Prostate Cancer Care in Orange County
City of Hope is home to one of California's largest prostate cancer programs (according to data from the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development) and has compiled one of the country’s largest databases of prostate cancer outcomes.
Why Choose City of Hope Orange County for Prostate Cancer Care?
- City of Hope is a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center that offers patients in Orange County exceptional prostate cancer expertise and leading-edge prostate cancer treatments.
- City of Hope Orange County offers the gold standard of prostate cancer testing known as targeted, transparent perineal prostate biopsies. By combining this biopsy with sophisticated MRI technology, City of Hope Orange County can increase the accuracy of detecting abnormalities in the prostate, reducing the likelihood of false negatives and the need for subsequent biopsies.
- Clinical trials of groundbreaking new treatments
- Minimally invasive surgical techniques
- Next-generation genetic screening and prevention programs
- Our interdisciplinary team works with patients to develop an individualized and highly coordinated treatment plan based on their unique needs.
- Precision medicine and targeted therapies
- Renowned physicians and researchers
- Targeted, transperineal prostate biopsy
We Specialize in State-of-the-Art Treatments for Prostate Cancer
Our advanced cancer treatments include:
- Access to a wide variety of clinical trials, including new chemotherapy and targeted therapies, hormone therapies with fewer side effects, novel surgical techniques, innovative radiation approaches and new prevention strategies.
- Active surveillance, effective for early-stage, slow-growing prostate cancers. This approach includes regular monitoring of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels and digital rectal examinations of the prostate. If abnormalities or symptoms arise, you and your physician can discuss treating the cancer.
- Brachytherapy, which places radioactive material next to or within the tumor site. Depending on the cancer stage, your needs and treatment goals, radioactive material may be low-dose and permanently placed (low dose rate/LDR brachytherapy) or high-dose and placed for only a few minutes (high dose rate/HDR brachytherapy).
- Chemotherapy, targeting all rapidly dividing cells, including prostate cancer cells.
- City of Hope is a leader in minimally invasive, robotically assisted prostatectomies, which use a surgical robot and smaller incisions to remove the diseased prostate and surrounding tissue.
- Hormone therapy, blocking production or activity of hormones — particularly testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which fuel most prostate cancer growth.
- Image-guided external radiation systems, including TomoTherapy and TrueBeam, combining detailed imaging and radiation delivery technologies, allowing our care team to “sculpt” radiation beams to the tumor site while avoiding nearby healthy tissue.
- Immunotherapy, which stimulates your immune system to attack cancer cells.
- MRI-guided focused ultrasound, a non-radiation technology, using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to detail images of the prostate area, followed by highly focused ultrasound to heat up and destroy cancerous tissue.
- Targeted therapy, which selectively attacks prostate cancer cells based on specific characteristics — such as a gene mutation.
City of Hope Orange County offers innovative targeted radioactive therapies designed to precisely attack cancer cells, providing new treatment options when other therapies have stopped working.
Orange County Prostate Cancer Doctors
City of Hope cancer specialists deliver outstanding prostate cancer outcomes that are difficult to achieve elsewhere.
Prostate & Genitourinary Cancer Leadership
Jeffrey S. Yoshida, M.D., is the medical director of urologic surgery at City of Hope Orange County. He is currently located at the City of Hope Orange County and Seacliff locations.
Nishan Tchekmedyian, M.D., M.B.A, is a hematologist and medical oncologist at City of Hope's Orange County and Seacliff locations.
Surgical Oncology
Cory Hugen, M.D., is an associate clinical professor in the Division of Urology and Urologic Oncology in the Department of Surgery 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.
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.
Charles B. Nguyen, M.D., is an assistant clinical professor in the Department of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research at City of Hope Orange County.
Sumanta Kumar Pal, M.D., F.A.S.C.O., is an internationally recognized leader in the area of genitourinary cancers, including kidney and bladder. He is the co-director of City of Hope’s Kidney Cancer Program.
Radiation Oncology
Percy Lee, M.D., is the 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.
Hossein Mehdikhani, M.D., is dual-boarded in diagnostic radiology and nuclear medicine. From an early age, Hossein Mehdikhani, M.D., was drawn to science and problem-solving, but what truly inspired him was the human aspect of medicine — being able to make a real difference in someone’s life.
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.
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.
