2022 Hoag Family Cancer Institute Impact Report

Hoag Family Cancer Institute

Your center for world-class, comprehensive cancer care and research

Dear Supporters and Friends,

It is with profound gratitude that I write to share the enclosed updates on the Hoag Family Cancer Institute programs and services your generosity continues to elevate. At Hoag, we imagine a world without cancer. Through innovative clinical trials and cutting-edge technologies, we are working to one day make that world a reality.

With your support, we’re recruiting nationally, retaining physicians at the top of their field and bringing burgeoning developments in early detection and novel therapies into the clinic. In the process, Hoag is becoming a national destination for exceptional cancer care. For our community, this means providing the latest advances in cancer research and patient care in one location, right here in Orange County. For those who travel to see us, it means extending Hoag’s commitment to compassionate, high-quality care to every patient and family that comes through our doors.

The future of oncology lies in the translation of cancer science to better understand cancer at its cellular onset, prior to clinical diagnosis. Hoag’s subspecialized programs, including applied genetics and molecular imaging and therapy, have already enhanced cancer care for thousands of high-risk patients. As we move forward, these programs, among others, will continue to move the needle on cancer research and standards of care for a range of malignancies. As a leader in precision medicine, our focus is clear: stopping cancer at its earliest stage. None of this would be possible without philanthropy—without you.

From the tremendous progress we’ve made in expanding Hoag’s clinical trial program to state-of-the-art renovations at the Patty & George Hoag Cancer Center, we continue to redefine how cancer care is delivered. Over and over, patients are choosing Hoag for their care. I hope you share my pride in all we are accomplishing together.

On behalf of all of us at the Hoag Family Cancer Institute, thank you for your dedication to Hoag, our patients and the community.

Sincerely,

Burton Eisenberg, MD Grace E. Hoag Executive Medical Director Endowed Chair Hoag Family Cancer Institute

Table of Contents

Building the Future Together: Renovations at the Patty & George Hoag Cancer Center......................................................................... 01

Hoag Family Cancer Institute Establishes Two New Endowed Chairs ................. 03

Hoag Recruits National Experts to Lead Cancer Clinical Research and Melanoma Programs................................................ 05

State-of-the-Art Technology is Enhancing Early Detection and Customized Cancer Treatment at Hoag............................................................ 07

Highlights from the Hoag Family Cancer Institute’s Clinical Trial Program ................................................................................................... 09

The Transformative Power of Planned Giving: Grateful Patient Makes Estate Gift to Support the Future of Cancer Care at Hoag ........................... 10

Support Services at Hoag Empower Cancer Patients ............................................... 11

Circle 1000 Celebrates 35th Anniversary.................................................................. 12

Building the Future Together

Renovations at the Patty & George Hoag Cancer Center

Renovations at the Patty & George Hoag Cancer Center, fully operational in February 2023, will enhance the Hoag experience—a commitment to excellence and compassionate care across every specialty and at every corner of Hoag.

Second floor

Newly designed infusion center

Dedicated lab for growing clinical trial team

infusion chairs for increased efficiency of care and added privacy

are supporting state-of-the-art renovations at the Patty & George Hoag Cancer Center in Newport Beach

Throughout the Cancer Center, the generous and compassionate spirit of George Hoag II—and his iconic Hawaiian shirts, a fixture in the memories of many Hoag staff—will continue to permeate its halls. Since 1952, Hoag has partnered with the community to deliver care unmatched by other institutions. Today, that partnership lives on, making it possible for Hoag to lead the way forward in delivering world-class, customized cancer care that considers the whole patient.

Hoag Family Cancer Institute Establishes Two New Endowed Chairs

Through Hoag’s endowed chair program, philanthropy continues to distinguish Hoag from other hospitals in the region. The leadership, high-caliber research and patient care of Hoag’s endowed chair holders not only attract patients from across the country and the world but also help retain and recruit other physician experts working to advance standards of care. Our immense gratitude for the visionary support of Hoag’s endowed chair donors continues to grow as the impact of the program brings the latest developments in medicine to our community.

