Biography
Dr. Heestand is a board-certified medical oncologist with a focus on gastrointestinal cancers, primarily hepatocellular carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma, and gallbladder cancer. He serves as the medical oncology champion of the Stanford Hepatobiliary Tumor Board, as well as the principal investigator of multiple clinical trials. He collaborates with campus laboratories to help develop new biomarker and treatment technologies. He is the former director of the Stanford Oncology Fellowship Program.
Dr. Heestand and his team take great pride in helping patients and their families face gastrointestinal cancer.
Outside of the clinic, Dr. Heestand enjoys playing the piano, teaching his kids about music, cooking for friends and family, and surfing the internet for interesting things to read.
Dr. Heestand and his team take great pride in helping patients and their families face gastrointestinal cancer.
Outside of the clinic, Dr. Heestand enjoys playing the piano, teaching his kids about music, cooking for friends and family, and surfing the internet for interesting things to read.
View Full Biography
Professional Summary
Education & Certifications
- Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology (2021)
- Medical Education: University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine (2004) CA
- Fellowship: Stanford University Hematology and Oncology Fellowship (2010) CA
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- Residency: University of California Davis (2007) CA
- Undergraduate, Harvard College (1998)
Administrative Appointments
- Hematology Oncology Fellowship Associate Director, Stanford University (2022 - 2024)
- Oncology Fellowship Director, Stanford University (2017 - 2022)
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Publications
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Racial Disparity in Consultation, Treatment, and the Impact on Survival in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
Simpson, D. R., Martinez, M. E., Gupta, S., Hattangadi-Gluth, J., Mell, L. K., Heestand, G., … Murphy, J. D. (2013). Racial Disparity in Consultation, Treatment, and the Impact on Survival in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer. JNCI-JOURNAL OF THE NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE, 105(23), 1814–20. -
A Novel Biomarker Panel Examining Response to Gemcitabine with or without Erlotinib for Pancreatic Cancer Therapy in NCIC Clinical Trials Group PA.3
Shultz, D. B., Pai, J., Chiu, W., Ng, K., Hellendag, M. G., Heestand, G., … Koong, A. C. (2016). A Novel Biomarker Panel Examining Response to Gemcitabine with or without Erlotinib for Pancreatic Cancer Therapy in NCIC Clinical Trials Group PA.3. PLOS ONE, 11(1). -
Approach to Patients With Pancreatic Cancer Without Detectable Metastases
Heestand, G. M., Murphy, J. D., & Lowy, A. M. (2015). Approach to Patients With Pancreatic Cancer Without Detectable Metastases. JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ONCOLOGY, 33(16), 1770-? -
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Molecular landscape of pancreatic cancer: implications for current clinical trials
Heestand, G. M., & Kurzrock, R. (2015). Molecular landscape of pancreatic cancer: implications for current clinical trials. ONCOTARGET, 6(7), 4553–4561. -
FGFR1 and NTRK3 actionable alterations in "Wild-Type" gastrointestinal stromal tumors.
Shi, E., Chmielecki, J., Tang, C.-M. M., Wang, K., Heinrich, M. C., Kang, G., … Sicklick, J. K. (2016). FGFR1 and NTRK3 actionable alterations in "Wild-Type" gastrointestinal stromal tumors. Journal of Translational Medicine, 14(1), 339. -
Topoisomerase expression and amplification in solid tumours: Analysis of 24,262 patients.
Heestand, G. M., Schwaederle, M., Gatalica, Z., Arguello, D., & Kurzrock, R. (2017). Topoisomerase expression and amplification in solid tumours: Analysis of 24,262 patients. European Journal of Cancer (Oxford, England : 1990), 83, 80–87. -
The Mutational Landscape of Gastrointestinal Malignancies as Reflected by Circulating Tumor DNA.
Riviere, P., Fanta, P. T., Ikeda, S., Baumgartner, J., Heestand, G. M., & Kurzrock, R. (2018). The Mutational Landscape of Gastrointestinal Malignancies as Reflected by Circulating Tumor DNA. Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, 17(1), 297–305. -
A novel biomarker panel examining response to adjuvant pancreatic cancer therapy in RTOG 9704
Heestand, G. M., Murphy, J. D., Moughan, J., Regine, W., Luo, J., Graber, M. S., … Koong, A. (2014). A novel biomarker panel examining response to adjuvant pancreatic cancer therapy in RTOG 9704. JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ONCOLOGY. AMER SOC CLINICAL ONCOLOGY. -
The Evolution of Modern Systemic Agents for Colorectal Cancer
Heestand, G., Kunz, P., & Fisher, G. A. (2010). The Evolution of Modern Systemic Agents for Colorectal Cancer. LOWER GASTROINTESTINAL MALIGNANCIES, 1(2), 249–60. -
A novel biomarker panel examining response to gemcitabine (G) with or without erlotinib (E) for pancreatic cancer (PA) therapy in NCIC clinical trials group PA.3.
