Stanford Cancer Care, Now in Emeryville

by | Aug 20, 2025 | 2025

Spotlights

Stanford Cancer Care, Now in Emeryville

Access to less toxic chemotherapy for women with triple negative breast cancer. Psychosocial counseling and cardiac care for men with prostate cancer. An exercise regimen for cancer patients. A multidisciplinary breast cancer clinic. Improved access to high-quality cancer care. 

These offerings, combined with subspecialized care and onsite clinical trials, have become available to a growing number of patients in counties east of the San Francisco Bay in recent years. The services coincide with an increased presence of Department of Medicine faculty at the Stanford Medicine Cancer Center in Emeryville. The academic emphasis was designed to benefit the center’s East Bay patients, and it’s clearly paying off.

One example is patients’ proximity to the many benefits of clinical trials. Previously, patients at Stanford’s multispecialty Emeryville location could participate in clinical trials, but it meant traveling to Palo Alto – a commitment of up to two and a half hours each way with multiple transfers on public transit.

Anjali Sibley, MD, is the director of the Stanford Medicine Cancer Center in Emeryville.

“Good medicine involves providing standard-of-care treatments, but also elevating to include extra things that research and academic institutions can provide,” says Anjali Sibley, MD, clinical associate professor of oncology and director of the Stanford Medicine Cancer Center in Emeryville.

Since opening in September 2020, the cancer center has been a boon to the local community. What began with two oncologists grew to today’s 12 highly specialized providers who treat cancers such as those in the bladder, breast, lung, pancreas, skin, endocrine system, kidneys, and reproductive system. Demand for services has grown steadily – from 544 patients in 2021 to 3,446 patients in 2024. As of July 2025, patients had local access to four clinical trials.

“The complex care we give to cancer patients is hard to do, and we really need to be subspecialists to some extent to be able to deliver that level of care,” says Milana Dolezal, MD, clinical associate professor of oncology and a faculty provider at the center.

Dolezal subspecializes in breast oncology, and Sibley in thoracic oncology. A third faculty provider, Neha Patel, MD, is a clinical assistant professor of oncology with a focus on genitourinary cancers.  

“The complex care we give to cancer patients is hard to do, and we really need to be subspecialists to some extent to be able to deliver that level of care.” – Milana Dolezal, MD (pictured on left)

Transforming from a general cancer center to one delivering specialized and subspecialized quality care was one of Sibley’s goals, and it aligned with the mission of the Division of Oncology.

“That’s why clinical trials and other research activities are so important,” says Sibley. “We are also expanding supportive care management programs for patients, including our exercise oncology pilot study and programming in cancer and menopause.” 

One of the investigations currently available to Emeryville breast cancer center patients is the SCARLET trial. It’s looking at a shorter chemo-immunotherapy regimen without toxic anthracyclines for early-stage triple-negative breast cancer. 

“We are entering an era of ‘de-escalation’ of therapy where we hope to use cancer therapies that are absolutely needed and with less toxicity. We’re seeing if we can omit anthracyclines in the triple-negative space,” Dolezal points out.

“Having these large Phase III cooperative group trials available in Emeryville is so great for the East Bay breast cancer community,” she says.

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Stanford Scores Big Wins for Equitable Healthcare

by | Feb 27, 2024 | 2023, Rebuilding Community Connections 2023

Gerardo Villicana, community health care worker, Monterey, California

Gerardo Villicana, community health care worker, Monterey, California

Stanford Scores Big Wins for Equitable Healthcare

Gerardo Villicana, community health care worker, Monterey, California

Gerardo Villicana, community health care worker, Monterey, California

Stanford Scores Big Wins for Equitable Healthcare

Gerardo Villicana met a patient just after she’d learned that she had stage zero breast cancer, meaning the disease was caught before it had grown or spread. “She was already planning her will,” he says. The woman was scared, so Villicana took time once a week to help her understand her prognosis and what treatment would look like. “Now she feels comfortable that she’s done with her treatment, and she’s in remission at the moment,” he adds.

Just a few years ago, Villicana may not have been able to help the woman. His job as a community health worker at Pacific Cancer Center in Monterey, California, wouldn’t have been funded.

Over the past decade, Manali Patel, MD, MPH, an associate professor of oncology at the Stanford School of Medicine, and her team have been working to break down barriers that prevent some patients from getting the highest quality of care. One of her team’s biggest accomplishments is demonstrating to payers across the nation that reimbursing for community health workers saves money in the long run by reducing the need for emergency room visits and more intensive care.

