UCLA Medical Center Los Angeles | Mesothelioma Center

About UCLA Medical Center

UCLA Medical Center is part of the University of California’s UCLA Health, one of the world’s most advanced and comprehensive healthcare systems. As an academic healthcare system, UCLA Medical Center has access to leading-edge treatments and technology not often found elsewhere.

UCLA Medical Center is a general medical care, surgical health center, and teaching hospital. The facility is rated as high-performing in nearly all conditions and procedures.

Did You Know?

Since 2003, UCLA research has resulted in 21 new U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved cancer treatments.

The world-class doctors and scientists at UCLA Medical Center are global leaders in diagnosing and treating complex illnesses. They are pioneers in organ transplantation, neurosurgery, cardiology, and cancer treatment, including mesothelioma.

Dr. Robert B. Cameron, a world-renowned expert on pleural mesothelioma, leads UCLA Medical Center’s Comprehensive Mesothelioma Program. The program has the specialized expertise needed to treat all stages of mesothelioma and is also skilled in treating sarcomatoid mesothelioma, the least common and most aggressive type.

For these reasons, UCLA Medical Center is widely recognized as one of the country’s top mesothelioma cancer treatment centers.

Get our FREE Mesothelioma Guide for more information on receiving treatment at UCLA Medical Center or another of the nation’s top cancer treatment centers.

Over 90 pages of detailed yet easy-to-understand information will help patients and families make critical decisions around a mesothelioma diagnosis.

Mesothelioma Hope has no affiliation with and is not endorsed or sponsored by Dr. Robert B. Cameron. The contact information above is listed for informational purposes only. You have the right to contact Dr. Cameron directly.

UCLA Medical Center Los Angeles Location and Highlights

UCLA Medical Center is in Los Angeles County and handles inpatient and outpatient care for patients across Southern California and beyond.

UCLA Medical Center mesothelioma patients may be treated at:

Torrance Cancer Care — Torrance, CA
Thoracic Surgery / Surgical Oncology — Los Angeles, CA
Santa Monica Cancer Care — Santa Monica, CA

UCLA Medical Center consistently receives top rankings from the nation’s most trusted sources, such as U.S. News & World Report. It has earned a spot on the publication’s national honor roll for 33 years.

Fast facts about UCLA Medical Center include:

Ranked #5 in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals Honor Roll
Nationally ranked in 14 adult and 7 pediatric specialties by U.S. News & World Report
Ranked #1 in cancer care in California by U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report’s top five rankings for cancer care nationwide
Ranked as one of Newsweek’s best hospitals in the world
UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center (JCCC) is one of the nation’s largest comprehensive cancer centers
Participates in hundreds of clinical trials each year, giving patients access to the newest promising treatment options
Runs the Center for Cancer Prevention and Control Research (CPCR) to educate and inform low-income and disadvantaged communities

UCLA Medical Center’s Comprehensive Mesothelioma Program

UCLA Medical Center Los Angeles has a highly qualified team of mesothelioma experts from various medical disciplines. Their experience and dedication translate into actual results and the necessary expertise for patients with this rare form of cancer.

Since 1997, the Comprehensive Mesothelioma Program at UCLA has looked for optimal ways to improve and extend the lives of mesothelioma patients. The program uses the latest lung-sparing procedures and postoperative treatments to help mesothelioma patients live longer, healthier lives.

Mesothelioma Treatment at UCLA Medical Center

UCLA’s Comprehensive Mesothelioma Program has used lung-sparing surgery and innovative therapies since 1997. Because of this extensive experience, mesothelioma treatment at UCLA Medical Center is among the best in the world.

“I use the entire range of latest surgical techniques, including lasers, bronchial (airway) and esophageal stents, video- and computer-assisted (robotic) surgery.”
—Dr. Robert Cameron, director, UCLA Comprehensive Mesothelioma Program

The physicians at UCLA Medical Center prioritize regular administration of low-impact therapies that hinder cancer growth without overwhelming the body or damaging healthy tissue. The treatment philosophy focuses on survival and quality of life for patients with all stages of mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma treatment at UCLA Medical Center may involve:

Surgical procedures: Advanced surgical techniques may be performed, including pleurectomy with decortication or P/D (lung-sparing surgery), lasers, bronchial and esophageal stents, and video-and computer-assisted robotic surgery.
Radiation therapy: This treatment uses high-energy rays to damage the DNA of cancer cells. It may include stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), or radiosurgery using the Novalis Tx image-guided system.
Chemotherapy: Cancer medicine is used to stop or shrink tumors and help relieve painful symptoms. It can be used as a standalone treatment or in combination with surgery or radiation.
Immunotherapy: This medication boosts the immune system’s response to mesothelioma by helping it destroy cancer cells.
Targeted biologic agents: Targeted therapy is a type of treatment that uses drugs or other substances to identify and attack specific cancer cells. Targeted therapies usually cause less harm to normal cells than chemotherapy or radiation therapy does.