Shultz, D., Pal, J., Graber, M. S., Heestand, G. M., Chang, D. T., Parulekar, W. R., … Koong, A. (2014). A novel biomarker panel examining response to gemcitabine (G) with or without erlotinib (E) for pancreatic cancer (PA) therapy in NCIC clinical trials group PA.3. JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ONCOLOGY. AMER SOC CLINICAL ONCOLOGY. -
Therapeutic Monitoring of Circulating DNA Mutations in Metastatic Cancer with Personalized Digital PCR.
Wood-Bouwens, C. M., Haslem, D., Moulton, B., Almeda, A. F., Lee, H., Heestand, G. M., … Ji, H. P. (2019). Therapeutic Monitoring of Circulating DNA Mutations in Metastatic Cancer with Personalized Digital PCR. The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics : JMD. -
Implementation of a cloud-based electronic patient-reported outcome (ePRO) platform in patients with advanced cancer.
Generalova, O., Roy, M., Hall, E., Shah, S. A., Cunanan, K., Fardeen, T., … Ramchandran, K. (2021). Implementation of a cloud-based electronic patient-reported outcome (ePRO) platform in patients with advanced cancer. Journal of Patient-Reported Outcomes, 5(1), 91. -
Single-molecule methylation profiles of cell-free DNA in cancer with nanopore sequencing.
Lau, B. T., Almeda, A., Schauer, M., McNamara, M., Bai, X., Meng, Q., … Ji, H. P. (2023). Single-molecule methylation profiles of cell-free DNA in cancer with nanopore sequencing. Genome Medicine, 15(1), 33. -
Beyond EGFR inhibitors in advanced colorectal cancer: Targeting BRAF and HER2.
Dao, V., & Heestand, G. (2023). Beyond EGFR inhibitors in advanced colorectal cancer: Targeting BRAF and HER2. Current Problems in Cancer, 47(4), 100960. -
COMPANION-002 A clinical trial of investigational drug CTX-009 plus paclitaxel vs paclitaxel in second line advanced BTC.
Azad, N., Hu, Z., Sahin, I., Iyer, R., Aranha, O., Hochster, H., … Javle, M. (2024). COMPANION-002 A clinical trial of investigational drug CTX-009 plus paclitaxel vs paclitaxel in second line advanced BTC. Future Oncology (London, England), 1–8. -
Biochemical, Radiographic, or Pathologic Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Resected Pancreatic Cancer: Which is Best?
Ahmad, M. U., Javadi, C. S., Chang, J. D., Forgó, E., Delitto, D. J., Dua, M. M., … Poultsides, G. A. (2024). Biochemical, Radiographic, or Pathologic Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Resected Pancreatic Cancer: Which is Best? Annals of Surgery. -
Phase II trial of organ preservation program using short-course radiation and FOLFOXIRI for rectal cancer (SHORT-FOX): Two-Year primary outcome analysis.
Klebaner, D., Brown, E., Fisher, G. A., Shelton, A., Johnson, T. P., Shaheen, S., … Pollom, E. L. (2025). Phase II trial of organ preservation program using short-course radiation and FOLFOXIRI for rectal cancer (SHORT-FOX): Two-Year primary outcome analysis. Radiotherapy and Oncology : Journal of the European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, 207, 110884. -
Clinical benefit of various HER2-directed regimens in gastrointestinal malignancies: a retrospective cohort study.
Khanna, V., Vadde, S., Henry, A. S., Johnson, T. P., Shaheen, S., Heestand, G. M., … Chen, C. T. (2026). Clinical benefit of various HER2-directed regimens in gastrointestinal malignancies: a retrospective cohort study. BMC Cancer.
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Molecular landscape of pancreatic cancer: implications for current clinical trials
Clinical Trials
Clinical trials are research studies that evaluate a new medical approach, device, drug, or other treatment. As a Stanford Health Care patient, you may have access to the latest, advanced clinical trials.
Open trials refer to studies currently accepting participants. Closed trials are not currently enrolling, but may open in the future.
