M.D.
Breast Surgeon
SUNY Stony Brook School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY
General Surgery - University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ, Newark, NJ
Lorena Gonzalez, M.D., a breast surgeon serving patients at City of Hope® locations in Duarte and South Bay, was drawn to City of Hope because its motto spoke to her: “There is no profit in curing the body if, in the process, we destroy the soul.”
Dr. Gonzalez began her medical career as a vascular surgeon, but after five years, she chose a new path — focusing on hereditary breast cancer, such as cancers linked to the BRCA1 mutation. “I’m most passionate about this,” she explains, “because it represents a true opportunity to practice preventive medicine against cancer of the breast.”
She received her medical degree from SUNY Stony Brook School of Medicine in New York and continued advanced training at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. She later joined City of Hope to complete a specialized fellowship in breast surgical oncology.
Fluent in both English and Spanish, Dr. Gonzalez is passionate about serving others. She has volunteered in Peru, performing surgery for underserved indigenous communities.
Dr. Gonzalez knows that a cancer diagnosis can be overwhelming. “At City of Hope, we understand how challenging this journey can be,” she says. “That’s why we make it a priority to include each patient’s personal values and wishes preferences into treatment decision-making — to support healing in every way: body, mind, and soul.”