In The News
Late-Stage Melanoma: Experimental Drug Combo Puts 50% of Patients Into Remission
Melanoma is a kind of skin cancer. While it has a 99% survival rate in its early stages, stage IV melanoma — when cancer has spread to organs such as the lungs — has a survival rate of 30%. Drugs known as immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have improved the outlook for many people with melanoma. ICIs prevent … Read More
Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas
Dear Neighbor, As the New Year approaches, I am filled with a sense of gratitude for the relationship Hoag holds with our community. Your trust in us pushes us to be better every day. Not just to adopt the most advanced technologies and procedures, but also to help create them. Your unwavering support during an … Read More
3 Holiday Travel Tips From a Travel Medicine Expert
The pictures on Instagram showcase your family in matching PJs. Snowy afternoon walks. Steaming cups of hot chocolate. The tree. The menorah. The joy. What those pictures don’t capture are those other holiday gatherings, the microscopic, germy icky ones: The influenza virus bopping around the crowded airport security line. The Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) offering … Read More
3 Facts About Endometriosis That Amy Schumer Knows All Too Well
Photo Courtesy: Shutterstock If there is anything hilarious about being doubled-over in pain and feeling ashamed for coming across as too “whiny” about a gynecological condition, then comedian Amy Schumer would have found it. So, Schumer’s revelation this week about her battles with endometriosis was all the more powerful for how straightforward and direct the … Read More
Hoag Launches Phase 1 Study That May Change the Face of Cancer Treatment
Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Newport Beach, Orange County, California, will be the first in Southern California (and only one of a handful of trial sites worldwide) to launch a Phase 1 clinical trial to test the efficacy of a new cancer treatment that may change the face of cancer treatment. Led by Dr. Gary … Read More
3 Biggest Myths About Sugar and Diabetes
Type 2 Diabetes is a complicated disease. Put simply, it is a chronic and potentially dangerous condition that develops when the body loses its ability to process glucose, or sugar. But what causes it, what can prevent it and what can be done to manage it? That’s where things can get confusing. “While it’s true … Read More
What’s the Difference Between Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia?
If you notice a loved one becoming forgetful, you may worry that they have Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. But these conditions are not the same, says Dr. Aaron Ritter, a dementia expert who directs the Memory & Cognitive Disorders Program at Hoag Hospital. “Alzheimer’s Disease is a disease that causes a group of symptoms that usually … Read More
Spine Surgeons Predict ‘Tremendous Growth’ in Endoscopy Over the Next 10 Years
Despite pushback from payers and some reimbursement and training obstacles, many spine surgeons expect endoscopic spine surgery to become more prominent in the U.S. over the next decade. Eleven spine surgeons from independent practices and health systems across the country discuss what’s next for endoscopic spine surgery. Question: How will endoscopic spine surgery evolve in … Read More
Are we ready for a post-lockdown Christmas?
While shopping at Fashion Island in Newport Beach recently, I passed Santa’s Village and did a double take. Santa was alone. He was standing in the doorway, gazing outward. He noticed me noticing him and waved. I waved back. It all felt just a little … sad. Why did Santa look so forlorn? Where was … Read More
New Diabetes Guidelines: New Focus on Weight Loss, Sleep and Continuous Glucose Monitors
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) released guidance this week outlining new standards for diabetes care. Though the guidance is updated annually, this year’s tweaks are more extensive than usual and include stricter recommendations related to medications, new technologies, weight control, and modifiable lifestyle factors like sleep and exercise. The guidance also aims to improve health inequities by screening at-risk … Read More