Kelly Mahuron, M.D.

(877) 460-4673
Kelly Mahuron, M.D.
Surgical Oncologist
Clinical Expertise
  • Surgical Oncology
  • Melanoma
  • Advanced Skin Cancers
  • Isolated Limb Infusion (Regional Extremity Chemotherapy)
  • Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocyte (TIL) Therapy (Cellular Therapy)
  • Metastatectomy
  • Robotic Surgery
Research Area
  • Melanoma
  • Immuno-oncology and cellular therapies
  • Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs)
Academic Appointments
  • Assistant Clinical Professor, Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery
Clinical Teams
Surgery — Surgical Oncology
Skin Cancer and Melanoma

Kelly Mahuron, M.D., is an assistant clinical professor of surgical oncology at City of Hope® Cancer Center Duarte, California. A compassionate clinical provider with expertise in treating advanced cancers, Dr. Mahuron is also a surgeon-scientist whose research focuses on the fields of cellular therapy and immuno-oncology, specifically on tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and the development of predictive biomarker assays. She treats patients with a range of diseases, including skin cancer and melanoma.

Dr. Mahuron earned her medical degree from the University of California, San Diego. She completed a general surgery residency at the University of California, San Francisco. She finished her training with a fellowship in complex general surgical oncology at City of Hope Cancer Center Duarte, where she dedicates her time as a physician advocating for her patients as they navigate their cancer journey.

In addition to more than 20 peer-reviewed publications, including first-author manuscripts in high-impact journals such as the Journal of Experimental Medicine, Cancer Research and JAMA Surgery, Dr. Mahuron has completed an immunotherapy clinical trial workshop and is committed to bringing novel treatments such as T cell therapies from the laboratory into her medical practice.

Location

Education & Experience

Board Certifications

  • American Board of Surgery
  • American Board of Surgery, Complex General Surgical Oncology

Degrees

  • 2013, Doctor of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California
  • 2009, Bachelor of Arts, Molecular and Cell Biology-Immunology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California

Fellowship

  • 2024, Fellowship, Complex General Surgical Oncology, City of Hope, Duarte, California
  • 2022, Fellowship, Community Practice Surgical Oncology, City of Hope, Duarte, California

Residency

  • 2021, Residency, General Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California

Professional Experience

  • 2024–present, Assistant Clinical Professor, Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, City of Hope, Duarte, California

Awards & Memberships

Awards

  • 2024, City of Hope Fellow of the Year Award
  • 2024, Society of Surgical Oncology Top-Rated Poster Award
  • 2021, Muriel Steele Society Influential Women in Surgery Honor Roll
  • 2020, Muriel Steele Society Influential Women in Surgery Honor Roll
  • 2019, Keystone Symposia Scholarship Recipient (NCI Grant #1 R13 CA232437-01)
  • 2018, 31st Annual J. Engelbert Dunphy Resident Research Symposium Award Recipient
  • 2018, Russell Surgical Trainee Research Competition Winner (ACS Northern CA Chapter)
  • 2016-2018, NIH T32 Training Grant in Gastrointestinal Surgery 5T32DK007573
  • 2013, Arlene J. and Dr. Bernard Goodhead Service Award in Oncology
  • 2010, NIH Summer Training Grant (UCSD School of Medicine)
  • 2009, Highest honors (equivalent to Summa cum laude), University of California, Berkeley
  • 2009, UC Berkeley Outstanding Undergraduate Immunologist Award
  • 2009, Phi Beta Kappa

Memberships

  • 2025, American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)
  • 2022, Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC)
  • 2021, American Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association IHPBA
  • 2020, Association of Women Surgeons (AWS)
  • 2018, Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO)
  • 2013, American College of Surgeons (ACS)
  • 2009, American Medical Association (AMA)

