Gastrointestinal Cancer Care in Orange County
Many breakthrough treatments offer new hope for today’s GI and colon cancer patients. We are one of only a few dozen centers in the country that treat gastrointestinal cancers using a comprehensive approach — by a team whose sole focus is treating these types of cancer. Our top-ranked physicians and specialists help Orange County patients navigate and manage their care, from diagnosis to treatment and transition to recovery.
Why Choose City of Hope Orange County for GI Cancer Care?
With leading-edge technology and surgical expertise, City of Hope physicians deliver outstanding outcomes that are difficult to achieve elsewhere.
- A collaborative and caring multidisciplinary team of cancer experts that understands your needs and background to provide a whole-person approach to treatment.
- Access to a network of highly specialized physicians and researchers who focus on your specific type of GI cancer, among them colon cancer, esophageal cancer, gastric/stomach cancer, liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, and small intestine cancer.
- An expanding clinical network throughout Orange County, bringing world-renowned physicians closer to homes in the region.
- Comprehensive, compassionate care from a GI cancer care team offering groundbreaking therapies for both early and late-stage disease.
- Leading-edge clinical trials offering patients access to promising GI cancer treatments before they are readily available elsewhere.
- Long-term survivorship and follow-up programs focused on minimizing recurrence risk and improving quality of life.
Robotically assisted and minimally invasive surgery.
Specializing in GI Cancers and Conditions
- Anal cancer
- Appendix cancer
- Bile duct cancer
- Biliary tract cancers (BTC)
- Cancer of unknown primary (CUP)
- Cholangiocarcinoma
- Clinical Trials
- Colon cancer
- Colorectal cancer
- Esophageal cancer
- Genomic/genetic testing (germline, pharmacogenomic and tumor/somatic)
- Hepatobiliary Cancers
- Hepatocellular Cancer (HCC)
- Hereditary colorectal cancer syndromes including familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) and Lynch syndrome (hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer)
- Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC)
- Immunotherapy
- Liver cancer
- Multidisciplinary specialty clinics (MDC) for colorectal and GI cancers
- Neuroendocrine tumor (NET)
- Pancreatic cancer
- Precision Medicine
- Rectal cancer
Renowned Gastrointestinal Cancer Treatment
City of Hope’s approach to treating gastrointestinal cancers starts with a coordinated, multidisciplinary care team whose main goals are helping patients live a long, healthy, cancer-free life. We combine leading-edge technologies — like minimally invasive laparoscopic and robotic surgeries — with the latest precision medicine, therapeutic and radiological advances.
- Balloon Enteroscopy
- Capsule endoscopy
- Endoscopic Ultrasound Guided
Radiofrequency Ablation - Endoscopic Full-Thickness resection (EFTR)
- Endoscopic Mucosal Resection (EMR)
- Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)
- Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection (ESD)
- Feeding tube placement
- Per-Oral Endoscopic Myotomy (POEM)
- Polypectomy
- Stenting
- Submucosal Tunneling Endoscopic Resection (STER)
- Therapeutic Endoscopic Ultrasound (T-EUS)
- Chemotherapy
- Targeted therapy
- Immunotherapy
- Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC)
- Clinical Trials
- Genomic/genetic testing (germline, pharmacogenomic and tumor/somatic)
- Precision Medicine
- Multidisciplinary specialty clinics (MDC) for colorectal and GI cancers
- 3D Conformal Radiation Therapy
- Brachytherapy (High dose rate)
- Combine modality CRT
- CT guided SBRT
- CT guided adaptive SBRT
- Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT)
- MR guided SBRT
- MR guided adaptive SBRT
- Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT)
- Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy
- Distal Gastrectomy
- Endometriosis Surgery (impacting Bowel, Rectum and Sigmoid)
- Endoscopy Procedures (tumor ablation and Stent placement)
- Lymphadenectomy (lymph node dissection)
- Proximal Gastrectomy
- Re-operative Cases
- Subtotal Gastrectomy
- Total Gastrectomy (laparoscopic and robotic-assisted)
Clinical trial participation is a critical aspect of care for many patients living with cancer. Our patients can access more than 1,000 innovative Phase 1–3 clinical trials at City of Hope each year — more cancer-focused clinical trials than anywhere in the area — to provide promising new treatments long before they become the standard of care.
A trailblazing integrative medicine program combining the best of Western medicine and evidence-based complementary therapies, such as acupuncture, massage and meditation.