The Hoag Hospital Foundation hosted an investiture ceremony to celebrate and honor newly appointed endowed chair holders Drs. Demeure and Ulaner as well as donors Otis Healy and James and Pamela Muzzy in fall 2022.

Michael J. Demeure, MD,

MBA, FACS,

FACE Otis Healy Family Endowed Chair in Applied Genomics

Dr. Michael Demeure, program director of the Hoag Precision Medicine Program, leads Hoag’s Center for Applied Genomic Technologies where he works with a multidisciplinary team to advance genetic profiling and targeted cancer therapies. He is an internationally recognized expert in cancer surgery and research, specializing in endocrine, pancreatic and gastrointestinal cancers.

As part of Hoag’s Center for Applied Genomic Technologies, cancer patients at Hoag have access to:

• comprehensive tumor profiling performed by clinical genomic scientist Sourat Darabi, PhD, MS

• targeted therapies based on specific malignancies and genetic abnormalities

• a highly personalized approach, often leading to alternative treatment options for patients who may have previously been told, “There’s nothing else we can do.”

• GRAIL, an investigational multi-cancer early detection DNA test

To learn more about Dr. Demeure’s work and his appointment as an endowed chair holder, scan the QR code at right.

“We are incredibly grateful and appreciate the ongoing generous support of our donors. Whether the funds are used to recruit excellent doctors, support nursing and staff or to foster innovative programs and research, the result is that the Hoag Family Cancer Institute is amongst the best in the country. Our program is unique because we are able to provide resources to our oncologists that are generally not available even at many university medical centers, and we do it to help patients in our community.”

– Dr. Michael J. Demeure

Gary Ulaner, MD, PhD, FACNM James & Pamela Muzzy Endowed Chair in Molecular Imaging and Therapy

After joining Hoag from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in the fall of 2020, Dr. Gary Ulaner was honored with the James & Pamela Muzzy Endowed Chair in Molecular Imaging and Therapy in the spring of 2021. Dr. Ulaner launched seven innovative clinical trials within his first year at Hoag, including:

• The first CD38-targeted myeloma trial in the United States, funded by the National Institutes of Health

• The first estrogen receptor-targeted imaging trial in California

• The first prostate-specific membrane antigen-targeted imaging and therapy trial in Orange County, approved by the FDA

• The first immune cell-targeted trial for immunotherapy patients in Orange County

With nine additional trials underway in 2022, Dr. Ulaner has enrolled over 400 patients in new clinical trials at Hoag, over a third of whom have trial findings that improved clinical care. In early 2022, he was appointed the 2022-2023 president of the American College of Nuclear Medicine. Scan the QR code at right to watch Dr. Ulaner’s story about joining Hoag and becoming an endowed chair holder.

“I am incredibly grateful to have Hoag’s philanthropic community behind me. They add to the success of Hoag in general and molecular imaging and therapy specifically, which is a huge advantage over other institutions that don’t have the pilot funding or grants to run the same kind of projects. Through philanthropy, Hoag can bring the most promising agents into clinical trials.”

– Dr. Gary Ulaner

In addition to the establishment of these two new endowed chairs, Hoag inducted Jeffrey C. Bassett, MD, MPH, as the new chair holder of the Benjamin & Carmela Du Endowed Chair in Urologic Oncology. Dr. Bassett is an expert in minimally invasive surgical approaches and a fellowship-trained specialist in cancers of the urologic tract, including bladder, kidney, prostate, testes and ureter. As an endowed chair holder, he will continue to seek out the latest treatment options for patients in partnership with Hoag’s multidisciplinary cancer team.

“I am incredibly grateful to Mr. and Mrs. Du for their generosity and ongoing support of Hoag’s urologic oncology programs. I look forward to continuing the partnership that has benefited so many men and women diagnosed with a urologic cancer.”

