Yvonne J. Heung, MD, MS, FACP, FAAHPM
Department of Palliative, Rehabilitation and Integrative Medicine, Division of Cancer Medicine
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Associate Professor, Department of Palliative, Rehabilitation, and Integrative Medicine, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 2011 | Albany Medical College, Albany, New York, US, MD |
| 2008 | Union Graduate College, Schenectady, New York, US, Healthcare Management, MS |
| 2007 | Union College, Schenectady, New York, US, Biology, Music, Leadership in Medicine, BS |
Postgraduate Training
| 2014-2015 | Clinical Fellowship, Hospice and Palliative Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas |
| 2012-2014 | Clinical Residency, Internal Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai St. Luke's-Roosevelt, New York, New York |
| 2011-2012 | Clinical Internship, Internal Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai St. Luke's-Roosevelt, New York, New York |
Licenses & Certifications
| 2018 | American Board of Hospice and Palliative Medicine |
| 2017 | Texas Medical Board |
| 2016 | American Board of Internal Medicine |
Experience & Service
Faculty Academic Appointments
Assistant Professor, Department of Palliative, Rehabilitation, and Integrative Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2017 - 2025
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, California, 2016 - 2017
Assistant Professor, Department of Family Medicine, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, California, 2016 - 2017
Instructor, Department of Family Medicine, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, California, 2015 - 2016
Selected Presentations & Talks
Formal Peers
- 2020. Advance Care Planning. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2020. Goals of Care Conversations/Advance Care Planning: Q&A. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2020. Family Meetings: A Powerful Tool for Conducting Goals of Care Conversations. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2020. Discussing Goals of Care: A Roadmap for Health Care Professional. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2020. Prognostication. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2020. Challenging Conversations in Achieving Goal-Concordant Care. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2020. Mind the Gap, Have the Talk. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2020. PUI and COVID+ Goals of Care and Advance Care Planning Communication Guide. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2018. How to Place a DNR Order. Houston, Texas, US.
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Ancy KM, Singleton GA, Huang Y, Zhukovsky DS, Heung Y, Bruera E, Hui D. Systematic Screening of Advanced Cancer Patients' Curability Perception: A Longitudinal Analysis. J Pain Symptom Manage, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 40992638.
- Hui D, Maxwell JP, de la Rosa A, Jennings K, Vidal M, Reddy A, Azhar A, Dev R, Tanco K, Heung Y, Delgado-Guay M, Zhukovsky D, Arthur J, Reddy S, Yennu S, Ontai A, Bruera E. The impact of a web-based prognostic calculator on prognostic confidence in outpatient palliative care. Support Care Cancer 32(11):714, 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 39377783.
- Tang M, Heung Y, Fellman B, Bruera E. Frequency of vaccine hesitancy among patients with advanced cancer. Palliat Support Care 22(2):1-7, 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 37525556.
- Heung Y, Clark M, Tschanz J, Bruera E. Opioid Prescription Denials by Community Pharmacies for Cancer-Related Pain: A Case Series. J Pain Symptom Manage 66(3):e431-e435, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 37356595.
- Zhukovsky DS, Soliman P, Liu D, Meyer M, Haider A, Heung Y, Gaeta S, Lu K, Stepan K, Stanton P, Rodriguez A, Bruera E. Patient Engagement with Early Stage Advance Care Planning at a Comprehensive Cancer Center. Oncologist 28(6):542-550, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 36848260.
- Heung Y, Zhukovsky D, Hui D, Lu Z, Andersen C, Bruera E. Quality of End-of-Life Care during the COVID-19 Pandemic at a Comprehensive Cancer Center. Cancers (Basel) 15(8), 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 37190130.
- Zhukovsky DS, Heung Y, Enriquez P, Itzep N, Lu Z, Nortje N, Stanton P, Wong A, Bruera E. Just-in-Time Decision Making: Preliminary Findings of a Goals of Care Rapid Response Team. J Pain Symptom Manage 65(4):e337-e343, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 36496112.
- Erdogan-Ongel E, Heung Y, Rozman de Moraes A, Geng Y, Bruera E. Inhalation of Isopropyl Alcohol for the Management of Nausea and Vomiting: A Systematic Review. J Palliat Med 26(1):94-100, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 36178929.
- Patel S, Hoge G, Fellman B, Kaur S, Heung Y, Bruera E, Hui D. Timing of referral to outpatient palliative care for patients with haematologic malignancies. Br J Haematol 198(6):974-982, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 35866185.
- Hui D, De La Rosa A, Chen J, Delgado Guay M, Heung Y, Dibaj S, Liu D, Bruera E. Palliative care education and research at US cancer centers: A national survey. Cancer 127(12):2139-2147, 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 33662148.
- Heung Y, Azhar A, Ali Akbar Naqvi SM, Williams J, Park M, Hui D, Dibaj S, Liu D, Bruera E. Frequency and Characteristics of First-Time Palliative Care Referrals During the Last Day of Life. J Pain Symptom Manage 61(2):358-363, 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 32822749.
- Hui D, De La Rosa A, Wilson A, Nguyen T, Wu J, Delgado-Guay M, Azhar A, Arthur J, Epner D, Haider A, De La Cruz M, Heung Y, Tanco K, Dalal S, Reddy A, Williams J, Amin S, Armstrong TS, Breitbart W, Bruera E. Neuroleptic strategies for terminal agitation in patients with cancer and delirium at an acute palliative care unit: a single-centre, double-blind, parallel-group, randomised trial. Lancet Oncol 21(7):989-998, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32479786.
