LAOI

St. Vincent Medical Center and the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul established the Los Angeles Oncologic Institute (LAOI) in 1985.

It is responsible for supporting and promoting the oncology services of the hospital through:

• Clinical Research

• Cancer Control Programs

• Patient, Professional and Community Education

• Patient Support Services

• Community Outreach and Fundraising

The LAOI participates in both clinical and cancer control research.

Clinical Research
St. Vincent Medical Center physicians and other local community investigators collaborate with the LAOI to conduct clinical trials sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), national cancer study groups and the pharmaceutical industry. In addition, a number of independent, physician-sponsored research studies have been developed by St. Vincent Medical Center physician-investigators.

These clinical trials provide options to cancer patients that are otherwise not available including:

• State-of-the-art treatments

• New drugs in development

• New drug and treatment combinations

The LAOI is one of five U.S. sites for the study of a new drug therapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma and LAOI investigators received one of five national grants to study the combination of Epirubicin and Taxotere in the treatment of breast cancer. Trials in colorectal cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer and melanoma provide patients with access to new drugs not yet available to the general population.

Internationally recognized for its research program using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), the LAOI studies the response of tumor cells to chemotherapy agents. They also use dynamic enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DEMRI) in conjunction with MRS to measure blood flow through tumors.

The Immunotherapy Laboratory provides a state-of-the-art resource for cancer vaccine research.

Cancer Control Programs
For cancer control activities, the LAOI has created the Michael Landon Cancer Prevention Center. This center targets early detection and offers prevention programs with a special emphasis on high risk, medically underserved populations.

These programs include:

• The Community Mammography Program: A mobile mammography screening program for women aged 40 and over who are uninsured or underinsured. Mammography services and breast health education are provided on site at eight community clinics in the St. Vincent Medical Center service area. The program has screened nearly 16,000 women since beginning in 1992.

• The Hepatocellular Carcinoma Screening Project: A collaborative outreach and Hepatitis B screening project targeting Korean Americans between the ages of 40 and 65 for early detection of liver cancer.

For more information, contact the Los Angeles Oncologic Institute.