Meet Dr. James Wu
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About Dr. James Wu
Dr. James X. Wu
Dr. James Wu is an endocrine surgeon with specialized training in Head and Neck Cancer Surgery from the world renowned Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. Prior to fellowship, he trained in general surgery at UCLA under the mentorship of Dr. Michael Yeh. A strong advocate for shared decision-making with patients, Dr. Wu believes in right-sized care for thyroid disease. This includes active surveillance for small, low-risk thyroid cancers, minimally invasive ablation techniques for benign thyroid nodules, and advanced thyroid operations for aggressive cancers. He wants all patients to feel informed and empowered to choose between appropriate treatment options that match their preferences and values.
“I saw Dr. James Wu for papillary thyroid cancer, and he was the third doctor I met with to discuss my surgery and options. He took his time, explained everything thoroughly, and was willing to take the most conservative approach, which was to remove my isthmus only.”
Dr. Wu believes in hands-on care for his patients. He performs his own neck ultrasound for patients with thyroid and parathyroid disease, as well as office biopsies and ablations when needed. He also believes in innovation to improve patient safety and outcomes, and embraces nerve monitoring, minimally invasive and robotic surgery technology. Each year, Dr. Wu performs ~200 thyroid, parathyroid, and adrenal operations and a growing number of thyroid ablation procedures. In the operating room, Dr. Wu has special expertise with difficult or complex neck operations (and re-operations) for thyroid cancer, especially when the disease involves vital structures in the neck or extensive involvement of the lymph nodes.
Dr. Wu cares for patients at the Endocrine Center flagship location in Westwood, and also has satellite clinics in Encino, Downtown Los Angeles, and Toluca Lake/Burbank. He performs operations at UCLA Ronald Reagan Hospital, UCLA Ambulatory Surgery Center, and UCLA Santa Monica Hospital. Dr. Wu also treats the underserved at UCLA-Olive View Medical Center, performing general and endocrine surgery procedures at this LA county hospital.
Team-Based Approach to Patient Care
Challenging cases require coordinated care from many different specialists: surgeons, endocrinologists, pathologists, radiologists, oncologists, etc. Complex cases at the Endocrine Center are discussed during regular conference meetings to develop a group consensus on the best treatment plan. This helps ensure patients receive the most up-to-date care in an organized fashion.
Research
As an assistant professor at UCLA, Dr. James Wu engages in research to improve the care for endocrine surgery patients. His work has been recognized by the American Thyroid Association, who awarded Dr. Wu a research grant to investigate patient decision-making in thyroid cancer. He also received a research grant from the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons to study a new blood test to detect thyroid cancer particles in the bloodstream. Active engagement in research means patients at the Endocrine Center will always receive evidence-based, innovative care.
Dr. Wu has published more than 50 scientific articles, which have been presented at national conferences including the American Thyroid Association, American Association of Endocrine Surgeons, American College of Surgeons, and others. His work centers around optimizing care for endocrine surgery patients.
Community Engagement and Education
Dr. James Wu strongly believes in patient education, and hopes to empower patients to choose treatments that align with their preferences and values. He has produced a number of highly viewed educational videos on YouTube, and has done seminars for ThyCa, the Thyroid Cancer Survivors ’ Association.
He also serves as an Associate Program Director for the UCLA General Surgery, as well as the Associate Director of Surgical Education. Dr. Wu is a regular contributor for endocrine surgery to the Behind the Knife Surgery Podcast, the most listened to surgery podcast with an average of 20,000 downloads per episode. He also contributed to Behind the Knife board review materials for surgical oncology graduates.
Personal Life
Born and raised in Denver, James now lives in Los Angeles with his wife and his two wild boys Owen and Lucas. A major foodie, James was formerly Yelp Elite (Gold) and now just eats for fun. He is fluent in Mandarin Chinese.