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NPCF Medical Reviewer
Assistant Professor, Division of Surgical Oncology
UNC School of Medicine
Associate Member, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
| Institution | University of North Carolina School of Medicine |
| Position | Assistant Professor, Division of Surgical Oncology |
| Affiliated With | Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center |
| Board Certifications | American Board of Surgery (2023); Complex General Surgical Oncology (2025) |
| Focus Areas | Pancreatic and hepatobiliary cancer surgery; minimally invasive and robotic surgery; translational tumor immunology research |
| NPCF Role | Medical reviewer, since July 2026 |
| Conflicts of Interest | None |
Dr. Robert Torphy is a surgical oncologist and physician-scientist at the University of North Carolina, and a medical reviewer for the National Pancreatic Cancer Foundation. He cares for patients with pancreatic, liver, and bile duct cancers, helping guide them through complex treatment decisions with a personalized, multidisciplinary approach. In addition to caring for patients, he leads a research program focused on understanding how pancreatic cancer interacts with the immune system and why it is often able to evade the body’s natural defenses. His goal is to translate discoveries from the laboratory into better treatments and more effective immunotherapies, while also ensuring that patients and families have access to clear, evidence-based information they can trust throughout their cancer journey.
"As a surgical oncologist and pancreatic cancer researcher, I am committed to translating the latest evidence into information that is understandable and meaningful for patients and caregivers. My hope is that the content provided by NPCF will help people better understand their diagnosis, feel empowered to make informed decisions, and know they are not facing pancreatic cancer alone."
Dr. Torphy’s laboratory combines human tissue banking, spatial biology, and mechanistic mouse models to understand how pancreas tumor draining lymph nodes shape systemic immunity. His pancreatic-cancer-specific expertise spans open and minimally invasive pancreatic surgery and translational immunology research.
Reiss KA, Soares KC, Torphy RJ, Gyawali B. Treatment Innovations in Pancreatic Cancer: Putting Patient Priorities First. Am Soc Clin Oncol Educ Book. 2025 Jun;45(3):e473204. doi:10.1200/EDBK-25-473204. PMID: 40173379.
Yee EJ, Torphy RJ, Myers EK, et al. Dynamic Anthropometrics in Pancreatic Cancer: Associations Between Body Composition Changes During Neoadjuvant Therapy and Survival Outcomes After Resection. Ann Surg Oncol. 2024 Nov;31(12):8340-8351. doi:10.1245/s10434-024-15975-6. PMID: 39120842.
Torphy RJ, Balachandran V, Soares KC. mRNA Vaccines for Cancer Treatment. Surg Oncol Clin N Am. 2026 Apr;35(2):299-316. doi: 10.1016/j.soc.2025.10.006. Epub 2026 Jan 14. PMID: 41903991.
Torphy RJ, Pylayeva-Gupta Y. Deciphering KRAS inhibitor resistance. Nat Cell Biol. 2026 Jan;28(1):8-10. doi: 10.1038/s41556-025-01757-z. PMID: 41331086; PMCID: PMC13202238.
Sun Y, Fujiwara Y, Torphy RJ, Yee EJ, Guo Y, Sun Z, Hu J, Eck E, Terai T, Schulick RD, Zhu Y. CD93 blockade overcomes sunitinib resistance in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. Mol Ther. 2025 Oct 1;33(10):5017-5027. doi: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2025.07.042. Epub 2025 Jul 29. PMID: 40739755; PMCID: PMC12359193.
Dr. Torphy values caring for patients in a multidisciplinary setting and always focuses on personalizing care for each individual.
Dr. Torphy reports no conflicts of interest relevant to the pancreatic cancer content he reviews for NPCF.
Dr. Torphy consented to publication of this profile on July 20, 2026. Articles are not published as “medically reviewed by Dr. Torphy” without his written approval of the specific version. This page will be reviewed and updated at least annually.
Dr. Robert Torphy is a surgical oncologist and physician-scientist at the University of North Carolina, specializing in pancreatic and hepatobiliary cancer surgery. He serves as a medical reviewer for the National Pancreatic Cancer Foundation, providing clinical oversight of patient education content.
Dr. Torphy reviews NPCF patient and family education content on pancreatic cancer, spanning symptoms, diagnosis, staging, treatment options, and survivorship. His clinical practice in pancreatic and hepatobiliary cancer surgery and his research background in tumor immunology inform each review.
Dr. Torphy is board certified by the American Board of Surgery (2023) and in Complex General Surgical Oncology (2025). His clinical practice focuses on pancreatic, liver, and bile duct cancer surgery, including minimally invasive and robotic approaches. He also leads a translational research program in pancreatic cancer immunology.
Every NPCF article carrying a “medically reviewed by” attribution has been reviewed and approved in writing by the named reviewer prior to publication. NPCF’s medical reviewers are practicing clinicians with pancreatic cancer expertise. Content is reviewed at least annually and updated as clinical guidance evolves. NPCF does not publish an article as “medically reviewed by Dr. Torphy” without his written approval of that specific version.