– Dr. Jeffrey Bassett Benjamin & Carmela Du Endowed Chair in Urologic Oncology

Hoag Recruits National Experts to Lead Cancer Clinical Research and Melanoma Programs

Carlos Becerra, MD Medical Director, Cancer Clinical Research Program

As Hoag expands in Irvine and throughout Orange County, the Hoag Family Cancer Institute’s commitment to clinical research expands with it. To continue advancing the Cancer Clinical Research Program, Dr. Carlos Becerra, triple board certified, joined Hoag in September 2022 from Baylor Scott & White in Dallas. He is a nationally recognized expert in early phase clinic trials and cellular therapy as well as gastrointestinal malignancies.

With Dr. Becerra’s leadership, continued philanthropic support will play an important role in bringing early phase clinical trials to Hoag. This increases access to the latest developments in cancer research and therapies—a tremendous benefit to patients by reducing travel outside of the region for care while also elevating Hoag’s reputation as an internationally esteemed cancer center. Additionally, Dr. Becerra will drive Hoag’s accreditation through the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy, which sets the global standard for high-quality medical and laboratory practice in cellular therapies. Together, these achievements will contribute to the continued recruitment of top oncologists across the country.

Thomas Wang, MD, PhD, FACS Medical Director, Hoag Melanoma Program

Dr. Thomas Wang, a board-certified surgical oncologist, joined Hoag in February 2022. Previously, he spent 15 years with the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), where he served as professor of surgery at the UAB Heersink School of Medicine and chief of surgical oncology for the Birmingham VA Medical Center. Dr. Wang’s clinical interests include melanoma, soft tissue sarcomas and endocrine surgery. He is an active member in multiple national surgical societies, including the Association for Academic Surgery, the Society of University Surgeons, the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons and the Society of Surgical Oncology.

Steven Wang, MD Director of Dermatologic Oncology, Hoag Melanoma Program

Dr. Steven Wang joined Hoag in July 2022 from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New Jersey, where he was the head of the dermatology section and director of dermatologic surgery and dermatology. Dr. Wang specializes in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of skin cancers with a focus on melanoma and the application of artificial intelligence and nanotechnologies. Dr. Wang is the co-founder of the Nanodermatology Society and serves as president of the Photodermatology Society and chair of the Photobiology Committee for the Skin Cancer Foundation.

Together, Dr. Thomas Wang and Dr. Steven Wang are partnering with community dermatologists to deliver a shared-care model with a tripartite approach focused on genetic testing, cutting-edge imaging and innovative surgical and therapeutic treatments. Applying this approach, the duo aims to streamline care and increase efficiency, effectiveness and accessibility for patients with a high risk of melanoma and other forms of skin cancer.

Dr. Thomas Wang (left) and Dr. Steven Wang (right)

State-of-the-Art Technology

is Enhancing Early Detection and Customized Cancer Treatment at Hoag

VECTRA WB360 Whole-Body 3D Imaging for Patients at High Risk of Skin Cancer

Thanks to the generous support of Hoag Innovators, a group of donors with a shared vision for advancing health care innovation at Hoag through collective giving, Hoag will soon be home to the first VECTRA WB360 whole-body 3D skin imaging system in California. The VECTRA WB360 is equipped with 46 cameras that flash spontaneously to capture a patient’s entire skin surface in less than two seconds. Artificial intelligence then maps out all of a patient’s moles and lesions and identifies those of concern. At annual follow-up exams, clinicians can overlay images to track changing lesions, fundamentally altering the way dermatologists deliver care to high-risk patients. The VECTRA is projected to enhance screening for up to 2,500 patients per year and will be made available early 2023.

More Than 200 Patients Treated with ViewRay MRIdian® Linear Accelerator

The ViewRay MRIdian® linear accelerator is the most advanced radiation treatment available in the United States. In combination with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the ViewRay linear accelerator provides clinicians with real-time, high-resolution images of a patient’s tumor during treatment. If a tumor shifts due to movement caused by a patient’s breathing or other organs, radiation delivery stops to avoid radiating healthy tissue. This level of adaptive precision allows Hoag clinicians to deliver higher, potentially more effective doses of radiation while sparing healthy surrounding tissue and decreasing side effects. Through the generosity of donors Dean and Gerda Koontz, Hoag was the second in California to acquire the MRIdian and 16th in the nation. The Dean and Gerda Koontz Radiation Oncology Center at Hoag is the first and only center in Orange County to offer this advanced radiation oncology, which has now served over 200 patients at Hoag.

