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Courtesy photo.<\/p>\nThere are 18 million cancer survivors in the United States today, a number that is projected to increase to 26 million by 2040.\u00a0And at City of Hope Orange County, every new discovery and therapy is a powerful step forward in accelerating cancer survivorship across Southern California and beyond.<\/p>\n
Courtesy photo.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery day,\u00a0we\u00a0bring more people in Long Beach into the growing community of cancer survivors,\u201d says\u00a0Karla Olmedo, M.D.,\u00a0a medical oncologist\u00a0and hematologist\u00a0at City of Hope\u2019s Long Beach Elm and Long Beach Worsham locations, part of the City of Hope Orange County\u00a0regional\u00a0network\u00a0of\u00a0advanced cancer\u00a0care.\u00a0\u201cHaving\u00a0a team of experts whose sole focus is cancer can\u00a0make\u00a0all the\u00a0difference,\u201d says Dr.\u00a0Olmedo.\u00a0\u201cAnd nobody\u00a0researches,\u00a0treats and cures cancer \u2014 and only cancer \u2014\u00a0like City of Hope.\u201d<\/p>\n
Built for the single purpose of saving lives, City of Hope Orange County includes an outpatient cancer center and Orange County\u2019s only cancer specialty hospital,\u00a0located on the organization\u2019s academic research campus in Irvine,\u00a0and\u00a0the\u00a0largest\u00a0network of\u00a0advanced cancer\u00a0care\u00a0in the region,\u00a0with sites\u00a0located\u00a0in\u00a0Long Beach and\u00a0throughout Orange County.<\/p>\n
Patients\u00a0have access to leading-edge\u00a0cancer prevention and\u00a0treatment\u00a0as well as\u00a0more than 700 innovative Phase 1 to 3 clinical trials led by City of Hope, including groundbreaking first-in-human trials and complex trials requiring inpatient care \u2014 more than anywhere else in California.<\/p>\n
Making Hope a Reality\u00a0for People with Cancer<\/p>\n
More than 44,000 grateful patients have received care at a City of Hope Orange County facility since 2020. Among them is Edwin Ruiz, 32, whose busy\u00a0and active\u00a0life,\u00a0which\u00a0\u00a0includes\u00a0working as the chief operating officer for a food manufacturing business, was interrupted\u00a0last year at age 31,\u00a0when he\u00a0was diagnosed with colorectal cancer.<\/p>\n
Upon arriving at City of Hope Orange County, Ruiz was\u00a0immediately\u00a0put on an\u00a0individualized treatment plan that included immunotherapy, a leading-edge cancer treatment that can be highly effective.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe started seeing the reduction in cancer and negatives on a lot of the cancer tests right away,\u201d says Ruiz. \u201cIt\u2019s been a home run for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Through it all, Ruiz continued to work.\u00a0He has also been able to return to all of his favorite activities, including horseback riding and working out in the gym.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a result of my cancer experience, I believe we can all do more to raise awareness and support cancer survivors,\u201d says Ruiz. \u201cEveryone should speak with their doctor about their family health history and cancer screenings like colonoscopies and mammograms. A routine screening today can make all the difference for your future.\u201d<\/p>\n
City of Hope Orange County offers convenient access to colonoscopies and mammograms, some of the most effective tools for detecting cancer early, when it is most treatable. To schedule a colonoscopy at City of Hope Orange County, call\u00a0800-826-4673. Or, to schedule a mammogram, call 949-671-4100.<\/p>\n
WITH SUPERIOR CANCER SURVIVAL RATES, HOPE FLOURISHES EVERY DAY.<\/p>\n
THIS IS HOPE.\u00a0<\/p>\n