How Community Health Workers Break Down Barriers

“Essentially, we try to reduce cancer health disparities by ensuring equitable, value-based cancer care delivery. Value-based care delivery means the highest quality of care and low cost,” says Patel, who is also a staff oncologist at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System. “Systemic barriers are a key etiology for health disparities. Our work has shown that racially and ethnically marginalized patients do not receive evidence-based care even at the best cancer centers in the nation, but when they do, the cancer outcome disparities are eliminated.”

One problem is that marginalized patients aren’t always offered the tests, such as molecular tumor profiling, that help doctors determine the best treatment plan. Thus, they may end up with suboptimal treatment.

Community health workers like Villicana can help patients advocate for their own care and request more information about such tests before treatment. 

Over the past decade, Patel’s team has been studying whether community health workers can improve quality of care for cancer patients in  the community — namely, at the end of life — across the United States, with projects in Los Angeles County, Atlantic City, Chicago, Phoenix, New York, and Boston. These studies have shown how effective community health workers have been in improving care, but Patel was shocked by the magnitude of how helpful they were. Community health workers in these prior interventions only spent six months working with each patient. Patel says that patients continued to see improvements in their care 10 years after they’d been paired with the community health worker.

“Patients seem to be using these skills [that they learn from the community health worker], not only in their cancer care, but also in how they engage in their health care overall,” she says. Now, the team is testing whether such approaches can be helpful in improving precision cancer care delivery in Monterey County.

Gerardo Villicana met a patient just after she’d learned that she had stage zero breast cancer, meaning the disease was caught before it had grown or spread. “She was already planning her will,” he says. The woman was scared, so Villicana took time once a week to help her understand her prognosis and what treatment would look like. “Now she feels comfortable that she’s done with her treatment, and she’s in remission at the moment,” he adds.

Just a few years ago, Villicana may not have been able to help the woman. His job as a community health worker at Pacific Cancer Center in Monterey, California, wouldn’t have been funded.

Over the past decade, Manali Patel, MD, MPH, an associate professor of oncology at the Stanford School of Medicine, and her team have been working to break down barriers that prevent some patients from getting the highest quality of care. One of her team’s biggest accomplishments is demonstrating to payers across the nation that reimbursing for community health workers saves money in the long run by reducing the need for emergency room visits and more intensive care.

How Community Health Workers Break Down Barriers

“Essentially, we try to reduce cancer health disparities by ensuring equitable, value-based cancer care delivery. Value-based care delivery means the highest quality of care and low cost,” says Patel, who is also a staff oncologist at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System. “Systemic barriers are a key etiology for health disparities. Our work has shown that racially and ethnically marginalized patients do not receive evidence-based care even at the best cancer centers in the nation, but when they do, the cancer outcome disparities are eliminated.”

One problem is that marginalized patients aren’t always offered the tests, such as molecular tumor profiling, that help doctors determine the best treatment plan. Thus, they may end up with suboptimal treatment.

Community health workers like Villicana can help patients advocate for their own care and request more information about such tests before treatment. Over the past decade, Patel’s team has been studying whether community health workers can improve quality of care for cancer patients in  the community — namely, at the end of life — across the United States, with projects in Los Angeles County, Atlantic City, Chicago, Phoenix, New York, and Boston. These studies have shown how effective community health workers have been in improving care, but Patel was shocked by the magnitude of how helpful they were. Community health workers in these prior interventions only spent six months working with each patient. Patel says that patients continued to see improvements in their care 10 years after they’d been paired with the community health worker.

“Patients seem to be using these skills [that they learn from the community health worker], not only in their cancer care, but also in how they engage in their health care overall,” she says. Now, the team is testing whether such approaches can be helpful in improving precision cancer care delivery in Monterey County.

A community health worker is a member of the community trained by Patel’s team to help patients understand the complexities of their care, whether it’s molecular tumor testing or advanced care planning.

“We’re really helping our patients better advocate for themselves and make sure their care is aligned with what’s important to them, their preferences and goals,” says Hector Medrano, a community health worker and researcher in Patel’s lab.

When patients have support from a community health worker who can take the extra time to explain the basics of cancer, the value of precision medicine, and the importance of understanding treatment options in the context of their prognosis, they can ask their doctor to conduct specific tests and adjust their treatments accordingly. They are more confident in asking about side effects and telling their doctor what they are and aren’t willing to experience during treatment.