“The ViewRay MRIdian machine is an amazing new addition to Hoag’s cancer center. I have been able to deliver high-dose radiation treatments to patients while greatly sparing the surrounding normal critical structures. Because patients’ internal anatomy changes from day to day, the patients who get treated on this machine essentially get a revised plan for each treatment based on how their anatomy looks that day.”

– Danielle Mungo, BA, BS, RT(T), Lead Radiation Therapist, Hoag Family Cancer Institute

Scan the QR code to watch grateful patient and three-time cancer survivor Laurie Paolone’s journey through cancer treatment at Hoag with the ViewRay MRIdian®.

Highlights from the Hoag Family Cancer Institute’s Clinical Trial Program

Natural Killer (NK) Cell Therapy

The Hoag Family Cancer Institute is one of only two sites in the country to offer the most advanced immunotherapy clinical trial currently available for the treatment of locally advanced and metastatic pancreatic cancer. In partnership with leading immunotherapy company ImmunityBio, the phase II trial uses innovative NK cells manipulated to recognize and target cancer cells. When injected into a patient, NK cells activate the patient’s immune system against cancer antigens to fight pancreatic cancer in combination with chemotherapy.

With promising early results, this unique and innovative therapy has the potential to change the standard of care for pancreatic cancer and has now been extended to breast cancer patients. The trial not only brings hope to patients receiving devastating diagnoses but also advances Hoag’s reputation as a destination site for cancer immunotherapy. As of September 2022, 51 patients have been treated with NK cell therapy at Hoag.

PyL PET/CT Trial for Prostate Cancer

Through Hoag’s Molecular Imaging and Therapy Program, this phase II prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-targeted imaging trial of 184 patients, completed in 2021, has demonstrated benefits for patients with newly diagnosed prostate cancer and biochemically recurrent prostate cancer while also detailing where the test is most accurate and where it has errors. Results from the trial have been accepted for publication and presented at international conferences.

The Transformative Power of Planned Giving:

Grateful Patient Makes Estate Gift to Support the Future of Cancer Care at Hoag

Odin Braathen, whose family moved to Orange County from Norway in 1956, comes from a long line of builders. For over 40 years, he has carried on the family tradition at his company, Braathen Construction, and now too through his philanthropy. Odin’s experience as a patient at Hoag compelled him to include the organization in his estate plans, designating funds to the Hoag Family Cancer Institute to help build the future of cancer care for generations to come.

Odin has been living with stage four prostate cancer for 22 years. As a longtime resident of Newport Beach, he knew Hoag was the place to go for treatment. While his HMO sent him elsewhere when he was initially diagnosed, Odin finally found his way to Hoag and immediately felt the difference. Now a patient of Dr. Robert Torrey, III, a specialist in the minimally invasive treatment of urologic malignancies, Odin is keeping his cancer at bay with prescription medication. His prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level has been undetectable since 2015. What’s more, he’s built a relationship with Dr. Torrey that gives him true confidence. “Dr. Torrey is so communicative. He discusses things with you—describes procedures, medications, everything. These discussions have no borders. He’s so conscientious, so dedicated to his patients. How can you possibly thank someone for taking such personal interest and care? I recommend him to everyone,” said Odin.

A Vietnam-era veteran, Odin is no stranger to the unexpected and insists on meeting challenges head on. The same has been true of his cancer journey, having undergone various surgeries and procedures over the years. He said, “No matter how angry you get, you have to face it and live each day without dwelling on it. You must rely on your doctors. And Hoag’s crew is tremendous.”

Odin’s advice to other cancer patients: “Fight. Try to stay positive, and don’t give up.”

