Huntington Cancer Center, an Affiliate of Cedars-Sinai Cancer, Welcomes Nine Oncologists

Photographed – front row (from left to right): Yuan Yuan, MD, Tina Wang, MD, Tiffany Shaw, MD, Ramona Kyaw, MD, and second row (from left to right): Jeannie Shen, MD, James Andersen, MD, Amy Polverini, MD, Alicia Terando, MD. Not photographed: Ruth Williamson, MD.

Growth Broadens Patient Access to Innovative Treatment Options and Top-Ranked Care, Close to Home

Huntington Cancer Center, an affiliate of Cedars-Sinai Cancer, welcomes nine oncology specialists to its program. These cancer surgeons and oncologists will bring their expertise to Huntington Cancer Center and provide residents of the San Gabriel Valley with access to Cedars-Sinai Cancer clinical trials and innovative treatment options.

The nine cancer specialists are all highly regarded throughout the community and have chosen to join the Huntington Cancer Center after serving at other local institutions, or being in private practice. They will also hold Cedars-Sinai faculty titles.

“It is my pleasure to welcome these nine oncologists to our Huntington Cancer Center,” said Lori J. Morgan, MD, MBA, president and CEO, Huntington Health. “These world-class physicians join a dedicated team of nurse navigators and cancer professionals to offer the latest research-driven treatments and access to Cedars-Sinai clinical trials. We are thrilled to offer this expert care to our cancer patients, right here in Pasadena.”  

Dan Theodorescu, MD, PhD, director of Cedars-Sinai Cancer and the PHASE ONE Foundation Distinguished Chair shared his enthusiasm with the larger Cedars-Sinai Cancer community. “The utmost goal of our affiliation with Huntington Cancer Center is to provide patients living in the San Gabriel Valley with access to the full range of coordinated, advanced treatments available through Cedars-Sinai Cancer,” said Theodorescu. “Huntington Health has an outstanding reputation for cancer care, and we are pleased to join with them in not only expanding the community’s access to quality cancer diagnostics and treatments, but also exciting plans for offering innovative clinical trials and other research opportunities to patients that seek care in the San Gabriel Valley.”

Huntington Cancer Center will be led by medical director Howard Kaufman, MD, a cancer specialist who has practiced at Huntington Health for 17 years.   Kaufman, who is board-certified in general surgery, fellowship trained in gastrointestinal surgery, and a leader in the field of colorectal surgery, was the first surgeon on the west coast to perform a single port laparoscopic colon resection. He earned his medical degree from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and completed his residency in surgery at Johns Hopkins. “We are honored that so many of the San Gabriel Valley’s best cancer specialists have chosen to join the Huntington Cancer Center,” Kaufman said. “Their expertise, coupled with the excellence offered through Cedars-Sinai Cancer, will greatly benefit our patients and our community.”

The nine board-certified oncologists are:

• James Andersen, MD, a plastic surgeon, specializes in reconstructive microsurgery for cancer patients. Before joining Huntington Cancer Center, he was director of plastic and reconstructive surgery at City of Hope National Medical Center, where he practiced for nearly 30 years.
• Ramona Kyaw, MD, a radiation oncologist, specializes in the treatment of gynecological cancer. She has worked with the Huntington Cancer Center since 1997.
• Amy Polverini, MD, is medical director of breast surgery at Huntington Cancer Center. She first came to Huntington Hospital as a high school volunteer, later completing a surgery rotation there as she pursued a medical degree from Keck School of Medicine of USC. Polverini has additional training as a physician consultant in wound care and is actively involved in breast cancer clinical research.
• Tiffany Shaw, MD, regional medical director of Supportive Care Medicine, specializes in oncology, hematology, hospice and palliative care, and internal medicine. Prior to joining Huntington Cancer Center, she practiced hematology and oncology with Sutter Health in San Mateo, California.
• Jeannie Shen, MD, is a general surgeon and a fellowship-trained breast surgeon with more than a decade in private practice. She now serves as medical director of the breast program at Huntington Cancer Center and medical director of Huntington Hospital International Health. Shen previously served as director of breast surgery at Huntington Hospital and as an associate clinical professor at UCLA Health.
• Alicia Terando, MD, Huntington Cancer Center’s regional medical director of surgical oncology, specializes in breast cancer and melanoma. She previously was surgical director of the comprehensive breast program at Keck School of Medicine of USC.
• Tina Wang, MD, specializes in the treatment of breast, liver and lung cancer, with a focus on immunotherapy. Her focus is in hematology, oncology and internal medicine and she is an assistant professor at City of Hope and UCLA Health.
• Ruth Williamson, MD, now clinical director of Radiation Oncology, has served as medical director of radiation oncology at Huntington Cancer Center since 1998 and medical director of breast cancer services since 1996. She specializes in the treatment of breast cancer and the development of psychosocial support programs for breast cancer patients and their families.
• Yuan Yuan, MD, PhD, director of Breast Oncology, specializes in oncology, hematology and internal medicine, and specializes in research related to breast medical oncology. Prior to joining Huntington Cancer Center, she was medical director of breast cancer immunotherapy at City of Hope.

Huntington Cancer Center also is expanding its facilities with a new infusion center, now open. As part of Huntington Health, the infusion center will make it easier to coordinate patients’ care, providing convenience for patients and physicians. For more information about Huntington Cancer Center, go to: www.huntingtonhealth.org/cancer