- Hui D, Abdelghani E, Chen J, Dibaj S, Zhukovsky D, Dev R, Tanco K, Haider A, Azhar A, Reddy A, Epner D, Arthur J, Dalal S, Heung Y, Reddy S, De La Cruz M, Liu D, Bruera E. Chronic Non-Malignant Pain in Patients with Cancer Seen at a Timely Outpatient Palliative Care Clinic. Cancers (Basel) 12(1), 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 31952220.
- Hui D, De La Rosa A, Chen J, Dibaj S, Delgado Guay M, Heung Y, Liu D, Bruera E. State of Palliative Care Services at US Cancer Centers: An Updated National Survey. Cancer 126(9):2013-2023, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32049358.
- Reddy A, Vidal M, Stephen S, Baumgartner K, Dost S, Nguyen A, Heung Y, Kwan S, Wong A, Pangemanan I, Azhar A, Tayjasanant S, Rodriguez E, Waletich J, Lim KH, Wu J, Liu D, Williams J, Yennurajalingam S, Bruera E. The Conversion Ratio From Intravenous Hydromorphone to Oral Opioids in Cancer Patients. J Pain Symptom Manage 54(3):280-288, 2017. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28711751.
- Reddy A, Tayjasanant S, Haider A, Heung Y, Wu J, Liu D, Yennurajalingam S, Reddy S, de la Cruz M, Rodriguez EM, Waletich J, Vidal M, Arthur J, Holmes C, Tallie K, Wong A, Dev R, Williams J, Bruera E. The opioid rotation ratio of strong opioids to transdermal fentanyl in cancer patients. Cancer 122(1):149-56, 2016. e-Pub 2016. PMID: 26451687.
- Xue L, Zhou B, Liu X, Heung Y, Chau J, Chu E, Li S, Jiang C, Un F, Yen Y. Ribonucleotide reductase small subunit p53R2 facilitates p21 induction of G1 arrest under UV irradiation. Cancer Res 67(1):16-21, 2007. e-Pub 2007. PMID: 17210678.
- Xue L, Zhou B, Liu X, Wang T, Shih J, Qi C, Heung Y, Yen Y. Structurally dependent redox property of ribonucleotide reductase subunit p53R2. Cancer Res 66(4):1900-5, 2006. e-Pub 2006. PMID: 16488986.
Review Articles
- Hui D, Heung Y, Bruera E. Timely Palliative Care: Personalizing the Process of Referral. Cancers (Basel) 14(4), 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 35205793.
- Heung Y, Reddy A. How to Use Methadone in an Era of an Opioid Epidemic. Curr Treat Options Oncol 21(4):30, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32193644.
Editorials
- Heung Y, Bruera E. End-of-life care quality metrics in patients with cancer: challenges and opportunities. Int J Gynecol Cancer 32(6):704-705, 2022. PMID: 35483737.
Abstracts
- Zhukovsky D, Enriquez P, Nortje N, Heung Y, Itzep N, Wong A, Lu Z, Stanton P, Bruera E. Goals of Care Rapid Response Team at a Comprehensive Cancer Center: Feasibility and Preliminary Outcomes. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management 63(5):926, 2022. e-Pub 2022.
- Subbiah IM, Xu C, Lu SC, Haider A, Azhar A, Swan A, Amaram-Davila J, Tang M, Heung Y, Shih K, Bruera E, Sidey-Gibbons C. Development of patient reported outcomes-based machine learning algorithm for the six-month mortality prediction in patients with advanced cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology 39(28), 2021. e-Pub 2021.
- Hui D, De La Rosa A, Shelal Z, Maxwell J, Hosain M, De La Cruz M, Vidal M, Reddy A, Azhar A, Dev R, Tanco K, Wong A, Heung Y, Delgado-Guay M, Zhukovsky D, Arthur J, Reddy S, Yennu S, Bruera E. The impact of a web-based prognostic intervention on physicians’ prognostic confidence. Journal of Clinical Oncology 39(15):12106-12106, 2021. e-Pub 2021.
- Heung Y, Azhar A, Ali Akbar Naqvi SM, Williams J, Park M, Hui D, Dibaj S, Liu D, Bruera E. Frequency and Characteristics of First-Time Palliative Care Referrals During the Last Day of Life. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management 60(1):271-272, 2020. e-Pub 2020.
- Hui D, De La Rosa A, Wilson A, Nguyen T, Wu J, Delgado-Guay M, Azhar A, Arthur J, Epner D, Haider A, De La Cruz M, Heung Y, Tanco K, Dalal S, Armstrong T, Breitbart W, Bruera E. Neuroleptic rotation for refractory agitation in cancer patients with delirium in the acute palliative care unit: A double-blind randomized clinical trial. Journal of Clinical Oncology 38(15):12006-12006, 2020. e-Pub 2020.
- Hui D, De La Rosa A, Chen J, Delgado-Guay M, Heung Y, Liu D, Hess K, Bruera E. Growth of palliative care (PC) in United States cancer centers: A national survey. Journal of Clinical Oncology 37(15):11601-11601, 2019. e-Pub 2019.
Letters to the Editor
- Reddy A, Heung Y, Bruera E. Caution, Vigilance, and Personalization: A Must for Any Opioid Conversion. J Pain Symptom Manage 56: e3-e5, 2018.
Patient Reviews
CV information above last modified November 13, 2025