The UCLA Endocrine Center has been designated a center of excellence by the Pheo Para Alliance in recognition of the center’s work in research and care of patients with two rare, slow-growing endocrine tumors.
This designation will create a new Pheo Para Center of Excellence program, which will be led by Dr. Masha Livhits, assistant professor of surgery, and Dr. Michael Yeh, professor of surgery, at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Livhits and Yeh will serve as co-directors.
The center of excellence program recognizes institutions that provide cutting-edge work on pheo and para tumors, which strikes 1 in 3,500 people. Pheos develop in the adrenal gland, which is located above the kidneys, and paras develop in the head, neck, chest, abdomen or pelvis. Both tumors cause excess production of hormones called catecholamines, which can lead to high blood pressure, anxiety, sweating, headaches, strokes and heart attacks. They can lead to death if left untreated, though the majority can be successfully treated if detected early. About 35% of pheos and paras are caused by a genetic mutation that can be passed down through children.
