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Women's Health News
Comprehensive Care in Action
In addition to providing comprehensive care across the board, Hoag Cancer Center dedicates extensive resources to the coordinated care of patients with specific types of cancer. Through the development of "site-specific" cancer programs, Hoag zeroes in on the unique needs of patients with cancers such as lung, breast, prostate and colorectal.
To describe every component of each of these programs would require volumes. So, here are just a few highlights of some of the key elements that make up Hoag's site-specific comprehensive cancer care programs for the five major cancers.
Lung
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in both men and women. And it's the second most common cancer in both genders behind breast cancer in women and prostate in men.
With any cancer diagnosis, a patient's primary objective becomes seeking the best possible care. Luckily for Orange County residents, the finest medical care and treatment options are available right here in this community.
Providing leading-edge cancer care remains a top priority at Hoag Cancer Center. That's why Hoag conducts regular cancer case conferences, known as tumor boards, for each of its site-specific comprehensive cancer programs.
For lung, this specialized tumor board consists of medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, radiologists, pathologists, pulmonary specialists and thoracic surgeons, as well as key nursing staff, research staff and patient coordinators. These experts meet together weekly to review cancer cases from every angle to ensure the latest knowledge in lung cancer treatment is applied.
The lung cancer tumor board is just one of the many leading-edge services that make up Hoag's site-specific comprehensive lung cancer program. And this multi-disciplinary approach is making a difference for patients--Hoag's five-year survival rate for lung cancer continues to outpace the national average by eight full percentage points.
Breast
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, second only to lung cancer as a leading cause of cancer death in women.
Within Hoag's site-specific comprehensive breast cancer program, patients not only benefit from the latest tools in screening and diagnostic technology, but also from a team of dedicated medical, clinical and research experts whose sole mission is to help women overcome their battle against breast cancer.
But the help doesn't stop there--a lot of what makes Hoag's site-specific comprehensive breast cancer program one of the most respected in Southern California comes from intangibles like having the finest cancer support services, including a dedicated breast cancer coordinator.
Hoag's breast cancer coordinator helps guide women through the gamut of emotions, questions and concerns that a cancer diagnosis often brings. The coordinator provides a wealth of educational information and resources for breast cancer patients as well a shoulder to lean on when times are tough. This type of one-on-one support is a unique facet not available at many medical centers, but one that brings knowledge and hope to Hoag Cancer Center patients.
And the difference shows. Hoag's site-specific comprehensive breast cancer program boasts a remarkable 94% five-year relative survival rate for breast cancer, well above the national average of 86%.
Prostate
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men and is the second leading cause of cancer death among men, after lung cancer.
Early detection of cancer is key to survival and is a major component in Hoag's site-specific comprehensive prostate cancer program. Perhaps that's why 90% of the patients diagnosed at Hoag have local/regional prostate disease (the cancer has not spread outside the pelvic area), compared with 85% nationally. That five percentage-point difference is big news. It indicates that Hoag physicians are detecting prostate cancer in its earliest stages, when treatment is most likely to be effective.
Hoag's early detection emphasis, combined with its leading-edge therapies in both surgery and radiation, are major contributors to Hoag Cancer Center's astounding 100% five-year relative survival rate for prostate cancer.
Colorectal
Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in men and women, and is the second leading cause of cancer death overall, excluding breast in women and prostate in men. It's estimated that one in 17 Americans will develop colorectal cancer during their lifetime.
Despite increased public awareness, a diagnosis of colorectal cancer is often difficult for patients to discuss. Hoag recognizes the unique challenges that colorectal patients face. That's why, in addition to the latest in diagnostic and screening tools to detect colorectal cancer in its earliest stages, and leading-edge therapies that have enabled Hoag Cancer Center to achieve five-year relative survival rates 13 percentage points higher than national averages, Hoag offers a specific support group tailored to the unique needs of colorectal cancer patients.
Hoag Cancer Center's colorectal support group provides an open forum for patients to discuss their unique challenges in an environment of understanding and care. The colorectal support group also provides patients and their family members with the opportunity to hear treatment-related presentations by physicians and other professionals, in addition to offering a variety of educational materials and resources to better equip them both physically and emotionally in their battle against colorectal cancer.
Comprehensive Care is What We Do
Across the board, comprehensive care programs benefit patients because they encompass the broadest spectrum of essential services--from diagnosis and treatment to support services and educational resources--each of these remain key components in the leading-edge care that Hoag Cancer Center provides to its patients and the community.
For more about Hoag Cancer Center's site-specific comprehensive cancer care programs, call 949/7-CANCER (722-6237).
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