Community health workers guide patients in conversations that might be challenging at first but ultimately help them receive better care. For example, Medrano helped a patient with esophageal cancer and his wife fill out an advanced directive. “There were so many things going on, and it was such a daunting topic,” says Medrano, “but after I was able to help them understand the paperwork, they were very appreciative.”

We’re really helping our patients better advocate for themselves and make sure their care is aligned with what’s important to them, their preferences and goals.

First the County, Then the Country

The clinics that have worked with Patel’s lab have all maintained community health workers as part of usual care, even after funding has ended, including the ongoing project on precision cancer care in Monterey County.

Now, the team has launched a 3,000-patient, 24-clinic study across the U.S. Patients and community members worked collaboratively to design all aspects of the study, funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). The team will assess whether community health workers are more effective than education provided to patients through electronic health portals and other passive methods. They’ll track patient-reported quality of life, as well as how often the patients are hospitalized or require emergency care, and whether certain interventions are more effective for specific people or clinics.

Still, Patel takes great pride in the fact that her team’s advocacy has already paid off, and community health worker services are now getting reimbursed in California as part of Medi-Cal benefits.

“When we started this approach 12 years ago, a lot of clinics did not understand how a community health worker would benefit patients diagnosed with cancer.” Now, she says, “many cancer clinics across the nation are requesting our team to help them implement community health worker programs to improve precision medicine care delivery and care at the end of life.”

A community health worker is a member of the community trained by Patel’s team to help patients understand the complexities of their care, whether it’s molecular tumor testing or advanced care planning.

“We’re really helping our patients better advocate for themselves and make sure their care is aligned with what’s important to them, their preferences and goals,” says Hector Medrano, a community health worker and researcher in Patel’s lab.

When patients have support from a community health worker who can take the extra time to explain the basics of cancer, the value of precision medicine, and the importance of understanding treatment options in the context of their prognosis, they can ask their doctor to conduct specific tests and adjust their treatments accordingly. They are more confident in asking about side effects and telling their doctor what they are and aren’t willing to experience during treatment.

Community health workers guide patients in conversations that might be challenging at first but ultimately help them receive better care. For example, Medrano helped a patient with esophageal cancer and his wife fill out an advanced directive. “There were so many things going on, and it was such a daunting topic,” says Medrano, “but after I was able to help them understand the paperwork, they were very appreciative.”

We’re really helping our patients better advocate for themselves and make sure their care is aligned with what’s important to them, their preferences and goals.

First the County, Then the Country

The clinics that have worked with Patel’s lab have all maintained community health workers as part of usual care, even after funding has ended, including the ongoing project on precision cancer care in Monterey County.

Now, the team has launched a 3,000-patient, 24-clinic study across the U.S. Patients and community members worked collaboratively to design all aspects of the study, funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). The team will assess whether community health workers are more effective than education provided to patients through electronic health portals and other passive methods. They’ll track patient-reported quality of life, as well as how often the patients are hospitalized or require emergency care, and whether certain interventions are more effective for specific people or clinics.

Still, Patel takes great pride in the fact that her team’s advocacy has already paid off, and community health worker services are now getting reimbursed in California as part of Medi-Cal benefits.

“When we started this approach 12 years ago, a lot of clinics did not understand how a community health worker would benefit patients diagnosed with cancer.” Now, she says, “many cancer clinics across the nation are requesting our team to help them implement community health worker programs to improve precision medicine care delivery and care at the end of life.”

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From Oncology Staff to Oncology Patient

by | Feb 27, 2024 | 2023, Clinical Care 2023

Being done with treatment allows Kristy Kerivan to focus on the things that really matter.

Being done with treatment allows Kristy Kerivan to focus on the things that really matter.

From Oncology Staff to Oncology Patient

Being done with treatment allows Kristy Kerivan to focus on the things that really matter.

From Oncology Staff to Oncology Patient

Kristy Kerivan thought her fatigue was from a cardiac issue and was not expecting her diagnosis: breast cancer that was HER2+, one of the more aggressive types. As senior administrative division director in the Department of Medicine’s division of oncology, she fortunately had immediate access to resources.

“I was panicked,” Kerivan says about her diagnosis. “The first person I went to was Heather Wakelee, MD, chief of oncology and also one of my bosses, and we talked through what I was facing. After that, it was a whirlwind.”

While Kerivan’s mom had previously been treated for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), a noninvasive early form of breast cancer, Kerivan’s cancer had spread into breast tissue, making treatment lengthier and more complex.

