General & Oncologic Surgery

The Department of General and Oncologic Surgery is a multi-specialty academic surgical group dedicated to partnering with primary physicians and other medical specialists in the greater community to provide cancer patients with the best surgical care. All of our surgeons are Board Certified, Fellowship-trained in their respective sub-specialties, and Fellows of the American College of Surgeons.

Our surgical staff includes members who are fellowship trained at City of Hope National Medical Center, the National Cancer Institute, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. To ensure the availability of our cancer surgery specialists, we have created multiple medical offices through which we provide care in cooperation with local physicians.

As a progressive group of cancer specialists, we are trained and experienced in the newest and most advanced surgical approaches. This includes the application of minimally-invasive techniques, such as laparoscopic and robotic abdominal surgery, for all areas of cancer, as well as the latest advances in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, including sentinel node biopsy and partial breast radiation.

In addition, as an academic and research-oriented surgical group, our surgeons participate in on-going clinical research, including multi-institutional clinical trials through NASBP, SWOG and ACOSOG. As a result, we have open protocols involving new technologies which are not yet widely available. When appropriate, patients are offered involvement in advanced clinical trials. Decisions regarding involvement in clinical trials are made after consultation with referring physicians.

As part of our commitment to help our colleagues provide the best care to their patients, we follow patients throughout the entire disease process. To this end, we are available to address acute care needs that may arise after patients have completed their course of treatment under our care. Our surgeons
participate as members of the multi-disciplinary management team, along with medical and radiation oncologists and primary care physicians to provide both expert and highly integrated cancer care. Finally, in the current environment of managed health care, we are conscious of potential financial constraints and work closely with insurance companies to make certain that the best care is provided within the parameters of the medical system constraints. We look forward to working with you to provide state of the art cancer care to the patients and families in your community.

I. Benjamin Paz, M.D. FACS, FRCS
Director, Department of General and Oncologic Surgery
Director of the Women's Health Center, City of Hope National Medical Center