Kommah McDowell was only 29 when she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer. At the time, she was given a five percent chance of survival and was told she would not be able to have children.
Today, more than 19 years after coming to City of Hope for a life-changing second opinion, McDowell is a wife, mother, author, keynote speaker, and a tireless advocate for improving patient access to advanced cancer care like the care she receives at City of Hope Orange County.
McDowell is one of more than 18 million cancer survivors in the United States. The number of cancer survivors is projected to grow to 26 million by 2040, thanks to early detection and new treatments.
“Research breakthroughs and leading-edge treatments offer new hope for today’s breast cancer patients,” says Andrew Nguyen, M.D., a surgical oncologist specializing in breast cancer, gastrointestinal cancer, and more, at City of Hope Orange County’s Long Beach Elm location.“Our breast cancer patients have access to advanced approaches like targeted therapies, immunotherapies, high-precision radiation, nipple-sparing mastectomies and breast-conserving surgeries that remove early-stage tumors while delivering excellent cosmetic outcomes.”
As part of one of the largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment organizations in the United States, City of Hope Orange County offers expertise that can only be found at a nationally ranked cancer organization, including highly specialized multidisciplinary teams, a comprehensive cancer center, the region’s most advanced network of cancer care, and Orange County’s only cancer specialty hospital, opening in 2025 at its academic cancer campus in Irvine.
City of Hope’s leading-edge cancer treatments and screenings include:
• 3D mammography to better detect and locate breast cancer• Magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound for people with dense breasts or high breast cancer risk• High-risk breast clinic at City of Hope Orange County Lennar Foundation Cancer Center— the most advanced comprehensive cancer center in Orange County — where people with a familial history of breast cancer can meet with a compassionate team of experts to determine their best options for surveillance and risk reduction• Access to more than 700 clinical trials each year — more cancer-focused clinical trials than anywhere else in California
City of Hope also offers several fertility preservation options for women diagnosed with breast cancer as well as support and resources to help patients make informed decisions.
“Had I not gone to City of Hope, I would not be here,” McDowell says. “There’s a lifesaving difference with a cancer-focused expertise.”
City of Hope is ranked Top 5 in the nation for cancer care by US News & World Report. City of Hope’s network includes two locations in Long Beach: City of Hope Long Beach Elm and City of Hope Long Beach Worsham. Visit CityofHope.org/OC or call (888) 333-HOPE (4673).