City of Hope is a national leader in evidence-based supportive care. The Sheri & Les Biller Patient and Family Resource Center at the Lennar Foundation Cancer Center will facilitate easy access to a wide range of programs, including care navigation, survivorship programs, psychological and spiritual counseling, pain management and more.
Marybelle's is a full-service salon extending a specialty shopping experience with oncology-trained cosmetologists.
The on-site pharmacy fills and dispenses prescriptions and offers over-the-counter medications, alleviating the burden of going elsewhere.
A Grateful Patient Story
Orange County Gastrointestinal and
Colorectal Cancer Doctors
One of only a few centers in the country treating gastrointestinal cancers using a coordinated, comprehensive approach — by a multidisciplinary team all located under one roof. This unique offering at City of Hope Orange County puts patients in the hands of world experts in cancers affecting the digestive system.
Gastrointestinal and Colorectal Cancer Leadership
Dr. Kasi is an associate clinical professor in the department of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research at City of Hope Orange County.
Surgical Oncology
Ahmad Abou Abbass, M.D., F.A.C.S., is a nationally and internationally recognized hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgeon specializing in advanced minimally invasive and robotic techniques.
Amy Copeland, M.D., is a surgical oncologist treating gastrointestinal cancers such as stomach, small bowel, colon and appendix as well as soft tissue and retroperitoneal sarcomas.
Amir Esparza, M.D., F.A.C.S., is a colorectal surgeon double-board certified in general surgery and colorectal surgery and commitment to compassionate, high-quality care.
Mark Hanna, M.D., is an assistant clinical professor in the Division of Colorectal Surgery, Department of Surgery.
Specializing in bioengineering and tumor micro-environment in cancer development and progression, Andrew Nguyen, M.D., is an assistant clinical professor in the Division of Surgical Oncology in the Department of Surgery at City of Hope.
Yanghee Woo, M.D., is director of the Gastroenterology Minimally Invasive Therapy Program.
Interventional Gastroenterology
Lance Uradomo, M.D., M.P.H., is an assistant clinical professor, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine at City of Hope Orange County.
Medical Oncology
Luke Chen, M.D., is a medical oncologist and hematologist at City of Hope Orange County Lennar Foundation Cancer Center and Seacliff locations. Dr. Chen’s research has explored ways to improve treatment for prostate cancer and other malignancies.
Elizabeth Conner, M.D. is a gastrointestinal medical oncologist dedicated to advancing compassionate, research-driven cancer care.
Sudarsan Vishnu Kollimuttathuillam, M.D., is a medical oncologist and hematologist at City of Hope Orange County's Lennar Foundation Cancer Center and Seacliff locations. Dr. Kollimuttathuillan places a priority on offering his patients access to innovative treatments and clinical trial options.
Charisma Mylavarapu, D.O., is a dedicated physician specializing in gastrointestinal and genitourinary malignancies. Her journey into medicine was driven by a lifelong fascination with science and a deep commitment to community service.
Peter Ngo, M.D., is an assistant clinical professor, Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research at City of Hope Long Beach Elm and Worsham.
Krushangi Patel, M.D., is a highly engaged practitioner who prioritizes not only her patients' physical well-being but also their emotional and spiritual needs.
George Bernard Semeniuk, III, M.D., is a hematologist/oncologist specializing in leukemia, lymphoma and hematopoietic cell transplantation.
Tingting Tan, M.D., Ph.D., is a medical oncologist and assistant clinical professor in the Department of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research at City of Hope.
Radiation Oncology
Percy Lee, M.D., is delighted to increase City of Hope's reach and help establish its radiation oncology research network in his role as medical director of Orange County and coastal region radiation oncology and vice chair for clinical research in the Department of Radiation Oncology.
Dr. Weng is a radiation oncologist and assistant clinical professor in the Department of Radiation Therapy at City of Hope Orange County.
Interventional Radiology
Jason Salsamendi, M.D., is a interventional radiologist and clinical professor in the Department of Diagnostic Radiology at City of Hope.
Supportive Care
Richard T. Lee, M.D., is the medical director of the Integrative Medicine Program in the Department of Supportive Care Medicine at City of Hope.
Jessica Cheng, M.D., is among the nation’s few, and Orange County’s only, fellowship-trained experts in cancer rehabilitation medicine. This is a subspecialty of physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) also known as physiatry.
