DECISION - ONC NOT TRUTHFUL

[Donna G]

Steve and I certainly appreciate all the input over my last post. You just reiterated our feelings on the situation of the untrustworthy "onc." We are making plans to go to Sloan Kettering in NYC. Any suggestions - do's & don'ts - favorite ONCs and not-so-favorites... ANYTHING that will assist us - please post. Would love to hear from anyone that has been there - we don't know what to expect form such a large facility. Will we be required to spend the night or have treatments on site, if needed... Or, if more chemo is required, will treatment be at our local Cancer Center? We WILL get through this........

[gail]

My only advice is : Go with you gut.

I was in the process of leaving my oncologist from the breast cancer when the lung cancer appeared. I had gotten the feeling that the old onc was simply waiting for a recurrence to appear. Plus he missed the fact that I was having major depression/anxiety problems.

good luck

gail

[Karen]

I think you have made a good decision. That www.blochcancer.org site I mentioned in my reply to your 1st post has a whole section on patient info. One section called Second Opinions has very good info and why it is important. For example,

The National Cancer Institute has stated that if physicians would use the recommended treatments in Physician Data Query today, some 10% of those dying from cancer could be saved. Ernest and Isadora Rosenbaum, oncologists and authors of an article in this publication, state, "Over 50 percent of persons diagnosed with it (cancer) can be cured, and the rate increases to 75 percent when good preventive and diagnostic procedures are followed." In other words, they imply that prompt proper treatment could reduce cancer mortality 50%! Prompt second opinions upon diagnosis would save between 50,000 and 250,000 American lives annually.

There is a link on the bottom of that page for sites that offer multidisciplinary second opinions. These should involve oncs as well as the radiologists and sometimes surgeons discussing the situation openly with the patient. (I wish I could have convinced my father-in-law to go to one of the Seattle sites given.) I think Dick Bloch had the same q's as you on how it would be to go from local docs to a big center, so you may also want to read his thoughts on that at his website. He was first diagnosed by someone thought to be an outstanding doctor where he lived in 1978 and given only 3 mos. to live. That was 25 years ago! Thank God he went for a second opinion and ended up switching doctors. He is a symbol of hope and the power of knowledge on the part of the patient.

I am praying you and your husband find the best treatment and docs you can get! Hang in there...ask lots of q's and take notes is my last piece of advice. God bless~

Karen M.

[Guest canuckwebgrrl]

Donna,

I don't have any info for your re. oncol. and such, since I'm in Canada, but I did want to say that you seem to be doing everything right. Like others, I would suggest keep going until you find an oncol. you feel is right for Steve. I will keep you both in my thoughts and hope you have better luck in NYC.