Biography

Deborah E. Farr, M.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center. She is a surgical oncologist who specializes in the surgical treatment of breast cancer. 

Dr. Farr earned her medical degree at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. She completed a surgery residency at Southern Illinois University and a breast surgical oncology fellowship at Northwestern University’s Lynn Sage Comprehensive Breast Center. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry, with honors, from Northwestern University.

Certified by the American Board of Surgery, she joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2015.

Her accolades include membership in the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society; nomination to the Association for Women Surgeons Excellence in Surgery Residency; and the Southern Illinois University Department of Surgery’s Excellence in Teaching Award for four years in a row.

Dr. Farr’s research interests include robotic breast surgery as well as breast cancer disparities among different populations of breast cancer patients.

She is a member of professional organizations that include the American College of Surgeons, the Association for Academic Surgery, the American Society of Breast Surgeons, the Society of Surgical Oncology, and the Association of Women Surgeons.

Meet Dr. Farr

Breast Cancer Specialist in Dallas

Specializing in the surgical treatment of breast cancer in both women and men, UT Southwestern Medical Center’s Deborah Farr, M.D., collaborates with patients to create treatment plans they believe in.

“I explain all the options available, and we make the choice of treatment together,” she says. “It is important that my patients are confident and comfortable with their care plan.”

Trained in the latest techniques for breast surgery, Dr. Farr performs procedures that include lumpectomy, mastectomy, sentinel lymph node biopsy, and axillary lymph node dissection. When appropriate, she performs prophylactic (preventive) surgery in patients at high risk for developing hereditary breast cancer.

She also performs oncoplastic surgery, which is an advanced form of lumpectomy that rearranges tissue to achieve the best cosmetic result. In addition, she is trained to perform tumescent surgery, an innovative technique that can decrease bleeding, reduce surgical time, and prevent tissue damage.

Board certified in general surgery, she completed her breast surgical oncology fellowship at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois. 

Dr. Farr’s research interests include triple negative breast cancer, high-risk patients and populations, and leading-edge techniques to improve the appearance of the breast after surgery.

Creating Comfort in Care

In treating patients, Dr. Farr partners with medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, reconstructive surgeons, pathologists, and other multidisciplinary colleagues to provide comprehensive care.

Dr. Farr considers it an honor to help her patients through a difficult time in their lives. 

“It’s my privilege to serve these patients and to play a role in this vulnerable space in their lives,” she says. “I want to do anything I can to help them navigate such a stressful experience and make their journey through breast cancer easier.

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Education & Training
  • Medical School - Michigan State University (2004-2008)
  • Residency - Southern Illinois University (2008-2014), Surgery
  • Fellowship - Northwestern University (2014-2015), Surgical Oncology
Honors & Awards
  • D Magazine Best Doctor 2022

Clinical Focus

  • Breast Cancers
  • Surgery for Breast Cancer
  • Breast Disease
  • Screening for Breast Cancer
  • Breast Surgery
  • Breast Pathology
  • High-Risk Genetic Management
  • Robotic and Minimally Invasive Surgery

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Q&A by Dr. Farr

Robotic Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy

Renee Mallonee found out she was BRCA2 positive and her lifetime risk of breast cancer was high. After 15 years of screenings, she turned to UT Southwestern for a prophylactic mastectomy. She was presented with the option of a robotic mastectomy, which offers smaller incisions and improved sensation, as compared to traditional mastectomy, and UT Southwestern was the first hospital in the United States to perform a single port robotic nipple-sparing mastectomy.