Therapeutic Areas

Endocrinology
Genetic Disease
Immunology
Oncology

Center Overview

City of Hope is a biomedical research, treatment and education center dedicated to the prevention, treatment and cure of cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Our mission is to shorten the time from initial research idea to new treatment, quickly bringing cures to patients who need them. Since its founding in 1913, City of Hope has achieved numerous scientific breakthroughs and pioneered many lifesaving procedures that have impacted treatment worldwide.

Fast Facts
Here are the latest facts about this institution.

INSTITUTIONAL DISTINCTIONS

• City of Hope is one of 40 Comprehensive Cancer Centers, the highest designation bestowed by the National Cancer Institute and a recognition of excellence in cancer treatment, research, prevention and education.
• City of Hope is a founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of the 21 leading cancer centers that defines and sets standards for cancer care nationally.
• City of Hope maintains the No. 1 hematology program, No. 1 prostate cancer program and No. 2 sarcoma program in California, and ranks No. 3 in the state for its breast cancer program, based on the number of patients treated. (Source: Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development)
• City of Hope has been designated an islet cell transplant center by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), one of only 8 institutions in the United States to receive this distinction. JDRF islet cell transplant centers are programs at select institutions that enable scientists and clinicians to collaborate and transform new ideas into treatments.
• At any given time, City of Hope conducts more than 300 clinical studies, involving 30 to 40 percent of its eligible patients. The national average is less than 5 percent.
• City of Hope was awarded more than $59 million in research grants and received nearly $170 million in revenues from patented technologies in FY2008.

RESEARCH AND TREATMENT MI LESTONES

• Numerous breakthrough cancer drugs, including Herceptin, Rituxan, Avastin and Erbitux, are based on technology pioneered by City of Hope and are saving lives worldwide.
• Millions of people with diabetes worldwide benefit from synthetic human insulin developed through research conducted at City of Hope.
• City of Hope is a recognized leader in the field of laparoscopic and robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostate surgeries. Since 2000, City of Hope physicians have performed more urologic robotic procedures than any other center in the U.S.
• A pioneer in bone marrow transplantation, City of Hope has performed more than 10,000 bone marrow and stem cell transplants, and today operates one of the largest, most successful programs of its kind in the world.
• City of Hope is the first - and currently only - institution in the world to perform a clinical study using genetically engineered T cells to recognize and attack glioma, a highly lethal form of brain cancer.

RECENT RESEARCH BREAKTHROUGHS

A one-two punch against leukemia
The drug Gleevec can keep chronic myelogenous leukemia, or CML, at bay for as long as the patient takes the drug. However, leukemia stem cells lurk in the patient’s marrow waiting to develop into cancer. Gleevec has no effect on these stem cells. And while leukemia stem cells lie in wait, they can become resistant to Gleevec. When they grow into adult cells, the patient develops leukemia again. City of Hope researchers are conducting a clinical trial of a new drug called LBH589 that, in combination with Gleevec, could help eliminate CML altogether. In preclinical studies, researchers found that the drug combined with Gleevec is very effective at eliminating CML cells, including leukemia stem cells. The researchers are hopeful it will end the threat of relapse for CML patients taking Gleevec.

Identifying drug-resistant cells in lung cancer
City of Hope researchers have identified a rare population of cells within small cell lung cancer (SCLC) tumors that may help establish critical targets for more effective anticancer therapies. These cells express high levels of urokinase plasminogen activator receptor, or uPAR, which is linked to poor prognosis and outcomes. More than 200,000 Americans are diagnosed with lung cancer annually, and approximately 13 percent of those cases are SCLC, one of the most aggressive types of lung cancer. City of Hope researchers are investigating whether the cells within SCLC tumors might be the underlying cause of recurrence after treatment.

Improving treatments for advanced breast cancer
City of Hope is conducting clinical trials of the drug Vorinostat. In early testing it stabilized cancer growth in a group of women with stage 4 breast cancer. Stage 4 is the most advanced form of breast cancer and involves cancer spreading to other organs. Vorinostat is the first Food and Drug Administration-approved oral anticancer agent that inhibits an enzyme that is closely associated with DNA in cells. By inhibiting the enzyme, Vorinostat alters the expression of several important genes and proteins, resulting in tumor cell death. City of Hope investigators believe that, in combination with other drugs, Vorinostat may be part of an effective treatment for women with advanced breast cancer.