Publications

  • Melstrom LG, Mahuron KM, Sun V. What to expect when…you are having surgery. JAMA Surg. Accepted.
  • Limbach KE, Mahuron KM, Scott AT, Ituarte PHG, Singh G. Liver-directed therapy in neuroendocrine neoplasms metastatic to both liver and bone. J Clin Med. Dec 2023; PMID: 38137715
  • Mahuron KM, Fong Y. Applications of Liquid Biopsy for the Cancer Surgical Patient: A Review. JAMA Surg. Nov 2023; PMID: 37910091
  • Yan Y, Wang D, Mahuron KM, Wang X, Lu Li, Zhao Z, Melstrom L, Chuan L, Paz BI, Jian L, Fong Y, Li Weidone, Fu W, Woo Y. Different methods of minimally invasive esophagojejunostomy after total gastrectomy for gastric cancer: outcomes from two experienced centers. Ann Surg Oncol. July 2023; PMID: 37442910
  • Mahuron KM, Singh G. Defining a New Classification System for the Surgical Management of Neuroendocrine Tumor Liver Metastases. J Clin Med. March 2023; PMID: 37048539
  • Mehta P, Gouirand V, Boda DP, Zhang J, Gearty SV, Zirak B, Lowe MM, Clancy S, Boothby I, Mahuron KM, Fries A, Krummel MF, Mankoo P, Chang HW, Liu J, Moreau JM, Scharschmidt TC, Daud A, Kim E, Neuhaus IM, Harris HW, Liao W, Rosenblum MD. Layilin Anchors Regulatory T Cells in Skin. J Immunol. Sept 2021; PMID: 34470859
  • Mahuron KM, Kasai Y, Javeed ZA, Bergsland EK, Hirose K, Corvera CU, Nakakura EK. Minimally Invasive Surgery for Ileal Neuroendocrine Tumors. J Gastrointest Surg. March 2021; PMID: 33742361
  • Mahuron KM*, Pauken KE*, Shahid O*, Lagattuta KA*, Luber JM*, Lowe MM, Huang L, Delaney C, Long JM, Fung ME, Newcomer K, Tsai KK, Chow M, Guinn S, Kuchroo JR, Burke KP, Schenkel JM, Rosenblum MD, Daud AI, Sharpe AH, Singer M. Single-cell analyses identify circulating anti-tumor CD8 T cells and markers for their enrichment. J Ex Med. April 2021; PMID: 33651880
  • Collins C, Mahuron KM, Bongiovanni T, Lancaster E, Sosa JA, Wick E. Stress and the Surgical Resident in the COVID-19 Pandemic. J Surg Educ. March-April 2021; PMID: 32792326
  • Mahuron KM, Levine LS, Daud AI. ASO Author Reflections: Tumor Immune Profiling-Based Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy for Locally Advanced Melanoma. Ann Surg Oncol. October 2020; PMID: 32488511
  • Mahuron KM*, Levine LS*, Tsai KK, Wu C, Mattis DM, Pauli ML, Oglesby A, Lee JC, Spitzer MH, Krummel MF, Algazi AP, Rosenblum MD, Alvarado M, Daud AI. Tumor Immune Profiling-Based Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy for Locally Advanced Melanoma. Ann Surg Oncol. October 2020; PMID: 3248852
  • Mahuron KM*, Moreau JM*, Glasgow JE, Boda DP, Pauli ML, Gouirand V, Panjabi L, Grewal R, Luber JM, Mathur AN, Feldman RM, Shifrut E, Mehta P, Lowe MM, Alvarado MD, Marson A, Singer M, Wells J, Jupp R, Daud AI, Rosenblum MD. Layilin augments integrin activation to promote antitumor immunity. J Ex Med. September 2020; PMID: 32539073
  • Kasai Y, Mahuron KM, Hirose K, Corvera CU, Kim GE, Hope TA, Shih BE, Warren RS, Bergsland EK, Nakakura EK. A novel stratification of mesenteric mass involvement as a predictor of challenging mesenteric lymph node dissection by minimally invasive approach for ileal neuroendocrine tumors. J Surg Oncol. August 2020; PMID: 32291778
  • Lowe MM, Boothby I, Clancy S, Ahn RS, Wilson L, Nguyen DN, Schumann K, Marson A, Mahuron KM, Kingsbury GA, Liu Z, Sandoval PM, Rodriguez RS, Pauli ML, Taravati K, Arron ST, Neuhaus IS, Harris HW, Kim EA, Shin US, Krummel MF, Daud A, Scharschmidt TC, Rosenblum MD. Regulatory T cells use arginase 2 to enhance their metabolic fitness in tissues. JCI Insight. December 2019; PMID 31852848
  • Kasai Y, Mahuron KM, Hirose K, Corvera CU, Kim GE, Hope TA, Shih BE, Warren RS, Bergsland EK, Nakakura EK. Prognostic impact of a large mesenteric mass > 2 cm in ileal neuroendocrine tumors. J Surg Oncol. October 2019; PMID: 31613999
  • Green CA, Mahuron KM, Harris HW, O’Sullivan PS. Integrating Robotic Technology Into Resident Training: Challenges and Recommendations from the Front Lines. Acad Med. April 2019; PMID: 30998574
  • Wang D*, Quiros J*, Mahuron K, Pai CC, Ranzani V, Young A, Silveria S. Harwin T, Abnousian A, Pagani M, Rosenblum MD, Van Gool F, Fong L, Bluestone JA, DuPage M. Targeting EZH2 Reprograms Intratumoral Regulatory T Cells to Enhance Cancer Immunity. Cell Rep. June 2018; PMID: 29898397
  • Loo K*, Tsai K*, Mahuron K, Liu J, Pauli M, Sandoval P, Nosrati A, Lee J, Chen L, Hwang J, Levine LS, Krummel M, Algazi A, Pampaloni M, Alvarado M, Rosenblum M, Daud A. Partially Exhausted tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes predict response to combination immunotherapy. JCI Insight, July 2017; PMID: 28724802
  • Marconett CN, Sundar SN, Tseng M, Tin AS, Tran KQ, Mahuron KM, Bjeldanes LF, Firestone GL. 2011. Indole-3-carbinol down- regulation of telomerase gene expression requires the inhibition of estrogen receptor-alpha and Sp1 transcription factor interactions within the hTERT promoter and mediates the G1 cell cycle arrest of human breast cancer cells. Carcinogenesis. Sept 2011; PMID: 21693539

Ratings & Reviews

Ratings and reviews below are gathered from the Press Ganey Clinician and Group Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CG CAHPS) survey. CG CAHPS is a standardized survey that is used to measure a patient's experience in the physician office setting. Ratings are an average of all responses to questions about a provider's care, with five stars being the highest.
5.0
Recommend this provider office
5.0
Provider explain in way you understand
5.0
Provider listen carefully to you
5.0
Show respect for what you say
5.0
Spend enough time with you
4.9
Know important info medical history
4.9
Rate provider 0-10
04/26/26
Dr. Mahuron is very professional. She concerned about my health issue. She explained that my symptom does not need urgent repair and to message her if I have any questions. - Verified patient
04/16/26
Beyond excellent - Verified patient
03/14/26
Very friendly - Verified patient
01/30/26
I am sooooo happy at City of Hope. [...] - Verified patient
01/30/26
Very happy with doctor. She was empathetic and took her time with me. - Verified patient