Two Clinical Trials and a Team of Specialists Later, Kevin and Candice Discuss Brain Cancer, Together “Don’t Google it,” mentions Kevin Hodges in his testimonial. 4 years ago today, Kevin was diagnosed with a 3-centimeter glioblastoma (GBM) tumor during the height of the pandemic. His prognosis, 18 months to live. His outcome outperformed the life expectancy of those with GBM by 3 times. “I feel amazing. I’m not going to lie; I feel good. If you get upset and you get depressed about it, it kind of doesn’t help. It’s been shown to not help you,” says Kevin. Besides the relentless support Kevin ..read more

This Women’s Health Week Our Physicians took A Stroll Down the Beach Overlooking the Santa Monica coastline, four treating women physicians at Saint John’s Hospital and Cancer Institute chat at a local favorite, Perry’s Café, at their ocean front location. Janie Grumley, MD, Jennifer Linehan, MD, Hyo Park, MD, and Shanti Gowrinathan, MD advocate for women’s health in a sit-down discussion by elucidating the uniqueness that a multi-disciplinary approach has on improving the quality of life for women overall. Meet Women’s Health Experts Janie Grumley, MD, Jennifer Linehan, MD, Hyo Park, MD, and ..read more

Tanner Deason Returns To Discuss Life Alongside Ongoing Adjuvant Therapy Tanner Deason was diagnosed four years ago with Stage-4 melanoma including a single brain metastasis at the age of 31. Although Tanner’s diagnosis is life-threatening, the discovery was lifesaving. In a matter of months, the tumor in his brain could have taken his life. By way of a UTV accident while off-roading in the desert, Tanner was shepherded through scans and doctor visits that ultimately led him to Saint John’s Cancer Institute in Santa Monica, California, where he is currently being treated. In his prior testimon ..read more

Tanner Deason Returns To Discuss Life Alongside Continuous Adjuvant Therapy Tanner Deason was diagnosed four years ago with stage-4 melanoma and a single brain metastasis at age 31. Although Tanner’s diagnosis is life-threatening, the discovery was lifesaving. In a matter of months, the tumor in his brain would have taken his life. By way of a UTV accident while off-roading in the desert, Tanner was shepherded through scans and doctor visits that ultimately led him to Saint John’s Cancer Institute in Santa Monica, California, where he is currently being treated. In his prior testimonial, recor ..read more

Colorectal Cancer Incidence Is Rising In California, we will see 16,200 new cases of colon and rectal cancers this year. Across the United States, there will be an estimated 106,590 new cases of colon cancer and 46,220 new cases of rectal cancer, leading to an estimated 53,010 combined deaths.1 Though colon cancer incidences have declined overall, research has shown a new trend: the number of younger people developing colorectal cancer has risen.1,2,3 Subsequently, three years ago the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF), an independent panel of experts funded by the U.S. Department ..read more

Cancer Prevention is having a Healthy Immune System, Microbiome, and Lifestyle. Research and Patients explain. Cancer prevention is not black and white. There is no known cure for cancer because not all cancers are alike, and not all people are alike, which further complicates treatment. However, as individuals, if we are aware of risk factors, preventative lifestyle choices, and understand that our biology impacts cancer development, then maybe the best steps forward to preventing cancer come down to awareness, and continued research. “We are studying lifestyle; the role of diet, of process ..read more

Stacy Lilien is riding the wave of least expected, and happily. Just 7 weeks after a major spinal surgery, Stacy (68) was seen standing next to her mustang at Shadow Hills Equestrian Center, gearing to ride in Tujunga, California. Stacy experienced severe back and hip pain in early 2023. Inhibited to continue riding her two horses, or walk without crippling pain, which no painkiller was able to alleviate completely, Stacy searched for answers until she found one at Providence, Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California. “No one thought I was going to come out the other side, with t ..read more

Previously Treated for Multiple Myeloma at Saint John’s, Yvonne Returns Yvonne Kalman was diagnosed a year ago with metastatic uterine cancer at 85 years old, and today, she is that much closer to remission. Yvonne jet sets from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to Santa Monica, California, to receive treatment at Saint John’s Health Center. “I really was so sick… I came to Los Angeles in tears,” Yvonne recalls in her testimonial. 10 years ago, she had multiple myeloma, and her medical oncologist, Dr. Sean Fischer, who treated her, recommended Dr. Hyo Park, a surgical oncologist, also at Saint John’s, w ..read more

Researchers and Experts in the Feilds of Oncology: 2023 Collection A single study usually uncovers only a piece of a larger puzzle. At Saint John’s Cancer Institute, our research addresses global challenges in the fight against cancer. The research provides objective understanding in the world of oncology by solving complex cases which inform decisions made in our clinic. The result of such research has informed policies and procedures to ensure the field of oncology moves forward safely, improving the quality of lives of our patients. The more research we can do, the more our patients can do ..read more

Even an expert oncologist will be excessively concerned with a possible cancer diagnosis. Dr. Wilson promptly called his peers at the Digestive Health Institute, located in Providence, Saint John’s Health Center, to schedule a colonoscopy because his Cologuard® came back positive for possible colon cancer. Cancer concerns us all, and knowing what to do and who to trust is invaluable. So invaluable, Dr. Wilson hopes to share his experience with the world, allowing gastrointestinal experts Dr. Rudolph Bedford and Dr. Anton Bilchik to outline our process for personalized treatment, including scre ..read more