Using the immune system to fight brain cancer
Researchers at City of Hope are genetically reprogramming disease-fighting immune cells to treat malignant glioma, an aggressive and often lethal form of brain cancer. Gliomas are able to hide from the immune system and their location in sensitive brain tissue makes them very difficult to treat. Life expectancy following the diagnosis of glioma is typically less than one year. Genetic reprogramming is a novel approach to treating these cancers, in which T cells are engineered to reboot the immune system to recognize and attack tumor cells, leaving the normal brain cells in the vicinity unharmed. Researchers are also exploring the use of nanotubes, tiny molecules built out of carbon atoms, and neural stem cells as vehicles to deliver these immune stimulating therapies directly to the tumor cells.

Survivorship and support
Over the past two decades, new techniques to diagnose prostate cancer early have boosted the survival rate for men with all stages of prostate cancer. Addressing the unique needs of these survivors, City of Hope’s Prostate Cancer Survivorship Program provides comprehensive, long-term follow-up care to improve the overall quality of life. Patients receive personalized health plans based on their treatment history and comprehensive monitoring for possible cancer recurrence. They also have the opportunity to discuss their treatment, its impact on their health and ways to stay healthy. The program, part of City of Hope’s Center for Cancer Survivorship, is unique nationally, as it combines both multidisciplinary follow-up care and clinical research to help improve the overall quality of life and long-term survival of prostate cancer patients.

UNPARALLELED RESOURCES

• City of Hope created a new model for rapidly translating innovations from the research lab to the clinical setting with its Center for Biomedicine & Genetics (CBG), which allows scientific and clinical investigators the freedom to test and refine the most promising new therapeutics. Recognized as one of the nation’s premier academic biologic manufacturing facilities, the CBG provides the isolation, environmental control and security needed for the manufacture of products for human use.
• The institution was designated one of only eight federally funded islet cell resource centers responsible for processing and distributing islet cells to transplant programs around the country. Islet cell transplantation is an innovative therapy for people with type 1 diabetes.

EXPANSION EFFORTS

• The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation awarded City of Hope $20 million for construction of a new cancer immunotherapeutics and tumor immunology building. The new Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center for Cancer Immunotherapeutics and Tumor Immunology provides a self contained and integrated research environment where novel immunotherapeutic approaches to cancer treatment are conceived, developed and refined.
• A gift from the Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation established a new center at City of Hope to assist patients and families facing cancer and other life threatening diseases. The 3,000 square foot Sheri & Les Biller Patient and Family Resource Center is a uniquely comprehensive model that integrates and expands a wide range of important patient support services, including health education, psychological services, healing arts programs and end-of-life and bereavement care programs.

HOW CITY OF HOPE ADDS UP

• City of Hope is ranked as one of "America’s Best Hospitals" in cancer and urology by U.S. News & World Report.
• City of Hope received full accreditation by the Joint Commission, the nation’s most widely recognized health care accrediting body.
• Numerous City of Hope physicians are featured in the fifth edition of "America’s Top Doctors for Cancer," a consumer guide to the nation’s top cancer specialists.
• Forbes, The Chronicle of Philanthropy and The Nonprofit Times featured City of Hope in their annual surveys of the nation’s top nonprofit organizations.

Patient Demographics

Profile:
City of Hope is committed to providing the best treatment for patients with cancer and other life-threatening diseases. As a Comprehensive Cancer Center, the highest designation given by the National Cancer Institute, City of Hope is recognized for its leadership in cancer research, treatment and education.

Other Information

For physicians/health care professionals:
Call New Patient Services at 800.826.4673 (HOPE) Monday thru Friday 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM PST. After hours, call the main hospital number at 626.256.4673 (HOPE) and the operator will page the triage physician.

For the general public:
Call New Patient Services at 800.826.4673 (HOPE) Monday thru Friday 8 AM to 4:30 PM PST. To schedule an appointment, call 626.256.4673 (HOPE), extension 64055

For clinical trials information:
To access clinical trials at this institution, visit www.cityofhope.org and under Quick Links, click on “Find a Clinical Trial” or visit www.nccn.org.

Important phone numbers:

To locate a physician at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, visit www.cityofhope.org and under Quick Links, click on “Find a Doctor.”