And that treatment lasted a full year, starting with chemotherapy followed by lumpectomy surgery, radiation, and Herceptin, an IV medication that targets HER2+ receptors to stop cancer cell growth. Says Kerivan, “I feel fortunate that the cancer was caught early and that I had access to this medication because without it my prognosis would have been very different.”

Cancer Care at Stanford

Kerivan likes to tell people that if you’re going to get cancer, you might as well get it while working in the division of oncology at a major academic institution like Stanford. “The care I received at Stanford was exceptional,” she says, referring to her 100-plus visits to Stanford during her yearlong course of treatment.

Kerivan has been in her current position since August 2020 and had worked as administrative director for Stanford’s Vera Moulton Wall Center for Pulmonary Vascular Disease for 17 years. Extremely familiar with the administrative side of health care, Kerivan found being a patient to be an eye-opening experience. “I was surprised about the things I didn’t know,” she explains. “While I understood how specialized cancer treatment is, I didn’t know just how complex cancer care is or how treatment impacts every area of your body.”

As a patient, she found it reassuring to visit areas she knew in passing as a staff person. “Because I was familiar with the hospital, it didn’t feel like a big, intimidating medical facility,” she says. 

“And from the people who checked me in, to the radiation therapists and the nurses who administered chemo — all of my personal interactions made me feel like people cared.”

As a comprehensive care center, Stanford offers an extensive array of cancer specialists. Allison Kurian, MD, professor of oncology and of epidemiology and population health at the Stanford School of Medicine, served as Kerivan’s breast oncologist and treatment physician, and her care team included a breast surgeon, a dermatology oncologist, a radiation oncologist, and a neuro-oncologist. Kerivan received periodic calls from a social worker and outreach specialist who helped her manage the emotional and nonmedical aspects of treatment.

“I felt lucky to have access to a wealth of specialists and support services that might not have been available to me at other institutions. I also felt a deeper appreciation for all the work conducted by Stanford researchers to find cures for cancer and other diseases. I like to think that, in some small way, I supported that progress,” she says.

From the people who checked me in, to the radiation therapists and the nurses who administered chemo — all of my personal interactions made me feel like people cared.

Going the Extra Mile

An example of the exceptional care and support Kerivan received occurred one Easter Sunday while she was experiencing side effects from chemotherapy. Wanting to avoid going to the emergency room and possibly exposing herself to COVID-19 and other germs when her resistance was weakened, she was relieved to learn that the Infusion Center was open every day of the year. A nurse practitioner was able to see her that day and helped address her symptoms.

Kerivan took a medical leave at the beginning of her treatment, then worked a reduced 10-hours-per-week schedule from April to October 2022. This allowed her return to full-time work to be less of a shock, and it gave her ongoing support from colleagues, especially from her administrative and finance team. “I’ll never forget the many offers of help and messages of support from staff and faculty throughout this process,” she notes. Among the small acts of kindness were the groceries that Bhuvana Ramachandran, administrative division director in the division of hematology, bought and delivered to her. Kerivan’s bosses, Wakelee and Cathy Garzio, director of finance and administration for the Department of Medicine, were also extremely supportive while she returned to full health. “Cathy checked on me frequently to see how I was doing and sent me flowers and food via DoorDash,” recalls Kerivan. “Heather was a great medical resource for questions, and she made sure I was taking care of myself and not working too much. A big part of their support was what they didn’t do — they never made me feel pressured about work, and they let me do what I felt capable of.”

During chemotherapy, Kerivan had cold capping treatment, a scalp cooling therapy that protects hair follicles to help reduce hair loss.

A New Lease on Life

Kerivan felt very lucky to be treated at Stanford and is confident in her prognosis. “People suggested I plan a big vacation after my treatment ended or do something on my bucket list, but I don’t feel the need to do that,” she adds. “Being done with treatment is a weight off my shoulders, and now I have time to focus on the things that really matter: my family, my friends, and a job that I love.”

And Kerivan found a way to help others with HER2+ breast cancer: she’s participating in a clinical trial testing the safety of a vaccine aimed at preventing cancer recurrence by targeting the HER2 protein. Fauzia Riaz, MD, clinical assistant professor of medicine, is the principal investigator of the trial.

Kerivan enjoys walking her dog at the beach in San Francisco.

Kristy Kerivan thought her fatigue was from a cardiac issue and was not expecting her diagnosis: breast cancer that was HER2+, one of the more aggressive types. As senior administrative division director in the Department of Medicine’s division of oncology, she fortunately had immediate access to resources.

“I was panicked,” Kerivan says about her diagnosis. “The first person I went to was Heather Wakelee, MD, chief of oncology and also one of my bosses, and we talked through what I was facing. After that, it was a whirlwind.”