- Nivolumab and Ipilimumab in Treating Patients With Esophageal and Gastroesophageal Junction Adenocarcinoma Undergoing Surgery
- A Study of CTX-009 in Combination With Paclitaxel in Adult Patients With Unresectable Advanced, Metastatic or Recurrent Biliary Tract Cancers (COMPANION-002)
- A Study of Nivolumab in Participants With Hepatocellular Carcinoma Who Are at High Risk of Recurrence After Curative Hepatic Resection or Ablation
- TPST-1120 as Monotherapy and in Combination With Nivolumab in Subjects With Advanced Cancers
- Gemcitabine Hydrochloride and Cisplatin With or Without Nab-Paclitaxel in Treating Patients With Newly Diagnosed Advanced Biliary Tract Cancers
- A Study of an FGFR2/3 Inhibitor (CGT4859) in Patients With Cholangiocarcinoma and Other Advanced Solid Tumors
Practice Locations
Gastrointestinal (GI) Cancer Program in Palo Alto Palo Alto, CA
Palo Alto, CA
Gastrointestinal (GI) Cancer Program in Palo Alto
875 Blake Wilbur Dr
Palo Alto , CA 94304
Make An Appointment More Clinic Information Getting HereImportant Information about Our Organizations and Physician Affiliation
Stanford Health Care, Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley, and Stanford Medicine Partners are each independent nonprofit organizations that are affiliated with but separate from each other and from Stanford University. The physicians who provide care at facilities operated by Stanford Health Care, Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley, and Stanford Medicine Partners are faculty, foundation, or community physicians who are not employees, representatives, or agents of Stanford Health Care, Stanford Health Care Tri- Valley, or Stanford Medicine Partners. Stanford Health Care, Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley, and Stanford Medicine Partners do not exercise control over the care provided by such faculty, foundation, and community physicians and are not responsible for their actions.
Review Summary
Dr. Heestand is consistently described as professional, caring, and knowledgeable. He is often commended for his ability to clearly explain medical information and answer questions thoroughly, ensuring patients feel comfortable and well-informed. Many appreciate his direct, yet compassionate approach, and find him easy to talk to.
The summary was created by AI, based on recent patient reviews. Learn more
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Patient Reviews
(172 reviews)
very good.
very good.
Never met Dr Heestand in person. He project an image of an intellectual and asciettist, not a run of the mill medical doctor.
Good Doctor
He is a very qualified doctor
Thank you!
Everyone was friendly and professional
As I mentioned earlier, Dr. HEESTAND was very personable, very nice, well informed, and just an overall really great doctor
He’s very nice and concern about my situation
Dr Heestand took the time I needed to understand my disease. He didn't make me feel like he had to rush through the visit. Very kind and professional.
I am very lucky to have an amazing doctor like Gregory Heestand!
look forward to the call every year
I very much appreciate the opportunity to coordinate my care with Dr. Heestand at Stanford. It feels as if there is a very thoughtful and thorough understanding of my case and a great deal of very useful information.
Thank you for explaining my health issue, informative and easy to understand my on-going health diagnosis and treatments.
We had audio visit Dr Heestand and it was very helpful and understandable to talk to him. Highly recommend him to anyone
I I was very pleased to be able to talk with both Dr. Heestand and Dr. Cooper. They have an excellent understanding of my case and I am looking forward to seeing them again after they have presented my case to the Stanford Tumor Board.
He’s great
Very nice experience. Nurse and Doctor Heestand were awesomeThorough and informative to my condition. I felt safe and appreciated the info.
Caring and direct with hard to hear health info
Excelent service
He is very warm, helpful and take care of my case thoroughly. He is also very understanding about my thoughts.
very pleasant and helpful
Dr. Heestand has always been clear and thorough. I feel cheerful every time after I spoke with him. I hope my recovery can be completed under his watch and guidance.
Dr. Heestand is an excellent doctor! He is professional, personable, and thorough.
Hi Doc, always good to see you
He was very informative and he answered my questions
I was satisfied with his suggestions
I have total confidence in him. He
Great Doctor and coordinator with my Oncologist Dr Majh in Chico Ca.!!!
Great Doctor is very helpful and is genuinely concerned with the health and strategy that he and Dr. Mazj are using to keep fighting the Cancer!!!
Outstanding doctor and a great to work with.
Nice and professional understood completely what he was saying
He was very genuine and direct with my questions about my care and treatment and my long term prognosis. I appreciated that very much.
Dr. Heestand has always been very professional and patient.
He is a good doctor
He's an excellent physician.
I was very pleased with aspects of my visit with Dr. Heestand.
Gregory,Heestand, has been great. I've known him for last 4 years.He's been taking care of me absolutely Fabulously is very caring.Always wants to know how am I doing?And I love being his patient
Dr. Heestand is excellent.
