It is recommended that when you or your family member is diagnosed with mesothelioma that you be evaluated at an academic, multi-disciplinary, mesothelioma center. In order to get familiar with a center we will be featuring one center a month.
Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center –UCLA Comprehensive Mesothelioma Program
752 Westwood Plaza
Los Angeles, CA 90095
Dr. Robert Cameron
10780 Santa Monica Boulevard
Suite 100
Los Angeles, CA 90025
310-470-8980
Mission: The Mission of UCLA ‘s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center is to develop more effective approaches to cancer prevention and diagnosis. This cancer center educates health care professionals, public, and families. They also reach out to the under privileged populations. They are a focused cancer center with state of the art research and patient facilities.
Comprehensive Mesothelioma Program concentrates on treating mesothelioma patients and families with cutting edge therapies. They are recognized as leaders in lung-sparing therapies and innovative methods to treat mesothelioma as a chronic disease.
History: During the 1960 a group of scientists and volunteers came together to develop a cancer center which they hoped would become world renowned in education and patient care. In 1976 National Cancer Institute designated UCLA as a “comprehensive” cancer center.
In 1997 UCLA’s Comprehensive Mesothelioma Program was started by Dr. Robert Cameron. It is one of the largest centers for mesothelioma in the country. The focus of the center is cutting edge therapies, and treating mesothelioma as a chronic disease.
Comprehensive Mesothelioma Program is one of the busiest programs on the West Coast of the United States.
Director Robert Cameron MD
Team- Consists of surgeons, oncologists, radiologists, radiation oncologists, nurse practioners. A few are mentioned below. For a complete listing : www.ucla.com
Dr. Mary Maish MD thoracic surgeon who is affiliated with the Thoracic Oncology Program and the Division of Thoracic Surgery.
Dr. Jay Lee thoracic surgeon and is the director of the Thoracic Oncology Program, specializing in the treatment of mesothelioma, lung and esophageal cancers.
Dr. Percy Lee- Radiation oncologist- Clinical Director of Stereotactic Body Radiation
Nurse Practioners- Brian Barnes and Wendy Nelson
Affiliations: UCLA’s Compressive Mesothelioma Program collaborates with basic scientists at UCLA West Los Angeles, VA Medical Center, Pacific Meso Center at the Pacific Hear Lung & Blood Institute.
Research: UCLA is one of the nation’s seven institutions awarded the NCI’s Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (Spore). This is a grant which promotes collaborative, interdisciplinary translational cancer research. The JCCC is one of the nations’ largest “Comprehensive Cancer Centers”. The institution sees over 20,000 patients each year which is handled by 240 physicians, researchers and scientists.
The research in mesothelioma is cutting edge. Cryoablation and lung sparing surgery are two of the many topics that clinical trials have been focused on.
Support Services: Their support services include mind, body and spiritual care. The approach is multi-disciplinary with a team approach.
Contact: Thoracic Surgery
(310) 470-8980 (Cameron)
(310) 794-7333 (J. Lee & Yanagawa)
Medical Oncology
(310) 829-5471 (Olevsky)
Radiation Oncology
(310) 825-9775 (P. Lee)
If you have any questions, let us know.