While Kerivan’s mom had previously been treated for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), a noninvasive early form of breast cancer, Kerivan’s cancer had spread into breast tissue, making treatment lengthier and more complex.

And that treatment lasted a full year, starting with chemotherapy followed by lumpectomy surgery, radiation, and Herceptin, an IV medication that targets HER2+ receptors to stop cancer cell growth. Says Kerivan, “I feel fortunate that the cancer was caught early and that I had access to this medication because without it my prognosis would have been very different.”

During chemotherapy, Kerivan had cold capping treatment, a scalp cooling therapy that protects hair follicles to help reduce hair loss.

Cancer Care at Stanford

Kerivan likes to tell people that if you’re going to get cancer, you might as well get it while working in the division of oncology at a major academic institution like Stanford. “The care I received at Stanford was exceptional,” she says, referring to her 100-plus visits to Stanford during her yearlong course of treatment.

Kerivan has been in her current position since August 2020 and had worked as administrative director for Stanford’s Vera Moulton Wall Center for Pulmonary Vascular Disease for 17 years. Extremely familiar with the administrative side of health care, Kerivan found being a patient to be an eye-opening experience. “I was surprised about the things I didn’t know,” she explains. “While I understood how specialized cancer treatment is, I didn’t know just how complex cancer care is or how treatment impacts every area of your body.”

As a patient, she found it reassuring to visit areas she knew in passing as a staff person. “Because I was familiar with the hospital, it didn’t feel like a big, intimidating medical facility,” she says. “And from the people who checked me in, to the radiation therapists and the nurses who administered chemo — all of my personal interactions made me feel like people cared.”

As a comprehensive care center, Stanford offers an extensive array of cancer specialists. Allison Kurian, MD, professor of oncology and of epidemiology and population health at the Stanford School of Medicine, served as Kerivan’s breast oncologist and treatment physician, and her care team included a breast surgeon, a dermatology oncologist, a radiation oncologist, and a neuro-oncologist. Kerivan received periodic calls from a social worker and outreach specialist who helped her manage the emotional and nonmedical aspects of treatment.

“I felt lucky to have access to a wealth of specialists and support services that might not have been available to me at other institutions. I also felt a deeper appreciation for all the work conducted by Stanford researchers to find cures for cancer and other diseases. I like to think that, in some small way, I supported that progress,” she says.

From the people who checked me in, to the radiation therapists and the nurses who administered chemo — all of my personal interactions made me feel like people cared.

Kerivan enjoys walking her dog at the beach in San Francisco

Going the Extra Mile

An example of the exceptional care and support Kerivan received occurred one Easter Sunday while she was experiencing side effects from chemotherapy. Wanting to avoid going to the emergency room and possibly exposing herself to COVID-19 and other germs when her resistance was weakened, she was relieved to learn that the Infusion Center was open every day of the year. A nurse practitioner was able to see her that day and helped address her symptoms.

Kerivan took a medical leave at the beginning of her treatment, then worked a reduced 10-hours-per-week schedule from April to October 2022. This allowed her return to full-time work to be less of a shock, and it gave her ongoing support from colleagues, especially from her administrative and finance team. “I’ll never forget the many offers of help and messages of support from staff and faculty throughout this process,” she notes. Among the small acts of kindness were the groceries that Bhuvana Ramachandran, administrative division director in the division of hematology, bought and delivered to her. Kerivan’s bosses, Wakelee and Cathy Garzio, director of finance and administration for the Department of Medicine, were also extremely supportive while she returned to full health. “Cathy checked on me frequently to see how I was doing and sent me flowers and food via DoorDash,” recalls Kerivan. “Heather was a great medical resource for questions, and she made sure I was taking care of myself and not working too much. A big part of their support was what they didn’t do — they never made me feel pressured about work, and they let me do what I felt capable of.”

A New Lease on Life

Kerivan felt very lucky to be treated at Stanford and is confident in her prognosis. “People suggested I plan a big vacation after my treatment ended or do something on my bucket list, but I don’t feel the need to do that,” she adds. “Being done with treatment is a weight off my shoulders, and now I have time to focus on the things that really matter: my family, my friends, and a job that I love.”

And Kerivan found a way to help others with HER2+ breast cancer: she’s participating in a clinical trial testing the safety of a vaccine aimed at preventing cancer recurrence by targeting the HER2 protein. Fauzia Riaz, MD, clinical assistant professor of medicine, is the principal investigator of the trial.

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