He is a great and caring doctor!!
Dr. Heestand is an amazing doctor, very professional, personable and confidence inspiring.
Dr Heestand is an excellent and caring doctor
DR Gregory Heestand was prepared with information that I needed to keep informed of my treatment progress and future processes. I was very impressed with his professionalism!
Dr. Heestand is top notch, always patient and very helpful.
Very caring and knowledgeable.
Many Thanks for caring me.
Very informative and helpful. Thank you.
Fantastic, caring and supportive doctor. I am very lucky to have him as my doctor!
He is smart, patient, gives his time generously.
He is very informative and explains any and all questions that you may have.
Dr. H is always great at explaining the situation to me and the reasoning behind his recommendations.
Dr Heestand was great.
Absolutely a professional and he attitude reflects compassion
Starting off terrific.
Really nice and knowledgeable doctor. Would have him as my regular oncologist if I lived close to the bay area.
Very informative and listened to our concerns.
Felt very comfortable speaking with Dr. Heestand.
He was very professional as always
Wish they would have called me to inform me that they were running behind on there schedule
Dr. Heestand is so thorough and professional and explains things so you understand.
He is good
Dr Heestand was very professional and thorough.
Dr. Heestand is a wonderful Doctor and explained his plan for my future treatment for cancer!!!
Extremely right advise which relieved me from worrying. Many thanks to Dr Heestand.
He is a great Doctor. He always answers all my questions and makes sure that I understand them. When the visit is done he makes sure that I have all the information that I need
He was very easy to speak with
He's great! I've known him for seven years and feel very confident in him and comfortable with him.
Great care.
He is a great Doctor. He makes you feel very comfortable and answers all questions if you have any. He explains things very well, and is very patient.
Good doctor was informative and precise.
provided information I needed and explained the treatment options I can make. very informative and I appreciate having his time.
Excellent MD
The best.
I am very satisfied with Dr. Heestand
Dr Heestand is an excellent doctor. He provided the information I need and always takes the time to listen carefully and answer all my questions. He is always pleasant and kind and seems to really care about me as a patient. I feel like I am getting great care.
Seems like a knowledgeable and kind doctor.
He is great! Very focused specialist
Dr. Heestand is professional and able to explain the patient's condition clearly, providing appropriate treatment plans. He responds to messages promptly and sends referrals very quickly, making the process easy. I appreciate Dr. Heestand for providing us with more possible treatment options, and hopefully, things will go well.
Dr. Heestand and his team are fantastic to work with as always. We are very fortunate to have them as part of our care team.
Dr. Heestand did a great job in his explanation of the chemo
drug in question.
he was very clear and compassionate.
Doctor Gregory Heesstand he is wonderful and very caring. And I have nothing but compliments to give about him
He was straight forward with my condition and he was very professional about my concerns.
Friendly and knowledgeable professional. Easy to work with.
Dr. Heestand is an exceptional Dr. that has given me professional, knowledgeable, and thoughtful information. I am grateful for all that he has shared, and always look forward to all appointments. Thank you Dr. for your time.
Very easy to talk with & explains in detail.
Good bed side manner & knowledgeable about my condition.
He is the consummate professional, knowlegeable, direct, listens well, and kind and willing to explain new items to you.
Very pleasant, caring, and informative. He also listened and never rushed me.
He is direct and clear in his communication.
None. Good dr and easy to work with. Relaxed and competent air.
Dr Gregory Heestand was a good conversant, speak good & clear, very good doctor with so much care for the patient.
Very professional, we like him a lot.
Dr heestand explains well and is corftable to speak with
I think Dr. Heestand & his PA, Andrew, were very professional, friendly, & compassionate. They were both very thorough & prepared for our meeting.
Outstanding
Was a great appt took his time, explaining and answering all my questions
Great Doc
Very attentive and professional doctor listening to my needs and addresses my concerns thoroughly
We had a great visit.
He and is staff are very communicative and caring. Happy to be under his care.
Seemed very knowledgeable as I would expect.
Thank you for all you’ve done and are still doing, You are an amazing physician and I’m grateful for you as my doctor.
He listen well is not in a tush
Dr. Heestand has been my GI oncologist since 2017 and I am very comfortable with him and appreciative of everything he did to get me through my liver transplant.
Great caring doctor with calm and attending attitude. listening to my concerns carefully and discussing options.
Very professional Doctor!!! Doctor Heestand explained the after surgery procedure that has been planned, and I agree with his plan!!!
all good
I appreciate the care I received from Dr. Heestand and his team.
