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City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Treatment Center

Contact Information

1500 East Duarte Road Duarte, CA 91010
(626) 359-8111

When a loved one is diagnosed with cancer, finding the best treatment center is paramount. City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center in Duarte, California - just outside of Los Angles - specializes in the research and treatment of numerous cancers and other life threatening diseases. U.S. News & World Report has listed this center as one of 'America’s Best Hospitals' and the third edition of America's Top Doctors for Cancer names several City of Hope's doctors as the nation’s top cancer specialists.

Ongoing research ensures new treatments are being implemented for patients who come from across the country. Patients at City of Hope will receive up to date medical care. Cancers that are being studied and treated include: leukemia, mesothelioma, prostate, breast, urologic, pediatric, and skin. With state-of-the-art technology at City of Hope's Beckman Research Institute, identifying cancer causing agents and curing cancer are their goals. Two departments specifically aimed at Cancer Research - Cancer Biology and Cancer Immunotherapeutics and Tumor Immunology - are in place just for this. The team of researchers at both departments are continuously developing and applying innovative technologies to detect cancers at an early stage, treat those cancers aggressively, and improve treatment outcomes.

Clinical trials are continuous at City of Hope. Clinical trials are scientific research studies that are tested on cancer patients and then evaluated to determine their safety and effectiveness. The patient must consent to taking part in the study and can leave the study at any time. Patients involved in the study are given information including purpose, duration, and potential risks and benefits of the study. At the time of this article two clinical trials were available to both male and female patients with mesothelioma at City of Hope, showing there is still reason to be optimistic about this horrible disease.

Treatment options at City of Hope are customized and comprehensive. As well as traditional cancer treatments, City of Hope also offers innovative treatments. Some treatments that are available for mesothelioma include:

Surgery - Surgery to remove tumors is generally combined with some other type of treatment. At City of Hope surgeons are highly trained to use a robot with a camera to get a better view of the area that is being operated on. The robot, being controlled the trained doctor, is also capable of assisting in surgery.
Radiation and Chemotherapy - Along with traditional radiation therapy, City of Hope also offers TomoTherapy, a highly advanced system that provides doctors the means to administer the radiation in the exact size and shape as the tumors. This reduces the exposure of radiation to outlying healthy tissue. Ongoing testing of new chemotherapy drugs is taking place at City of Hope through their clinical studies.
Endobronchial Brachytherapy - This treatment uses a radioactive pill placed directly into the airway to relieve obstruction and to reduce the issue of coughing up blood.
Laser Ablation - Destroys cancer cells and helps to open the airway through high energy light.
Electrocautery - Cuts and destroys tumors.

The Cancer Fitness Center at City of Hope allows patients who may not be healthy enough to undergo treatments at other centers the ability to improve their health. Through exercise, oxygen therapy, and medication improved respiratory health may be possible. This may allow many patients previously deemed 'untreatable' the ability to become a candidate for treatments.

Support is imperative to both the patient and the family as treatments are given. At The Sheri & Les Biller Patient and Family Resource Center, staff members work one on one and in small groups with both patients and families offering hope, strength, and compassion when it is needed most.