The Power of a Planned Gift

Beginning your philanthropic legacy can be inspiring and enriching. But it can also be complex, especially with your many options. Hoag’s gift planning team works with you to understand how you want to make a lasting difference in the lives of patients and families in our community while also accomplishing your own estate goals, like providing for your loved ones. At Hoag, we believe charitable planning is a collaboration between you, your professional advisors and our gift planning experts—all working together to create your legacy. For more information, contact Julie Heggeness, vice president of legal and executive director of gift planning, at julie.heggeness@hoag.org or 949-764-7206.

Odin Braathen (left) and Dr. Torrey (right) at the 2022 Hoag Summer Fest, one of Orange County’s favorite annual food and music events, where funds raised support Hoag’s programs and services.

Support Services at Hoag Empower Cancer Patients

Each year, Hoag treats over 4,000 new cancer patients, totaling 18,000 cancer patients treated annually. Robust support services for patients and families at the Hoag Family Cancer Institute include tumor-specific oncology nurse navigators, social workers, chaplains, support groups, dietitians and more. Your generosity fuels these services, in turn allowing Hoag physicians and staff to empower patients at Hoag to manage stress brought on by disease and achieve improved quality of life.

Financial Bridge Program

$230,000 distributed for groceries, gas and other living expenses to over 380 patients in need.

“My patient’s family was struggling to pay their utilities while their father was receiving cancer treatment. His daughter was trying to juggle his appointments while trying to find a third job. The thought that she was torn between paying their bills and getting her dad to his appointments was so disheartening. The Financial Bridge Program took that difficulty away by paying for their utility bills.”

– HFCI Nurse Navigator

Expert Care Navigation

Six nurse navigators focused on specific cancer types help patients and their families navigate cancer diagnoses, treatment and recovery by communicating with physicians, coordinating treatment plans and removing any potential barriers to complex, comprehensive cancer care.

Brighter Image Program Provides Support for Patients Experiencing Hair Loss

Male and female patients gain confidence to return to some sense of normalcy through one-on-one consultations with licensed esthetician Karey York on coping with hair loss and skin changes due to cancer treatments. All Brighter Image consultations, including specially fitted wigs and scarves, are free of charge.

Expressive Arts Program Offers Needed Reprieve

This virtual and in-person workshop series includes Art for the Soul, Free-Form Writing, HealthRHYTHMS Drum Circle and Artistic Healings projects with local artist Gail Wirtz Costello to provide patients with a vital source of catharsis and joy in the midst of their cancer journey.

Circle 1000 Celebrates 35th Anniversary

Thirty-five years ago, Circle 1000 founder Sandy Sewell’s personal experience as a cancer patient at Hoag set her on a simple mission: to bring her friends and community together in support of the Hoag Family Cancer Institute. After beating cancer, she wanted to give others the same opportunity.

On April 29, 2022, over 250 donors, friends, Hoag physicians, staff and volunteer leaders gathered together at the Balboa Bay Resort’s Grand Ballroom in celebration of 35 incredible years supporting the Hoag Family Cancer Institute. This year’s celebration raised $1,136,800 for early detection, molecular interception, nurse navigation, Hoag’s new Melanoma Program and more, bringing Circle 1000’s total raised to more than $23 million over its 35-year history.

In memory of Sandy, who passed shortly before Circle 1000’s 35th anniversary, Circle 1000 is impacting the lives of patients and families throughout Orange County by helping Hoag provide the most advanced cancer care available.

Acclaimed Care

Philanthropic support allows the Hoag Family Cancer Institute to perform at levels that are recognized nationally as meeting the highest standards of excellence while driving innovation. We are proud to share our most recent honors:

Sandy Sewell

For more information about supporting the Hoag Family Cancer Institute, contact:

Jennifer Stameson

Executive Director of Development

Jennifer.Stameson@hoag.org 949-764-7210

www.hoaghospitalfoundation.org

Tommy Muzzy Development Officer

Tommy.Muzzy@hoag.org 949-764-7035