Your gastrointestinal (GI) tract travels the length of your body, comprising
more than nine individual organs. When cancer strikes, you need a specialist
who can provide precise organ- or system-based expertise.
Hoag is the only hospital in Orange County to offer a team of GI specialists
who have the clinical expertise necessary to bring you comprehensive,
multidisciplinary care with the latest treatments for both early and late-stage
disease, including robotic and minimally-invasive surgery.
“Hoag combines all the advantages of an academic center with the
advantages of a community hospital,” said
Craig Cox, M.D., medical director of Hoag Radiology Oncology. “Patients don’t need to drive 80 miles for complex GI cancer
care. We offer that in Orange County.”
Hoag’s comprehensive
GI Cancer Program:
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Utilizes state-of-the-art diagnostic technology, including Fibroscan,
Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) and
Interventional Radiology, as well as leading edge treatment approaches, including robotic-assisted
procedures, minimally-invasive surgical options, and advanced surgical
approaches like whipple operations.
Through an alliance with USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center,
Hoag Family Cancer Institute is also able to provide patients with access to
clinical trials, cutting-edge medicine and the most skilled surgeons in their field.
Robert R. Selby, M.D., program director of the Hoag Pancreas and Hepatobiliary
Cancer Program and chief of the division of Hepatobiliary, Pancreas and Abdominal Organ
Transplantation at Keck School of Medicine of USC, has developed a level
of expertise in his field that is difficult to cultivate in a community
hospital setting alone.
“Most community hospitals don’t have the capability to manage
these patients to a successful outcome,” said Dr. Selby. “It’s
a different set of skills, and you find that at Hoag.”
Similarly,
John Lipham, M.D., program director for the Hoag Foregut Cancer Program,
the James & Pamela Muzzy Endowed Chair in GI Cancer, and associate
professor of surgery at Keck School of Medicine of USC, has brought his expertise in esophageal and gastric cancers to Hoag.
With a skilled team, Dr. Lipham provides innovative treatment options,
including the FDA-approved
sphincter augmentation device used to effectively treat
gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
“People don’t realize that GERD can lead to esophageal cancer,"
said Dr. Lipham. “In addition to using the most innovative medical
techniques to treat esophageal cancer, Hoag is committed to preventing
the disease.”
Dr. Cox said that one of the most distinctive features of Hoag’s
team is its patient-centered approach: “What that leads to for patients
is a level of comprehensive care and expertise they are not likely to
find anywhere else in our community.”
For more information, call 888-329-5733.