IRVINE, Calif., February 13, 2018 — Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian announced today that Lisa Abaid, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.O.G., F.A.C.S., has been named co-director of Gynecologic Oncology for the hospital’s Breast & Ovarian Cancer Prevention Program.
Dr. Abaid, a gynecologic oncologist, joins breast surgical oncologist Heather Macdonald, M.D., F.A.C.O.G, medical director of the program, in developing and guiding treatment regimens tailored to “previvors,” women who have tested positive for a genetic mutation that increases their risk for breast and/or ovarian cancer.
As a gynecologic oncologist, Dr. Abaid provides comprehensive services through the program to high-risk ovarian cancer patients, including pelvic exams, ultrasounds, screenings, surgery and medical management.
“The most effective cure for ovarian cancer is prevention, so ‘prevention’ is prominent in our program’s name because that is our mission and our commitment to women who come to us for help,” Dr. Abaid said. “As a result of its whole woman focus on preventing this debilitating and deadly disease and preserving their quality of life, the Breast & Ovarian Cancer Prevention Program at Hoag has set itself apart from other high risk programs in Orange County and nationwide.”
Women carrying a genetic mutation are at elevated risk for ovarian cancer and require specialty care to reduce risk. Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of death from cancer in women, and family history is an important risk factor. More than 22,000 women in America will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2018, according to the American Cancer Society.
“Many of the women we help have watched their grandmothers, mothers, aunts, and sisters battle breast and ovarian cancers,” Dr. Macdonald said. “Dr. Abaid and I are here to let them know they can take steps right now to help prevent these frightening diseases from gaining a foothold in their lives. Early detection can be important in treating breast cancer, but because we don’t have tools to detect ovarian cancer early, it becomes critically important to do all we can to prevent ovarian cancer in the first place. The comprehensive resources for surveillance and prevention through Hoag’s program enable women to take action that gives them greater control over their lifelong good health. Many of these steps include lifestyle choices which are an integral part of this program.”
Hoag Breast & Ovarian Cancer Prevention Program helps women reduce their risk for cancer by increasing surveillance, offering chemoprevention, surgical prevention and holistic guidance for the entire woman – mind, body and soul. Once a woman has tested positive for a genetic mutation that increases her risk for breast or ovarian cancer, she is followed with more regular screenings and medical management, as well as access to a multidisciplinary team of experts in meditation, fitness, nutrition and sexual and mental health.
“Our goal with this program was to establish a one-stop-shop for women who have been identified as high risk,” Dr. Abaid explained. “Most of our patients are young women juggling busy lives involving work and family responsibilities, so it was important for us to design the program to provide them convenient, streamlined access to the services and screenings they need, in a central community location.”
Dr. Abaid has been a member of Hoag Medical Staff since 2008. She is a peer-reviewed published researcher, author and editor on a wide spectrum of gynecologic cancer-related studies and topics.
Hoag Breast & Ovarian Cancer Prevention Program is located at Hoag Health Center Irvine and can be reached by calling 949-764-7235.
ABOUT HOAG MEMORIAL HOSPITAL PRESBYTERIAN
Hoag is an approximately $1 billion nonprofit, regional health care delivery network in Orange County, California, that treats more than 30,000 inpatients and 425,000 outpatients annually. Hoag consists of two acute-care hospitals – Hoag Hospital Newport Beach, which opened in 1952, and Hoag Hospital Irvine, which opened in 2010 – in addition to seven health centers and ten urgent care centers. Hoag is a designated Magnet® hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Hoag offers a comprehensive blend of health care services that includes five institutes providing specialized services in the following areas: cancer, heart and vascular, neurosciences, women’s health, and orthopedics through Hoag’s affiliate, Hoag Orthopedic Institute, which consists of an orthopedic hospital and two ambulatory surgical centers. In 2013, Hoag entered into an alliance with St. Joseph Health to further expand health care services in the Orange County community, known as St. Joseph Hoag Health. Hoag has been named one of the Best Regional Hospitals in the 2017 – 2018 U.S. News & World Report, and Becker’s Hospital Review named Hoag as one of the 2016 “100 Great Hospitals in America” – a designation Hoag has received four times. For an unprecedented 22 years, residents of Orange County have chosen Hoag as one of the county’s best hospitals in a local newspaper survey. Visit www.hoag.org for more information.
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