2020 was a challenging year with the coronavirus pandemic, but our team at Saint John’s Cancer Institute at Providence Saint John’s Health Center, continued to meet the needs of our cancer patients every day. We discovered that when faced with what seemed like insurmountable challenges, our team successfully met them head on. Fear became familiarity, and familiarity became confidence. Today we would like to highlight some of our celebrations from 2020. Happy New Year to all and welcome to the Saint John’s Cancer Institute’s 2020 Year in Review!

New Clinical Trials

In 2020, we continued to add additional clinical trial treatment options for our patients. It is our goal to further understand, diagnose and treat cancer, so we can help to eliminate suffering and prolong survival. 

By using the following links, you will be able to find a wide variety of our open clinical trials:

Covid-19 Clinical Trials

What a year it’s been! We cannot turn on the news or go anywhere without hearing about COVID-19 and the effects it has had on the world over the past year. At Saint John’s Cancer Institute, our cancer team specialists have been working tirelessly to find a vaccine for the novel coronavirus. We have become a designated site for COVID-19 clinical trials so we can evaluate the new drugs being developed to help treat COVID patients and to prevent people from getting the virus.

For more information about our open COVID-19 clinical trials or if you are interested in participating in a COVID-19 clinical trial, please email: COVID19Trials@jwci.org, call: 310-582-7437 or fill out our online request form

Watch our video to learn how the Saint John’s Cancer Institute is in the fight to find a vaccine for COVID-19!

 

New Quarterly Newsletter

Saint John’s Cancer Institute is happy to announce that we have developed a quarterly newsletter called Cancer Innovation. As our world class scientists and clinicians continue to advance patient care, our newsletter will be here to keep you informed on the latest news and groundbreaking research while we continue to highlight the work being done in our cancer centers. Be sure to be on the lookout for new editions in 2021!

Check our the previous issues of our cancer innovation newsletter:

Cancer Innovation Newsletter

Educational Webinars

Saint John’s Cancer Institute and Providence Saint John’s Health Center have experts who provide a variety of complimentary webinars. You can browse through the free webinars on our website and watch at your convenience.

Informational webinars can be found on the following topics and more:

  • Covid Information
  • Breast Cancer Screening
  • Prostate Cancer
  • Ovarian Cancer
  • Thyroid Disorders
  • Pancreatic Cancer
  • Lung Cancer
  • Radiation Treatment

Visit our webinar page to watch our complimentary webinars:

Watch Webinars

High Performing Hospital Awards

U.S. News and World Report has recognized Providence Saint John’s Health Center, which includes the Saint John’s Cancer Institute Clinic, as one of the Best Regional Hospitals for 2020-2021.

We are also proud to announce we have been recognized as a High Performing Hospital in 7 areas of care:

To learn more about these areas of care, check out our blog post on our awards:

High Performing Hospital Awards

New Service Line Added! Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) for Thyroid with Dr. Goldfarb

We are excited to add Thyroid Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) for Benign Thyroid Nodules. Thyroid nodules can cause problems even if they are non-cancerous. It is possible for them to grow large enough to cause issues with swallowing or breathing, lead to a persistent cough and even cause cosmetic concerns. RFA is a non-surgical procedure used to treat thyroid nodules.  

Using an ultrasound, doctors can deliver radiofrequency waves directly to the nodules to heat them up and shrink them. This procedure is done on an outpatient basis with local anesthesia. Patients are usually allowed to leave 30 minutes after the procedure and are cleared to resume regular daily activities as they see fit. Any discomfort can be managed easily with Tylenol.

Watch our webinar, Everything you Need to Know About Thyroid Disorder and Thyroid Cancer, to learn more about RFA from Dr. Melanie Goldfarb.  

Dr. Wilson celebrates his 3500th Robotic Surgery of his career!

Dr. Timothy Wilson, Professor and Chair of the Urology and Urologic Oncology Center at the Saint John’s Cancer Institute at Providence Saint John’s Health Center, has hit a milestone by completing his 3500th Robotic Surgery. Dr. Wilson has experience in minimally invasive, laparoscopic and robotic-assisted urologic oncology. Dr. Wilson’s vast work performing robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomies has made him one of the top 6 surgeons in the world in terms of volume. Congratulations Dr. Wilson!  

Congratulations to Dr. Hoon for 30 years of publications! (1991-2021)

Congratulations to Professor Dave Hoon Ph.D., and his Department of Translational Molecular Medicine for publishing 400 publications in 30 years! (1991-2021). Visit our department of Translational Molecular Medicine to learn about the advancements in molecular medicine cancer research Dr. Hoon is leading:

Learn More

Here’s to a Happy, Healthier New Year!

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your health or the health of someone close to you, please make an appointment to meet with our cancer specialists. Our team of experts bring a high level of experience to every aspect of your treatment. We’re with you from diagnosis through cure and have a team approach for better outcomes. The following link will provide you with the information you need to call or schedule an appointment.   

Schedule an appointment

We wish you the best in 2021 and look forward to hope, health and safety in the new year!

 

About the Author

Fariba Ahdoot

Fariba Ahdoot is the Marketing Manager, Website and Digital Strategy, at the Saint John’s Cancer Institute. She interviews the physicians and researchers to provide useful content for patients, caregivers, and the community.