Breast Cancer Care in
Orange County
Many breakthrough treatments offer new hope for today’s breast cancer patients. You can access this level of world-class care in Orange County. Our top-ranked breast cancer physicians and other specialists help those with breast cancer navigate and manage their care, from diagnosis to treatment and transition to recovery.
Why Choose City of Hope Orange County for Breast Cancer Care?
With leading-edge technology and surgical expertise, City of Hope breast cancer specialists
deliver outstanding outcomes that are difficult to achieve elsewhere.
- A collaborative and caring multidisciplinary team of breast cancer experts that understands your needs and background to provide a whole-person approach to treatment.
- A comprehensive, supportive care program to address a wide range of cancer and treatment-related concerns from diagnosis to remission and beyond.
- A track record of exceptional breast cancer survival outcomes for patients at all stages.
- Access to promising new therapies through more than 100 innovative, ongoing research and clinical trials for breast cancer.
- Advanced techniques such as nipple-sparing mastectomies, high-precision radiation and immunotherapies.
- An expanding clinical network throughout Orange County is bringing world-renowned physicians closer to homes in the region.
Long-term survivorship and follow-up programs focused on minimizing recurrence risk and improving quality of life.
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.
We Specialize in State-of-the-Art Treatments for Breast Cancer
Our advanced cancer treatments and screenings include:
- A research study through City of Hope Center for Precision Medicine that offers germline multi-gene panel testing to assess a women’s genetic risk for breast and other cancers at no out-of-pocket cost
- Breast-conserving surgery that removes early-stage tumors while delivering excellent cosmetic outcomes
- Complex, autologous tissue-based (flap) reconstructions
- Direct-to-implant post-mastectomy breast reconstruction surgery that is performed without the use of tissue expanders.
- Endocrine (hormone) therapy to decrease the production of cancer-fueling hormones to prevent, slow or stop cancer
- High-Risk Breast Clinic at City of Hope Orange County Lennar Foundation Cancer Center, where adults with a familial history of breast cancer can meet with a compassionate team of experts to determine their best options for surveillance and risk reduction
- Magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound for people with dense breasts or high breast cancer risk
- Nerve restoration treatment (Resensation®) to repair damaged nerves to help restore feeling
- Novel therapies, many of which have been discovered or developed at City of Hope®, and the identification and monitoring of tumor markers to inform changes in treatment over time
- Oncoplastic surgery
- Skin and nipple-sparing mastectomies with breast reconstruction in one procedure (and a multicenter national clinical trial evaluating robotic surgery for mastectomies)
- Targeted therapy for breast cancer that selectively attacks cancer cells based on specific characteristics
- 3D Mammogram to better detect and locate breast cancer
Orange County Breast Cancer Doctors
City of Hope Orange County has a team of cancer specialists who are known for their expertise in breast cancer prevention, detection, and treatment.
Breast Cancer Leadership
Jennifer Tseng, M.D., F.A.C.S., is the Medical Director of Breast Surgery, City of Hope Orange County.
Irene Kang, M.D., is medical director of women’s health medical oncology and assistant professor in medical oncology and therapeutics research.
Radiation Oncology
Amanda Schwer, M.D., is an Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology at City of Hope Orange County. As a third-generation Orange County native, Dr. Schwer is proud to play a part in bringing extraordinary cancer care to the community that is so close to her heart.
Diagnostic Radiology
Piers Pravdo, D.O., is a radiologist at City of Hope Orange County Lennar Foundation Cancer Center’s state-of-the-art radiology suites for advanced diagnostic imaging and precision cancer care.
Surgical Oncology
Fairouz Chibane, M.D., M.B.A., is an assistant clinical professor at City of Hope Orange County Lennar Foundation Cancer Center in Irvine, California.
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Dr. Natalie Johnson is a prominent specialist in surgery for breast cancer, thyroid cancer, parathyroid disease, and melanoma.
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.
Plastics & Reconstructive Surgery
Plastic surgeon Mouchammed Agko, M.D., understands that many cancer survivors want to continue their lives after treatment without physical reminders of the disease. His goal is to help them achieve that — in addition to providing additional aesthetic improvements, if it meets a patient’s needs.
