Julia C. Tchou, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor of Clinical Surgery
Attending surgeon, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Member, Abramson Cancer Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Program Director, Breast Surgery Fellowship, Department of Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Director, Breast Surgery Research Program, Department of Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Department: Surgery
Contact information
Division of Breast Surgery
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
3400 Spruce Street, 4 Silverstein
Philadelphia, PA 19104-4283
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
3400 Spruce Street, 4 Silverstein
Philadelphia, PA 19104-4283
Office: 215-615-7575
Email:
julia.tchou@uphs.upenn.edu
julia.tchou@uphs.upenn.edu
Publications
Education:
B.S.
College of Mount Saint Vincent, Riverdale, NY, 1987.
Ph.D.
State University of New York at Stony Brook School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY, 1993.
M.D.
State University of New York at Stony Brook School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY, 1995.
Certif. (Wharton Executive Negotiation Workshop)
University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business, Philadelphia, PA , 2017.
Permanent linkB.S.
College of Mount Saint Vincent, Riverdale, NY, 1987.
Ph.D.
State University of New York at Stony Brook School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY, 1993.
M.D.
State University of New York at Stony Brook School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY, 1995.
Certif. (Wharton Executive Negotiation Workshop)
University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business, Philadelphia, PA , 2017.
Description of Research Expertise
My research is focused on 1) developing strategies to mitigate breast cancer risk associated with metabolic syndrome by lifestyle modifications and by re-purposing some of the commonly prescribed medications to prevent breast cancer initiation and progression; 2) elucidating how novel immunotherapy such as CAR T therapy can induce epitope spreading and how combination therapy can unleash the anti-tumor effects of our own immune system; and 3) how we can use large data to enhance our understanding of tumor biology with the common goal of improving breast cancer outcomes.Description of Clinical Expertise
Dr. Tchou’s practice focuses on the interdisciplinary management of patients with breast cancer: coordinating pre-operative evaluation, surgery and post-operative care of men and women with malignant breast diseases.Selected Publications
Tortorello GN, Shafique N, De Jesus EM, Gimotty P, Dheer A, Fayanju OM, Tchou J, Miura JT, Karakousis GC, Rendle K: Sentinel lymph node biopsy in low-risk breast cancer in patients ≥ 70 years: How wisely are we choosing? Annals of Surgical Oncology Oct. 30 2025 (Epub) Notes: doi: 10.1245/s10434-025-18534-9.Reddy KP, Berkowitz CL, Jarrell K, Berger R, Hulse S, Elmore LC, Fishman R, Mateo AM, Sataloff DM, Tchou JC, Zhang JQ, McCarthy AM, Fayanju OM: The effect of rurality on time to surgery and overall survival among women with breast cancer. Annals of Surgery Mar. 27 2025 (Epub) Notes: doi: 10.1097/SLA.0000000000006710.
Szeto JJ, Kim H, Shen CZ, Chapman C, Tchou J, Duffy CC: Reducing misclassification of medical waste: nudging stakeholders to reduce waste misclassification in a novel simulated operating room built environment. Perioperative Medicine (London) 14(1): 123, Nov. 7 2025.
Mukhtar RA, Dimitroff K, Yau C, Chien AJ, Connolly EP, Howard-McNatt M, Rao R, Ladores V, Golshan M, Sauder CA, Ahmed K, Lancaster R, Fox J, Gutnik L, Lee MC, Tchou J, Prionas N, Arciero CA, Reyna C, Kuerer H, Switalla K, Taunk N, Tuttle TM, Moran MS, Postlewait LM, Perlmutter J, DeMichele A, Yee D, Hylton N, Symmans WF, Rugo HS, Shatsky R, Isaacs C, Esserman LJ, Van't Veer L, Boughey JC: Impact of neoadjuvant chemotherapy on surgical outcomes and conversion to node-negativity in invasive lobular breast cancer: Analysis of molecularly high-risk tumors by histologic subtype on the I-SPY2 clinical trial. Annals of Surgical Oncology 32(11): 8243-8253, Oct. 2025 Notes: Epub July 24, 2025.
Van Hassel J, Dimitroff K, Yau C, Mukhtar R, Boughey JC, Ladores V, Howard-McNatt MM, Jaskowiak N, Perlmutter J, DeMichele A, Yee D, Hylton N, Symmans WF, Veer LV, Rugo H, Esserman LJ, Shatsky R, Isaacs C, Kuerer H, Wallace AM, Prionas N, Tseng J, Reyna CR, Taunk N, Kesmodel S, Lee MC, Fox J, Piltin MA, Tchou J, Arciero CA, Postlewait LM, Sauder C, Rao R: Impact of time to surgery post neoadjuvant chemotherapy on breast cancer outcomes: A retrospective study of patients enrolled in the I-SPY 2 clinical trial. Annals of Surgical Oncology 32(11): 8113-8126, Oct. 2025 Notes: Epub Aug. 23, 2025.
Kaur M, Dimitroff K, Boughey JC, Esserman LJ, Yau C, Tchou J, Quirarte A, Lee MC, Howard-McNatt MM, Switalla K, Kuerer H, Sauder C, Postlewait LM, Arciero C, Rao R, Wallace A, Reyna C, Ahmed K, Gutnik L, Taunk N, Perlmutter J, DeMichele A, Yee D, Hylton NM, Symmans WF, Rugo HS, Shatsky RA, Isaacs C, Rudra S, Pohlmann P, Ewing C, Wong J, Alvarado M, Jaskowiak N, Prionas N, Golshan M, Piltin MA, Olopade OI, Mukhtar RA: Disparities in the surgical management of the axilla by self-identified race in the multicenter neoadjuvant I-SPY2 trial. Annals of Surgical Oncology 32(11): 8211-8219, Oct. 2025 Notes: Epub July 23, 2025.
Yoon IC, Perez-Rojas S, Ancha B, Elmore LC, Mateo AM, Pichardo MS, Tchou JC, Zhang JQ, Hubbard RA, Fayanju OM: Association of neighborhood deprivation with stage at diagnosis and treatment delay for breast cancer in Philadelphia. Annals of Surgical Oncology 32(8): 5500-5509, Aug. 2025 Notes: Epub May 12, 2025.
Boughey JC, Yu H, Switalla K, Velle L, Lopes A, Wallace AM, Lancaster RB, Reyna CR, Tuttle TM, Jaskowiak N, Tchou J, Rao R, Lee MC, Naik AM, Golshan M, Arciero CA, Sauder CAM, Matsen CB, Yau C, Esserman L, Mukhtar RA; I-SPY2 Locoregional Working Group: Oncologic outcomes with de-escalation of axillary surgery after neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer: Results from > 1500 patients on the I-SPY2 clinical trial. Annals of Surgical Oncology 32(5): 3278-3291, May 2025 Notes: Epub Feb. 13, 2025.
Reddy KP, Jarrell K, Berkowitz C, Hulse S, Elmore LC, Fishman R, Greenup RA, Mateo AM, Rothman JD, Sataloff DM, Tchou JC, Zafar SY, Fayanju OM: Association between delayed/forgone medical care and resource utilization among women with breast cancer in the United States. Annals of Surgical Oncology 32(4): 2534-2544, Apr. 2025 Notes: Epub Dec. 18, 2024.
Kollmar J, Xu J, Gonzalves D, Baur JA, Li LZ, Tchou J, Xu HN: Differential mitochondrial redox responses to the inhibition of NAD+ salvage pathway of triple negative breast cancer cells. Cancers (Basel) 17(1): 7, Dec. 24 2024.