Dr. Cary A. Presant, MD, FACP, FASCO

Expert Publications

• Re-evaluation of benefits of BRCA1/2 testing.
• Phase I--II study of hexamethylmelamine plus dibromodulcitol in refractory carcinoma of the breast.
• Phase I--II study of hexamethylmelamine plus dibromodulcitol in refractory carcinoma of the breast.
• Enhancement of fluorouracil uptake in human colorectal and gastric cancers by interferon or by high-dose methotrexate: An in vivo human study using noninvasive (19)F-magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
• 19F-MRS studies of fluorinated drugs in humans.
• Patient costs on clinical trials.
• Does leucovorin alter the intratumoral pharmacokinetics of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)? A Southwest Oncology Group study.
• Adriamycin, 1,3-bis (2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU-NSC 409462), and cyclophosphamide in refractory adenocarcinoma of the breast and other tumors.
• Enhanced DNA synthesis in isolated calf lymph node lymphocyte cultures.
• Enhanced DNA synthesis in isolated calf lymph node lymphocyte cultures.
• Tumor-based pharmacokinetics has greater significance for anticancer drugs than does blood-based pharmacokinetics.
• Tunneled central venous catheter complications and the iatrogenic superior vena cava syndrome.
• Effects of weekly paclitaxel or paclitaxel plus carboplatin on functionality and symptoms of geriatric patients with cancer as measured by a brief geriatric oncology module: a pilot experience.
• A comparison of the esterase (TAMe) and clotting activities of human and bovine thrombin preparations.
• Surface alterations in calf lymphocytes oxidized by sodium periodate.

Media Releases

Get to know Hematologist-Oncologist Dr. Cary A. Presant, MD, who serves patients in West Covina, California.

Dr. Presant has been a practicing hematologist-oncologist in Southern California since 1979. As such, he is especially interested in giving his patients the best personalized therapy and the most satisfying quality of life.

“I believe in finding out what’s most important to my patients, then tailoring treatments to help them control their disease and enjoy their lives. My patients are like family, so I use the latest advances to cure their illnesses and improve their quality of life in our warm and caring centers” as stated by the doctor, who is Clinical Professor at City of Hope in West Covina and Duarte, California.

Founded in 1913, City of Hope is a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center and a founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, making it a national leader in advancing research and treatment protocols. City of Hope has been ranked among the nation’s “Best Hospitals” in cancer by US News & World Report for over a decade.

Alongside his clinical role, he also lectures on improving cancer care and new research advances throughout the country.

With an unwavering commitment to his speciality, he is board-certified in internal medicine and hematology by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM). The ABIM is a physician-led, non-profit, independent evaluation organization driven by doctors who want to achieve higher standards for better care in a rapidly changing world. 

Back in the early days of his academic career, Dr. Presant obtained his medical degree from The Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo in 1966. He then went on to complete his internship at Columbia University Presbyterian Hospital in 1967, followed by his residency in internal medicine at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in 1970.

Wanting to further his training, he completed a fellowship in hematology-oncology with the National Cancer Institute in 1969, a fellowship in hematology-oncology at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis in 1972, and a postdoctoral fellowship in biochemistry at the Washington University School of Medicine in 1973.

Having always been involved in laboratory and clinical investigations, Dr. Presant was the Director of Cancer Programs at Washington University School of Medicine, the Jewish Hospital of St. Louis, Citrus Valley Health Partners, and St. Vincent Medical Center in Los Angeles. Following a post as Director of Medical Oncology at City of Hope, he started a private practice in West Covina in 1982 and later became President of California Cancer Medical Center, a freestanding comprehensive cancer center. In 2004, he merged his Center with Wilshire Oncology Medical Group Inc., which then became part of City of Hope in 2014.

A Fellow of the American College of Physicians (FACP) and Fellow of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (FASCO), Dr. Presant is a member of the American Association for Cancer Research, the American Medical Association, the American Society of Hematology, and the California Medical Association. Likewise, he is the past President of the California Division of the American Cancer Society, past President of the Association of Community Cancer Centers, as well as past President and current Emeritus Chairman of the Board of the Medical Oncology Association of Southern California. 

On a national level, he was a past Director of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the world’s largest association of cancer physicians. He served for five years as ASCO’s representative to the House of Delegates of the American Medical Association, where he was also Secretary of the Cancer Caucus and an Expert Adviser to the Diagnosis and Therapy Technology Assessment Program. The American Medical Association named Dr. Presant to represent them to the United States Commission on Cancer. 

The doctor’s current research is focused on developing a new laboratory test for chemotherapy sensitivity to determine the best chemotherapy for individual patients (“personalized” treatments), antiangiogenesis therapy of cancer, symptom care for cancer patients and the development of new therapeutic programs for cancer. He has received many grants for his research from the National Cancer Institute and several pharmaceutical companies.

In light of his professional achievements, Dr. Presant has authored over 400 scientific articles. His writing has included book chapters and individual articles on cancer treatment, chemotherapy sensitivity testing to predict best therapy for patients, cancer detection, chemotherapy, experimental tumor biology, pharmacology, liposomes for cancer diagnosis and therapy, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and measurement of quality of life in cancer patients. He has written the international award-winning book “Surviving American Medicine”, a navigational guide for people to American healthcare.

Hematology is the branch of medicine concerned with the study of the cause, prognosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases related to blood. Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. A hematologist-oncologist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of cancer, malignant blood diseases such as leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma, and blood disorders such as iron-deficiency anemia, clotting abnormalities, hemophilia, and sickle-cell disease.

Dr. Presant’s personal hobbies include being physically active, snow skiing, playing tennis, and golfing. Photography and performing magic are his special interests. He loves spending time and traveling with his wife and family.

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