With decades of experience in her field, Linda Ling-Ying Liu, M.D., is dedicated to providing compassionate care for Arizonans diagnosed with breast cancer. Specializing in the management of benign and malignant diseases of the breast, she embraces innovation and was one of the first surgeons in Phoenix to perform oncoplastic lumpectomies, nipple-sparing mastectomies and minimally invasive brachytherapy radiation. Dr. Liu offers innovative, personalized treatment options and a multidisciplinary approach that takes each woman’s health goals into account.
“I want patients to feel that they are part of a collaborative process that respects their opinions,” Dr. Liu said. “I am honored to guide patients and their families through an incredibly stressful process. I hope through education, I can give patients the confidence to switch from survival mode and instead adapt a strategy for problem-solving and conquest.”
Dr. Liu performs a wide range of conventional and minimally invasive procedures, ensuring an outstanding aesthetic result is always part of the treatment plan.
“Optimizing cosmetic appearance should be part of the initial planning process and should not be an afterthought,” Dr. Liu said. “I work closely with my plastic surgery colleagues to perform oncoplastic lumpectomies, in which we reshape the breast to prevent deformities, especially with larger tumors. Using this technique, we can sometimes avoid mastectomy.”
About Dr. Liu
Dr. Liu earned her medical degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, where she received the Janet Glasgow Award for Achievement in Academics and was a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor medical society. She then completed a general surgery residency in Ann Arbor, at the University of Michigan Hospitals.
Board-certified by the American Board of Surgery, Dr. Liu has served as director of the American College of Surgeons National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers for Northern Arizona Healthcare and was co-leader of HonorHealth’s Tumor Site Specific Guidelines for Breast Cancer Treatment. She has served on the teaching staff for the Phoenix Integrated Surgical Residency Program and the University of Arizona Medical School.
Recognized as a “Top Doc” in Arizona by Phoenix Magazine for more than 10 consecutive years, Dr. Liu has multiple publications to her name and is a strong advocate for and participant in community education initiatives related to breast health.
City of Hope Phoenix Breast Cancer Center
Dr. Liu joins a multidisciplinary team of clinicians who work together to develop personalized treatment options based on each patient’s breast cancer type, stage and survivorship goals. Each patient’s care team at the Breast Cancer Center is led by a medical oncologist and may also include a breast surgeon, like Dr. Liu, a reconstructive surgeon, a pathologist and other doctors, clinicians and supportive care providers who work together to not only treat the disease but help manage side effects.
Committed to improving treatment options for patients through clinical research and trials, City of Hope® doctors and researchers have launched or participated in dozens of trials for a variety of new breast cancer treatments. These trials offer patients the chance to access treatments that may not otherwise be available. This unique blend of experience, compassionate care and clinical research is fundamental to City of Hope’s commitment to bringing patients the care they need and the quality of life they desire.
Collaborate With Dr. Liu
City of Hope physicians work with each patient’s primary care physician and other doctors to coordinate care during treatment and to create a seamless transition back home when treatment is over.
“In addition to excellent surgical results that eradicate cancer and provide an outstanding aesthetic result, I want patients to feel well cared for, confident in their treatment plan and encouraged to participate in decision-making,” said Dr. Liu.
Dr. Liu welcomes the opportunity to collaborate with other physicians through referrals and emerging lines of research.