setting and perioperative communication in an academic training institution: Where do we stand?. Am J Surg 217(2):318-322, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 30224073.
- Lillemoe HA, Kawaguchi Y, Passot G, Karagkounis G, Simoneau E, You YN, Mehran RJ, Chun YS, Tzeng CD, Aloia TA, Vauthey JN. Surgical Resection for Recurrence After Two-Stage Hepatectomy for Colorectal Liver Metastases Is Feasible, Is Safe, and Improves Survival. J Gastrointest Surg 23(1):84-92, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 30084064.
- Pardo I, Lillemoe HA, Blosser RJ, Choi M, Sauder CA, Doxey DK, Mathieson T, Hancock BA, Baptiste D, Atale R, Hickenbotham M, Zhu J, Glasscock J, Storniolo AM, Zheng F, Doerge RW, Liu Y, Badve S, Radovich M, Clare SE, Cancer Center SGKFTCTBATIS. Next-generation transcriptome sequencing of the premenopausal breast epithelium using specimens from a normal human breast tissue bank. Breast Cancer Res 16(2):R26, 2014. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 24636070.
- Radovich M, Clare SE, Atale R, Pardo I, Hancock BA, Solzak JP, Kassem N, Mathieson T, Storniolo AM, Rufenbarger C, Lillemoe HA, Blosser RJ, Choi MR, Sauder CA, Doxey D, Henry JE, Hilligoss EE, Sakarya O, Hyland FC, Hickenbotham M, Zhu J, Glasscock J, Badve S, Ivan M, Liu Y, Sledge GW, Schneider BP. Characterizing the heterogeneity of triple-negative breast cancers using microdissected normal ductal epithelium and RNA-sequencing. Breast Cancer Res Treat 143(1):57-68, 2014. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 24292813.
Other Articles
- Norton, J, Ambler, O, Lillemoe, HA, Tambyraja, A, Yule, S Preoperative educational briefings. British Journal of Surgery 112(3), 2025. PMID: 40066889.
- Cortes-Mejia NA, Lillemoe HA, Cata JP Return to Intended Oncological Therapy: State of the Art and Perspectives. Curr Oncol Rep 26(11):1420-1430, 2024. PMID: 39320576.
- Lillemoe, HA, Geevarghese, SK Learning to Teach. Current Surgery Reports 12(2):9-14, 2024.
- Zaveri S, Lillemoe HA, Teshome M, Reyna CR, Vreeland TJ, Francescatti AB, Zheng L, Hunt KK, Katz MHG, Kilgore LJ Operative standards for sentinel lymph node biopsy and axillary lymphadenectomy for breast cancer: review of the American College of Surgeons commission on cancer standards 5.3 and 5.4. Surgery 174(3):717-721, 2023. PMID: 37202308.
- Lillemoe HA, Williams JK, Teshome MK, Zheng L, Francescatti AB, Hieken TJ, Katz MH, Hunt KH, Vreeland TJ, Asare EA Setting the Standard for Cutaneous Melanoma Wide Local Excision: An Overview of the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer Standard 5.5. J Am Coll Surg 236(2):424-428, 2023. PMID: 36648270.
- Lillemoe HA, Miranda RN, Nastoupil LJ, Clemens MW, Hunt KK Clinical Manifestations and Surgical Management of Breast Implant-Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma: Beyond the NCCN Guidelines. Ann Surg Oncol 29(9):5722-5729, 2022. PMID: 35597841.
- Kawaguchi Y, Lillemoe HA, Vauthey JN Surgical Resection: Old Dog, Any New Tricks?. Clin Liver Dis 24(4):637-655, 2020. PMID: 33012450.
- Kawaguchi Y, Lillemoe HA, Vauthey JN Gene mutation and surgical technique: Suggestion or more?. Surg Oncol 33:210-215, 2020. PMID: 31351766.
- Lillemoe HA, Vauthey JN Surgical approach to synchronous colorectal liver metastases: staged, combined, or reverse strategy. Hepatobiliary Surg Nutr 9(1):25-34, 2020. PMID: 32140476.
- Lillemoe HA, Brudvik KW, Vauthey JN Treatment Options for Metastatic Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors to the Liver: A Review. Semin Liver Dis 39(3):395-402, 2019. PMID: 31100757.
- Kawaguchi Y, Lillemoe HA, Vauthey JN Dealing with an insufficient future liver remnant: Portal vein embolization and two-stage hepatectomy. J Surg Oncol 119(5):594-603, 2019. PMID: 30825223.
- Lillemoe HA, Aloia TA Enhanced Recovery After Surgery: Hepatobiliary. Surg Clin North Am 98(6):1251-1264, 2018. PMID: 30390857.
Editorials
- Lillemoe HA, Grubbs EG. Competency-based education across the surgery continuum. Surgery 177, 2024. PMID: 39488454.
Book Chapters
- Lillemoe, HA, Nishioka, Y, Maki, H, Vauthey, JN. Two-Stage Hepatectomy for Bilateral Colorectal Liver Metastases, 49-55, 2022.
- Lillemoe HA, Terhune KP. Upper GI Bleeding in a 58-Year-Old Female, in: Surgery Morning Report: Beyond the Pearls. Elsevier, 123-129, 2020.
- Lillemoe HA, Lillemoe KD. The Management of Benign Biliary Strictures, in: Cameron’s Current Surgical Therapy. Elsevier, 2020.
- Lillemoe HA, Abad JD, Lillemoe KD. Miscellaneous Nonpancreatic Nonendocrine Tumors, in: Pancreatic Cancer. Springer, 283-312, 2018.
- Lillemoe HA, Bailey CE, Idrees K, Parikh AA. Modern Technical Approaches in Hepatic Surgery for Colorectal Metastases. In: Current Colorectal Cancer Reports, 12(5):217-225, 2016.
Patient Reviews
CV information above last modified May 15, 2025