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MY ONCOLOGIST..............


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Cat,

I would still run like hell to another oncologist. Glad you took the tape recorder and glad that the doc didn't lie totally to you...but you don't trust this man and I would run.

I am sending those prayers you asked for and keeping you in my thoughts. I hope things work out better for you with this next doc.

Nina

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Hi Cat

I have worked in path labs for several years so am trying to understand what has happened (although Australia may be quite different from USA).

Have I got this right?........You had a biopsy in December last year and for a third opinion it was apparently sent to US Labs, where your oncologist's partners brother works. Is he a pathologist?

Then, when you rang US Labs they had NO record of a report on these slides?

And now, when you go to see your oncologist, he can produce a report of these slides from December last year?

I think I am as confused as you now :?:?:?

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Hmmm.......I see. Thanks for explaining. Of course I am still confused!

I was thinking that perhaps MD Anderson sent the slides on to US Labs themselves, at a request from your onc (or onc's partner's brother), rather than the slides being returned to the local hospital lab and then sent out again. Does that make sense? It's the only thing I could think of.

RU changing oncologists?

Jana

xxxx

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Guest bean_si (Not Active)

The report specifically states:

Dear "Name of the Oncolgists Partners Brother" :roll:

Thank you for sending this case on your patient (me).

I'm talking to both my therapist and primary in the next couple days about this situation.

The thing is there has been so much contradictory information from the onc, it's enough to tangle your brain. I think to complete understand what's going on and my frustration, I would have to report it all and that would take a dozen pages!

Thanks for your caring.

Cat

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If the onc's partner's brother is a pathologist at the hospital lab I guess it would make sense that he would request the third opinion on the slides. I know from when I used to work in the histology labs that the reports were always addressed to the pathologist who sent the slides on, and not the treating doctor.

This is what it sounds like to me....

Original biopsy taken in December and analysed at hospital lab (where onc's partner's brother works).

These slides were recently sent on to MD Anderson for second opinion.

And then after the results came back and the onc didn't like them, he contacted his partner's brother at hospital lab and asked to get them sent on to US labs. There is no record of this at the hospital lab as the slides were sent on from MD Anderson and not the hospital lab. Maybe if you contacted MD Anderson they would be able to tell you if they sent some slides on to US labs from your December biopsy. This might clear up HOW the slides got to US labs despite being no record at hospital lab!!!!

So the report comes back addressed to the onc's partner's brother as he was the one requesting the slides to be re-examined at another path place.

That makes some kind of garbled sense to me. But I fear I may have confused you even more. :? I hope not. But from when I work in the histology labs what I wrote seems to be a possible explanation.

Take care

Jana

xxxxx

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Guest bean_si (Not Active)
And then after the results came back and the onc didn't like them, he contacted his partner's brother at hospital lab and asked to get them sent on to US labs. There is no record of this at the hospital lab as the slides were sent on from MD Anderson and not the hospital lab. Maybe if you contacted MD Anderson they would be able to tell you if they sent some slides on to US labs from your December biopsy. This might clear up HOW the slides got to US labs despite being no record at hospital lab!!!!

No, the slides came from the local hospital's address and not from MD Anderson's address.

I'm so confused. oooohhhh. Me brain is spaghetti.

:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

Why am I laughing about this!! :roll::lol::shock:

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And perhaps the results will turn up on Saturn.

The slides could have been sent via a verbal request from the brother (a verbal over the phone request), hence it appears that they physically came from hospital lab, but were really sent from MD Anderson (as that's where they were for second opinion). Or of course the hospital isn't very good at recording things and made a slip up or of course they got their via that meteor storm. You really have to watch out for those things!!!!

Have a good sleep and maybe it will all make sense tomorrow :)

Jana

xxxxx

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Guest bean_si (Not Active)

Well, it's tomorrow. I got a few hours of sleep and started investigating. This is getting so shocking it HAS to end up as AT LEAST an article.

In the meantime, repeat the MANTRA, "Get a second opinion from someone who is not remotely associated with the hospital." If your instinct starts nagging at you, get a third opinon on your own. Then contact the institution and department directly. Have them fax and e-mail all supporting information.

As someone who has to watch her money closely and has HMO, I realize this might mean you have to pay for the third opinion at least at the time. Besides stocking up on tunafish cans, there are a variety of actions you can take to have insurance re-imburse you later, especially if an error has been made.