Dr. Nguyen brings extensive expertise in complex microsurgery, craniofacial reconstruction, breast reconstruction, peripheral nerve surgery, lymphedema surgery and advanced fat grafting — an area he has championed since the early 2000s.
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.
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.
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.
Karla Olmedo, M.D., is a rising star in medical oncology and hematology. Dr. Olmedo is driven by the pursuit of advances in immunology and the promise of cell therapy in effectively fighting cancer.
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.
Wade Smith, M.D., is a medical oncologist specializing in breast cancer at City of Hope's Orange County, Newport Beach and Duarte locations.
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.
Katarina Vasiljevic, M.D., is a dedicated and compassionate physician specializing in breast cancer. Her journey into medicine was driven by her nurturing personality and a strong interest in science.
Lihong Wu, M.D., is a medical oncologist and hematologist at City of Hope's Long Beach locations. Dr. Wu has made it her mission to help others triumph over cancer. She prides herself on being there for her patients and finding the best possible treatments for them.
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.
Where you get a mammogram matters.
City of Hope Orange County offers the most advanced mammography technology available.
Regular screening is one of the best ways to find breast cancer early. Early detection can make treatment easier and more effective.
Breast Cancer Stories
In the News
Frequently Asked Questions About Breast Cancer
Yes. City of Hope Orange County uses FDA-approved 3D mammography, also called breast tomosynthesis, to screen for breast cancer. This technology helps us find the early signs of breast cancer at a stage when it is most treatable and has the best chance for successful treatment.
Women at increased risk for breast cancer may benefit from enhanced screening, which may include 3D mammography, breast MRI, ultrasound imaging, genetic risk assessment and consultation through City of Hope’s High-Risk Breast Clinic.
The High-Risk Breast Clinic at City of Hope Orange County Lennar Foundation Cancer Center provides personalized breast cancer risk assessments and recommendations for screening, surveillance and risk-reduction strategies for adults with a family history of breast cancer or other risk factors.
Yes. Through a City of Hope Center for Precision Medicine research study, eligible patients may receive germline genetic testing at no out-of-pocket-cost to help identify inherited risk for breast cancer and other cancers.
Genetic counseling is available before and after genetic testing to review testing options, results and to discuss implications for a person and their family members.
City of Hope Orange County provides comprehensive breast cancer care at Lennar Foundation Cancer Center in Irvine and locations in Long Beach, Newport Beach, and Huntington Beach Seacliff, bringing together breast cancer specialists, advanced treatments, surgery, reconstruction, genetic risk assessment and clinical trials under one umbrella.
City of Hope Orange County offers comprehensive breast cancer care, including breast-conserving and oncoplastic surgery, robotic nipple-sparing mastectomy as a minimally invasive surgical option, targeted therapies, immunotherapy, next-generation endocrine (hormone) therapy, personalized chemotherapy, cutting-edge clinical trials and biomarker-driven care.
Yes. Our breast cancer surgeons perform breast-conserving surgery to remove early-stage tumors while preserving as much healthy breast tissue as medically appropriate while prioritizing cosmetic outcomes whenever possible.
Breast reconstruction options may include direct-to-implant reconstruction, autologous tissue (flap) reconstruction, and reconstruction performed at the same time as a skin-sparing or nipple-sparing mastectomy.
Yes. Selected patients may qualify for direct-to-implant breast reconstruction, which allows a breast implant to be placed without first using a tissue expander.
Yes. City of Hope Orange County offers Resensation® nerve restoration treatment, which may help repair damaged nerves and restore breast sensation following mastectomy and breast reconstruction.
Skin-sparing and nipple-sparing mastectomies preserve as much of the breast skin and nipple area as medically appropriate while removing breast tissue. Breast reconstruction can often be performed during the same surgery.
Yes. City of Hope Orange County patients may have access to breast cancer clinical trials evaluating innovative treatments, therapies and surgical approaches.
Targeted therapy for breast cancer uses drugs designed to target specific features of cancer cells, such as particular proteins or molecular changes, while limiting effects on healthy cells.
Hormone therapy, also called endocrine therapy, works by reducing or blocking hormones that can fuel hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. It may be used to help prevent, slow or stop cancer growth.
Patients may request an appointment with a City of Hope Orange County breast cancer specialist for diagnosis, treatment, a second opinion or evaluation of breast cancer risk. Just dial 877-541-4673 for immediate assistance.