
Valentine N. Nfonsam, MD, MS, FACS, FASCRS was most recently the Division Chief of Surgical Oncology at the University of Arizona. Dr. Nfonsam graduated from the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Chicago and completed his surgery residency training at UT southwestern in Dallas and North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, New York. He did a research fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland and completed a two-year fellowship in Colon and Rectal Surgery at the University of South Florida, Tampa. He was Program Director of the General Surgery Residency at the University of Arizona for 9 years. Dr. Nfonsam is a member of national and international societies including the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS), Western Surgical Association (WSA) and the American College of Surgeons (ACS). He holds leadership positions within several organizations including the Association of Program Directors in Surgery (APDS), the Society of Surgery in the Alimentary Tract (SSAT) Board of trustees, and American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgery (ASCRS). He served for two years as President of the American College of Surgery (ACS) Arizona Chapter and he is currently a member of the Board of Governors of the ACS, a Councilor of the American Board of Surgery (ABS) and a member of the ACS Health Policy Advisory Group Dr. Nfonsam’s clinical specialties include colorectal and gastrointestinal surgery, gastrointestinal oncology and laparoscopic and robotic-assisted surgery. His research focuses on colorectal cancer especially in the young in addition to disparities in colorectal cancer. He has had several local and national grant funding to support his research work and has received several awards for his research. Dr. Nfonsam has more than 80 peer review publications and been an invited speaker at numerous national and international meetings. He is a true clinician, always putting the patient first and recently won the University of Arizona, College of Medicine – Tucson Clinical Excellence Award, which is a recognition by his peers for the care he gives his patients.
Selected publications from PubMed
Invited Commentary: Transfusion as the Dominant Signal of Risk in Geriatric Surgical Oncology.
Nfonsam VN
J Am Coll Surg. 2026 Jul 1;243(1):94-95 doi: 10.1097/XCS.0000000000001983.
Intake and Nutritional Adequacy in Patients With Cancer Diagnosed With Malignant Bowel Obstruction: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Trial.
Thomson CA, Arnold KB, Anderson G, Sun V, Secord AA, Yung A, Al-Kasspooles M, Nfonsam VN, Grant M, Deutsch GB, Deneve JL, Krouse RS
J Acad Nutr Diet. 2025 May;125(5):654-665.e3 doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2024.11.011.
Racial Inequities in Receiving Neoadjuvant Treatment in Patients With Pancreatic Cancer Are Associated With Worse Outcomes in Louisiana.
Malinosky HR, Chapple AG, Hargis M, Wu XC, Efishat MA, Lyons J, Watson JC, Maluccio M, Nfonsam VN, Moaven O
J Surg Oncol. 2025 Feb;131(2):252-261 doi: 10.1002/jso.27901.
Surgical versus non-surgical management for patients with malignant bowel obstruction (S1316): a pragmatic comparative effectiveness trial.
Krouse RS, Anderson GL, Arnold KB, Thomson CA, Nfonsam VN, Al-Kasspooles MF, Walker JL, Sun V, Alvarez Secord A, Han ES, Leon-Takahashi AM, Isla-Ortiz D, Rodgers P, Hendren S, Sanchez Salcedo M, Laryea JA, Graybill WS, Flaherty DC, Mogal H, Miner TJ, Pimiento JM, Kitano M, Badgwell B, Whalen G, Lamont JP, Guevara OA, Senthil MS, Dewdney SB, Silberfein E, Wright JD, Friday B, Fahy B, Anantha Sathyanarayana S, O'Rourke M, Bakitas M, Sloan J, Grant M, Deutsch GB, Deneve JL
Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2023 Oct;8(10):908-918 doi: 10.1016/S2468-1253(23)00191-7.
Early Detection and Remediation of Problem Learners.
Morris-Wiseman LF, Nfonsam VN
Surg Clin North Am. 2021 Aug;101(4):611-624 doi: 10.1016/j.suc.2021.05.008.
Help your network discover Dr. Valentine N. Nfonsam's clinical expertise.