I liked Dr. Heestand’s methodical and thoughtful approach and his presentation of a management plan.
He is wonderful. He takes the time to explain things, give his thoughts and listen to my questions and concerns.
Answered all our questions.
He seems very understanding and caring
I could not hear the response from Dr. Heestand to s very important question to me.
He is matter of fact and always very positive. He helps me feel more calm and not as stressed. I really appreciate him.
Long wait for dr.
He was very informative and confirmed the current treatment I am receiving.
I feel well cared for. He explains things well, which is essential to me and allows for questions. All in all, I'm happy to have been referred to him.
Very informative doctor
to mycase
Kind and compassionate doctor. Highly recommend.
Made me feel very calm during the conversation. Was very patient with my questions.
Dr. Heestand is a very likeable and knowledgeable doctor. He offers very good advice and has very good plans for future treatment. I feel quite lucky that he is among my doctors.
He’s good Dr.
I trust him .
EZ to talk to.
Dr Heestand is excellent and so is his staff. Dr Heestand is warm, caring, professional, highly skilled and well prepared for appointments. He also has a great sense of humor which really helps when conversation topics are challenging. I feel very fortunate to have Dr Heestand on my team. I feel more confident with his involvement in treatment decisions.
You are special!
Very easy to communicate with and seems very knowledgeable.
comfortable to speak with
My Deep gratitude to Dr Heestand And his entire team — Dr Northness & Claire — for their outstanding care and constant support, their friendliness, patience with my questions and readiness to communicate throughout the months of my treatment. I am immensely grateful.
He is a marvelous doctor. His entire team is excellent.
Excellent doctor. Highly recommended.
Nothing but good things to say I’m at ease clear and listened and answered questions just feel really good
We enjoyed the conversation. The team answered our questions and I think prepared us for the next step. All in all A+
Very knowledgeable and explained everything I needed to know
Very accommodating, caring and supportive throughout the course of the cancer treatment. Highly recommend.
Very corftable and explains well
Very much appreciated his and Andy Northness's reviews, comments and advise on my diagnosis, tests, treatments and ongoing research. Thank you!
Good Job. Pleasant.
So happy that Dr. Heestand is my doctor!! He is a Good man!! I actually enjoy our personal conversations. Puts me at ease.
It was never explained why he did not show up for the video conference.
We were pleased with the way he informed us of my situation and the advise we got. We have an indication of a plan going forward.
He's a caring Doctor.
Dr Heestand is very good to explain,advise made me feel good and happy
Thank very much to Dr Heestand and staff!!!
I trust and am thankful that Dr. Heestand is my doctor
Excellent. The best. Listens patiently, explains well, is concerned and, of course, very knowledgeable.
There was a long wait to make contact. Battery almosst went dead.
The conference was good.
Nice doctor explained everything I needed to know I'm very satisfied
I liked him approach and like him and his assistant well. Thank you
Dr. Heestand is a very sweet, caring doctor. His patients well being is his priority and he listens, takes note and recommends a treatment plan.
Dr. Heestand is an outstanding Oncologist, he takes time to explain issues, he listens well, he cares about his patients.
Very informative and answered all questions
Absolutely wonderful physician and staff!
He is awesome, knowledgeable and genuinely kind and care about his patients.
He’s a caring doctor that listens well.
Good
I'm quite satisfied.
Dr. Heestand is an excellent doctor. He treats me very professional and cares about my disease very much.
Everything is great
Good experience.
Dr. Heestand is calming, kind, compassionate and a good listener. He is realistic re: My dx. but was still reassuring. He spend a good deal of time with me, answered my questions and was very informative. I left his office feeling confident that my life was in good hands.
I'm so fortunate to have Dr. Heestand & Andy his PA as part of my healthcare team.
Dr. Heestand was excellent, he took time and showed interest in my care.
Excellent attention.
Staff & care provider are courteous & very well coming.
Both the physician asst. and the doctor were caring, knowledgeable, and exemplary in their discussion very service oriented.
Excellent answer to all my questions & good recommendations.
Dr. Heestand & his PA Andrew Northness are the best - both are very competent and care genuinely about me & my wife.
Yes - they were on time and informative.
My health team is wonderful! I feel very comfortable with and well-cared for by the whole team.
Thank you very much. Very well.
Good, I felt informed, maybe I'll have options.
I believe Dr. Heestand & his team they have guided me well in this nightmare I need them. They are the best. God bless them.
I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in June Dr. Heestand & his team are the best. God bless them. They are great.
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