Sarcomatoid mesothelioma patients can benefit from the expertise offered at UCLA’s Comprehensive Mesothelioma Program. Treatment for sarcomatoid mesothelioma may include chemotherapy agents followed by surgery and radiation.

UCLA Medical Center has also led the way to the more common use of immunotherapy and cryoablation. These two therapies fit its innovative mesothelioma management approach and have helped advance patients’ care.

Mesothelioma Doctors at UCLA Medical Center

UCLA’s Comprehensive Mesothelioma Program brings together some of the brightest medical and scientific minds from UCLA, the Pacific Meso Center at the Pacific Heart, Lung, & Blood Institute, and West Los Angeles VA Medical Center.

In addition to providing the latest therapies and world-class care, the Comprehensive Mesothelioma Program experts are engaged in leading-edge research to continue to improve how mesothelioma is treated.

The program is run by Dr. Robert Cameron, one of North America’s most renowned experts in pleural mesothelioma. Dr. Cameron is a thoracic surgeon and surgical oncologist. He is a cardiothoracic surgery and surgical oncology professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

Dr. Cameron is also the Founding Chief of the Division of Thoracic Surgery and Chief of the Division of Thoracic Surgery at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center, where he helps U.S. military veterans with mesothelioma.

He has been treating mesothelioma patients for over 20 years and is the innovator of the pleurectomy with decortication surgery, a lung-sparing mesothelioma procedure.

Other mesothelioma specialists at UCLA Medical Center include:

Dr. Denise Aberle
Dr. Fereidoun Abtin
Dr. Adam Brown
Dr. Kathleen Brown
Dr. Johannes Czernin
Dr. Michael Fishbein
Dr. Nir Hoftman
Dr. Jay Lee
Dr. Percy Lee
Dr. James Moore
Dr. Olevsky
Dr. Parisa Partownavid
Dr. Siamak Rahman
Dr. Christiaan Schiepers
Dr. Robert Suh
Dr. William Wallace
Dr. Jane Yanagawa

The mesothelioma doctors at UCLA Medical Center are some of the best in the world for treating this rare and aggressive condition, making them an excellent choice for pleural mesothelioma patients.

However, choosing a mesothelioma specialist is a personal decision for patients and families.

For help finding a mesothelioma doctor you are comfortable with, try our FREE Doctor Match now.

Mesothelioma Patient Experience at UCLA Medical Center

The patient care philosophy at UCLA Medical Center is to treat each patient as a whole person instead of simply their medical condition.

“Our goal is to provide the best patient experience with every patient, every encounter, every time.”
— UCLA Health

A multidisciplinary team treats each mesothelioma patient. This includes a dedicated nurse practitioner who coordinates care and can answer patient questions.

UCLA Medical Center offers the following patient support services:

Alternative medicine practitioners
Counselors and other mental health support
Emotional and spiritual support options
Survivorship programs

UCLA Medical Center considers overall patient wellness on all levels. This type of comprehensive patient care is often neglected in today’s cancer treatment programs.

Clinical Trials at UCLA Medical Center Los Angeles

UCLA Medical Center offers an extensive range of clinical trials and experimental treatments. Clinical trials are research studies that patients can choose to participate in. They are crucial to the development of new techniques for cancer prevention, treatment, and diagnosis.

These promising therapies can help improve patient prognosis and advance medical education and research toward more effective mesothelioma treatments in the future.

Clinical trials only take patients that fall into specific criteria and they also have various deadlines. Talk with your doctor to participate in a mesothelioma clinical trial.

Download our helpful list of questions to ask your doctor to ensure you get the necessary answers.

Insurance Accepted at UCLA Medical Center

The majority of health insurance plans are accepted at UCLA Medical Center. The center will directly bill your insurance company for any of the services covered under your plan.

Health insurance plans accepted at UCLA Health Hospitals include:

Employer-sponsored HMO, PPO, and POS insurance plans
Government health insurance programs, including Medicare and Medi-Cal
Individual, family, and small businesses insurance plans
Medicare Advantage
Organ and stem cell transplant insurance plans

Please note this list is not exhaustive. Please call your insurance provider directly for the most complete and accurate information. You can also call UCLA Medical Center at (800) UCLA-MD1 (1-800-825-2631).

Seeking Mesothelioma Treatment at UCLA Medical Center

The expertise and extensive experience treating mesothelioma make UCLA Medical Center one of the country’s top cancer treatment centers.

You can call UCLA Health System directly at 1-800-825-2631 to request an appointment.

Remember that you may be asked to send specific information or documents in advance. These can include your medical records, a list of medications you are taking, results from imaging scans and diagnostic tests, and pathology slides.

Talk to your primary care doctor about obtaining these items. In addition, take some time to prepare any questions you may have so that your mesothelioma specialist can answer them to your satisfaction.

If you would like dedicated assistance from Mesothelioma Hope, call or chat with our Patient Advocates now. They have over 65 years of combined experience helping families with all aspects of a mesothelioma diagnosis.

Patient Advocates are available 24/7 to review your diagnosis, answer your questions, and help match you with mesothelioma cancer treatment centers that best meet your treatment goals.