St. Mary's Medical Center (SMMC) is the new home of the Northern California Melanoma Center (NCMC) as of January 1, 2008. The NCMC attracts patients with malignant melanoma from around the world because of the Center's collaborative approach to treatment involving doctors from a variety of specialties. The team at the NCMC includes experts in melanoma therapy in the fields of immunology, oncology, oncologic surgery, and clinical research. The NCMC, founded in 1980, was previously located at St. Francis Memorial Hospital.

The NCMC's primary goal is to help patients and their families make informed decisions about their care with the aid of expert opinions offered by a Consulting Panel of physicians. The Panel meets weekly to evaluate cases and recommend diagnostic and treatment options.

"The NCMC's team approach fits well with the collaborative efforts of other specialized care centers at St. Mary's," said Ken Steele, president of SMMC. "St. Mary's PROS (Plastic, Reconstructive and Orthopedic Surgery) Center, for instance, brings together reconstructive and orthopedic surgeons to coordinate complex reconstructive surgeries in much the same way that NCMC coordinates treatment of melanoma. St. Mary's continues to improve patient care options with this addition of the NCMC."

"Our focus at the Northern California Melanoma Center is to provide patients with melanoma with information so that they can make informed decisions regarding their treatment," said Dr. Lynn E. Spitler, director of NCMC. "St. Mary's Medical Center has experts in all areas important to the therapy of patients with melanoma and has extensive experience in collaborative methods of treatment."

Physician specialists at the NCMC are currently conducting several medical trials, one of which examines the combination of Abraxane, a type of chemotherapy, and Avastin, an antiangiogenic agent, as therapy for patients with melanoma. The study evaluates the safety and efficacy of the combination of Abraxane and Avastin as first-line therapy for patients with unresectable metastatic malignant melanoma.

Many clinical trials are presently available at NCMC for patients in all stages of disease.

For 150 years, St. Mary's Medical Center has provided the Bay Area with compassionate, personalized care combined with the latest advances in medical care and cutting-edge technology.

St. Mary's is a full-service acute care facility with more than 575 physicians and 1,100 employees who provide high-quality and affordable health care services to the Bay Area community. Home to advanced medical practices, such as the nation's first digital cardiac catheterization laboratory, pioneering spine surgery and comprehensive rehabilitation, St. Mary's Medical Center is one of San Francisco's leading hospitals, offering patients a full range of outpatient and inpatient services delivered with the human touch.

For more information, please call (415) 668-1000.