Phillip Pifer, MD, PhD, joined the WVU Cancer Institute in 2023. His advanced skills and perspective as a West Virginia native have already improved the health of patients across the state.

As a board-certified radiation oncologist, Dr. Pifer treats multiple types of cancer with radiation therapy. This radiation targets and destroys cancer cells.

As part of the radiation oncology team at the WVU Cancer Institute, he focuses on caring for patients with cancer. Specifically, he treats lung cancer and gynecologic cancers – two conditions that significantly impact patients in West Virginia.

Dr. Pifer stumbled on his interest in radiation oncology early. By the time he was a high school upperclassman, he was a certified nursing assistant. Dr. Pifer knew a medical career was in his future, but he wasn’t sure what field. While conducting a state vehicle inspection at his family’s gas station in Mineral Wells (Wood County) one day, he discussed his interest in medicine with a customer. That customer – a radiation oncologist at WVU Medicine Camden Clark Medical Center – offered him a shadowing opportunity.

That was the open door Dr. Pifer needed.

“No one in my family is a physician or has a career like this. So, I had to find mentors along the way. When I went to medical school, I knew I wanted to work with patients who had cancer,” he says. “Radiation oncology is a hidden gem of a specialty. Our patients get treated every day for five to seven weeks. During that time, we can form a lasting relationship. That’s something I very much treasure with these patients. They’re the reason why I come to work every day.”

This perspective has fueled Dr. Pifer throughout his medical training. While at the WVU School of Medicine, he applied to the MD/PhD program. Dr. Pifer earned both a medical degree and a PhD in cancer cell biology. He wanted to incorporate the research skills he gained as a chemistry major at West Virginia University into his career as a physician. He graduated and finished an internship at WVU Medicine. Then, he completed his residency training in radiation oncology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). Dr. Pifer won a Young Investigator Award in 2022 from the American Society of Clinical Oncology for his research involving radio-sensitization and immunotherapy to treat head and neck cancers.

When Dr. Pifer returned to the WVU Cancer Institute, he brought a tool kit of sophisticated treatment strategies.

“I’m proud to say that I brought techniques back from my residency that hadn’t been here for a while,” he says. “There is an intense need in West Virginia for these types of services. Now, we can treat the most difficult cases from across the state.”

Today, Dr. Pifer treats patients at the WVU Cancer Institute’s Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center. He uses a highly specialized type of radiation called stereotactic body radiation therapy and advanced breathing techniques to treat early-stage lung cancer that can’t be treated with surgery. He also uses an innovative technique called a hybrid interstitial high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy. This tool enables him to target cervical cancers more precisely, providing better tumor control with hopefully less side effects.

In addition to delivering high-level patient care, Dr. Pifer uses his research experience to elevate collaborations between researchers and clinicians at the WVU Cancer Institute.

“Part of my job is being a liaison between these two groups. I make sure researchers have the clinical support they need,” he says. “With my expertise in radiation, I can advise our cancer researchers on how to make their work as clinically relevant to our patients as possible.”

Dr. Pifer blends his clinical and research knowledge with his love of West Virginia. His approach to care improves the quality of life for people throughout the state.

“Being from West Virginia, I enjoy caring for the patients in this state. My goal, alongside my exceptional team of colleagues, is to improve outcomes for these individuals,” he says. “West Virginia is a great, unique place where people are generally happy. We’re just trying to do what’s best for each patient.”

When Dr. Pifer isn’t at work, he and his wife, a WVU Medicine dermatologist, enjoy spending time outdoors with their two sons, ages 4 and 1. He enjoys hiking and cross-country skiing in the winter and kayaking and fly fishing in the summer.