Urologic Cancer Care in Orange County
City of Hope offers the most innovative treatments led internationally recognized physician scientists. When treating genitourinary cancer, our dedicated team of experts takes a uniquely integrated, patient-centered approach, may it be prostate, kidney, bladder, testicular or penile cancer, to ensure optimal outcomes with minimal impact on quality of life.
Why Choose City of Hope Orange County for Urologic Cancer Care?
As a nationally recognized leader in the research and treatment of urologic cancers, City of Hope is uniquely positioned to transform the future of urologic health with our dedicated team of urology experts, who take a patient-centered approach to diagnosing and treating prostate, kidney, bladder, penile and testicular cancer. At City of Hope, we lead the way in innovative and thoughtful surgical approaches to treating urological cancers and high-risk urological disease.
The benefits of receiving treatment from our multidisciplinary care team include:
- Network tumor boards that help identify who could benefit from lifesaving genetic evaluation
- Collaboration with experts in genetic counseling and genomic testing
- Quick access to highly accurate biopsy technology, which enhance detection and personalization of treatment
We believe the best and most comprehensive care is a result of close collaboration among leading experts. When your patients choose City of Hope, they are not just assigned to a single physician — they become the focus of a team of multidisciplinary experts, ensuring they receive leading-edge, personalized care.
We Specialize in State-of-the-Art Treatments for Urologic Cancers
- Advanced imaging techniques, designed to accurately pinpoint a tumor’s size, shape and location, enhancing our ability to detect cancer and devise personalized treatment plans
- Expertise in invasive and robotically assisted surgical techniques, including nerve-sparing prostatectomies, that can offer optimal outcomes with less pain, reduced scarring and faster healing times
- Leaders in minimally invasive, robotically assisted prostatectomies, having performed more than 13,000 procedures
- Leading-edge surgical teams with expertise in complex surgery and reconstruction, including the use of local tissue to restore pelvic floor function
- Highly precise radiation therapy regimens targeted to each patient by sculpting radiation beams to the size and shape of the tumor, focusing their impact on cancer cells while reducing exposure to nearby healthy tissue
- Advanced imaging technologies, including image guided external radiation systems (such as
TomoTherapy® and TrueBeam®), magnet resonance imaging (MRI)-guided focused ultrasound and brachytherapy
- A drug development pipeline that quickly identifies new cancer drugs and turns them into promising therapies for clinical trials
- A wide portfolio of drugs that are better at fighting cancer with fewer side effects, including hormone therapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy
- A dedicated continence recovery program to help patients regain urinary function after treatment
- A survivorship program to help people deal with the long-term side effects of treatment
- Sophisticated, active surveillance monitoring for men with low-risk, slow-growing prostate cancer that does not warrant immediate treatment
Orange County Urologic Cancer Doctors
Urologic Cancer Leadership


Jeffrey S. Yoshida, M.D. recognizes that each of his patients carries a unique personality and background — as does their cancer.


Nishan Tchekmedyian, M .D., has been recognized by Greater Newport Physicians, a group that named him New Physician of the Year in 2017 and Specialist of the Year in 2019, 2020 and 2021 for his high-quality, patient-focused care.
Surgical Oncology


Dr. Cory Hugen, M.D. M.S., is a renowned urologic researcher and clinician. He has been the lead or co-investigator on dozens of clinical trials in addition to being a multi-decorated physician serving in the United States Air Force.
Medical Oncology


Sandy Liu, M.D., has made it her mission to improve the lives of cancer patients by taking care of people in a meaningful way and advancing the field of medical oncology as a clinical researcher. She makes sure to treat all of her patients as though they were members of her own family.


Fluent in Mandarin, Luke Chen, M.D., has helped cancer patients in Southern California for nearly 20 years. Focused on both saving life and improving quality of life, he treats his patients as family and is inspired by their courage and humility.


Sumanta (Monty) Kumar Pal, M.D., FASCO, is an internationally recognized leader in the area of genitourinary cancers, including kidney, bladder, and prostate cancer. He is co-director of City of Hope's Kidney Cancer Program and is the head of the kidney and bladder cancer disease team at the institution.


Charles B. Nguyen, M.D. is a nationally recognized medical oncologist with interests in clinical trials, clinicogenomics, and genitourinary cancers. Dr. Nguyen’s clinical trial work includes the phase 2 FORTUNE study in non-clear cell kidney cancer.
Radiation Oncology


For radiation oncologist Percy Lee, M.D., patients’ needs come first. He works closely with experts from other disciplines to offer each person an individually tailored treatment plan based upon both their clinical history and their emotional and social needs.


As a radiation oncologist, Dr. Julius Weng is dedicated to providing personalized, state-of-the-art treatment tailored to each patient’s physical and emotional needs.
Interventional Radiology


For Jason Salsamendi, M.D., patient care is a partnership where his role is to help people make informed decisions that best meet their needs.
Supportive Care


Richard T. Lee, M.D., is a third-generation physician who was inspired by seeing the positive impact that good health care can have on a community. His philosophy as an oncologist is all about treating the whole patient — centering care on who they are and what they need.


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.