I feel as though I am wandering through a surreal story that simply can not be true. I can only gather that most doctors feel we will follow their treatments, accept their determinations of our test and not go out on our own and gather resources, tests, etc.

Cat

who colors outside the lines & runs with scissors

Anybody wanta run with me?

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I think adherence to the Privacy Act has to play a part in here somewhere, even though you have probably signed all kinds of 'releases'. Can a dr. really just give permission for his PARTNER to have his BROTHER run tests at another lab (on the sly at that!)?

From what I understand, medical records are so protected that theyare not even supposed to be faxed.

ViVi

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Guest bean_si (Not Active)
Cat

Ok so I am dense. What did someone do that you are going to sue them for?

elaine

I did not say I wasn't going to sue anyone. I am trying desperately to find ways to have my medical care paid for so maybe I can live a while longer.

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From what I understand, medical records are so protected that theyare not even supposed to be faxed

I'm not sure about that. I usually call up my oncology nurse after my scans (and after my visit) and ask her to send me a copy of the CT scan results. She ends up faxing them to me at my office (via an electronic fax right to my computer)

Cat - keep up the fight -- of course you want your records to be accurate and complete so you can get the best treatment possible for yourself. Don't accept anything less than that, my friend!

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Cat

I completely understand. I too am in a most horrible HMO situation, and with no prescription coverage. My husband makes too much to qualify for any of the free med programs. I am now pretty much faced with eat or get chemo. So far I have chosen eating.

I thought about suing my previous Doctor for not ordering tests last spring. I didn't have any insurance then, which is probably why she didnt. However, she never told me that there could be something life threatening going on because of some symptoms I had even then. I know she knew. She should have been straight up with me. I was too ignorant and had only went in for a med check, so I wasn't worried about anything. Felt great, etc.

Had something been done then, maybe I would have had a better chance and I certainly would have qualified for medicaid as I was on my own and unemployed.

elaine

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Cat,

The one thing you might want to check into is the mitotic rate of the biopsies. Often this is how some of the pathologists classify the different kinds of neuroendocrine cancers.

Typical carcinoid (lowest mitotic rate)

atypical carcinoid (med rate)

LCNEC (higher mitotic rate) I think the number is around 10

SCLC (highest mitotic rate)

It sounds like they may be considering surgery which is really good news.

Even for SCLC, there are rare cases when surgery should be done.

John

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Cat,

The one thing you might want to check into is the mitotic rate of the biopsies. Often this is how some of the pathologists classify the different kinds of neuroendocrine cancers.

Typical carcinoid (lowest mitotic rate)

atypical carcinoid (med rate)

LCNEC (higher mitotic rate) I think the number is around 10

SCLC (highest mitotic rate)

It sounds like they may be considering surgery which is really good news.

Even for SCLC, there are rare cases when surgery should be done.

John

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Cat,

The one thing you might want to check into is the mitotic rate of the biopsies. Often this is how some of the pathologists classify the different kinds of neuroendocrine cancers.

Typical carcinoid (lowest mitotic rate)

atypical carcinoid (med rate)

LCNEC (higher mitotic rate) I think the number is around 10

SCLC (highest mitotic rate)

It sounds like they may be considering surgery which is really good news.

Even for SCLC, there are rare cases when surgery should be done.

John

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Guest bean_si (Not Active)
I thought about suing my previous Doctor for not ordering tests last spring. I didn't have any insurance then, which is probably why she didnt. However, she never told me that there could be something life threatening going on because of some symptoms I had even then. I know she knew.

It's stuff like this that drives me crazy. :evil::evil:

I hope I survive long enough to stop some of this nonsense. No, it's not nonsense. In a way, it is evil. At least in my mind.

I'm sorry to hear this. It's horrible.

Cat

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Guest bean_si (Not Active)
Cat,

The one thing you might want to check into is the mitotic rate of the biopsies. Often this is how some of the pathologists classify the different kinds of neuroendocrine cancers.

Interesting. Thank you. You know, they never did a test for tumor markers. Isn't that important in diagnosing, especially when they can't tell if its cancer but are still considering surgery.

Before I agree to surgery, most especially because they're not sure if it's cancer and because of the contradiction on what type, I am carefully considering having the slides now at MDA sent to Armed Services Path lab.

I hesitate to have them sent from our local hospital.

Yeah, this eats further into my very small savings but I feel a very strong urge that it must be done.

Being a vegetarian is helpful in some ways - being able to live on recipes made from organic but relatively inexpensive dry beans and bulk grains with fresh veggies thrown in.

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