Can anyone recommend an Onc in NYC

myishaforteena

Hi Everyone,

   I lurk and sometimes post for my Mom, who was dx in 2006.  In the last year I have also been one of the caregivers for a friend with BC. She's 33, just finished tx after dx last December, and just got her dream job in NY. She still nees lots of care and is very fearful about navigating the maze of setting up a new team of doctors.

  Do you know anything good about oncs in NYC that you could share? Is there anyone that you love or who you've heard is well loved by their patients? I know MSK is the big center there-- do you know anything about it or about oncs there?

   Any recommendations?

Thank you,

MyishaforTeena

flash

I sent you a PM.

regards,

Grace

lisettemac

Hi MyishaforTeena -- I heard only great things about George Raptis at Mt. Sinai.  My radiologist, surgeon and OB/GYN all recommended him.  He does only breast cancer.  I consulted with him for my treatment and he was great.  But at the end of the appt, he told me that he'd be happy to treat me but I could get great care closer to home (I was living in southern CT at the time).  So I ultimately got my treatment in CT.  HTH.

AnnNYC

MyishaforTeena, I sent you a PM too!

07rescue

I went to see George Raptis several times and felt so deeply insulted by him that I left his care, despite the fact that he is a world reknowned oncologist. I hope other people have a much better experience with him.

Also, besides feeling disrespected, I disagreed with him on basic aspects of my care, and he was unwilling to entertain discussion of important issues pertinent to my case, which is a large part of what I personally need from an oncologist. The doctor who recommended him to me did warn me in advance that "His bedside manner leaves a lot to be desired, but he knows his stuff." Voicing my dissatisfaction with his approach got me nowhere. I warned them in advance that I was considering leaving his practice, and received scant, icy cold response.

I am now going to St Vincent's Comprehensive Cancer Center, where my care has been outstanding. I can highly recommend oncologist Paula Klein there, as will many others. She is the doctor in the book "Cancer Vixen". 

The SVCCC is amazingly nurturing, flexible, and compassionate as a whole. Three women I know with breast cancer go there and we all love it. One person described it as, "the best kept secret in NYC". I have worked in health care for many years, and honestly cannot say the last time I encountered such caring treatment. I value that very much, cancer treatment is grueling, and the added care and obvious compassion of the staff there has been immensely important to me. They offer free massage, acupuncture, and other alternative health care in addition to their conventional treatments. The nurses are very experienced and expert at their jobs, every infusion is doublechecked and all infection control practices invariably performed.

I have had complications with my treatment due to my other medical conditions, and SVCCC has been the only medical institution that has responded to my complications byincreasing care and attention given - embracing, not pushing the patient away. That is remarkable in this day and age. 

As a caveat, I want to add that there are cases in which a "caring attitude" masks bad, or inept medical care and is only used as a manipulative ploy to disarm patients. That has not been the case here at all. It's really the best of both worlds.

Best of luck to your friend! 

lisettemac

I am so sorry that you had such a bad experience with Dr. Raptis, 07rescue.  As I mentioned in my note, I only met him one time.  I have to agree wholeheartedly that it is important to get your treatment from someone who "clicks" with you and who exhibits good patient care.  It is hard enough to get treatment, without having the dr's, nurses and institution making it a difficult experience.  I have long said that I can't thank Raptis enough for sending me back to CT for my treatment.  I got great care (just moved to the west coast and my new onc at Stanford says my care was "excellent") in an institution that was conveniently located and where they really emphasize patient care.  My bias was toward a big, research hospital; but in the end, I was very happy with a more local hospital that emphasizes the patient experience.

07rescue

I have great tolerance for poor bedside manner as long as I receive adequate treatment, but in this case with George Raptis I found he was completely inflexible about treatment in ways that unnerved me. I have significant comorbidity, which in my mind is exactly the time when a provider needs to be more flexible about protocol. I had real doubts about my ability to tolerate chemotherapy because of prviou irreversible damage to my kidneys and signs of liver damage, and Dr Raptis refused to entertain any flexibility of approach. I asked him whether he would be willing to use Herceptin for my HER2+++ cancer without chemotherapy if I could not tolerate the chemo, and he said no, and permitted no discussion.

He would not discuss clinical trial participation, and specifically would not discuss the HER2 vaccine studies which have as their requirement that the patient have already had chemo. I wanted to be eligible for the vaccine trials if possible.

He prescribed Tamoxifen, even though it is generally regarded as contraindicated for endometriosis patients because it can cause proliferation of endometrial tissue, worsening the condition. When I deveoped severe increased pain from endometriosis from the tamoxifen and it started to block my ureters again, I had to discontinue the drug, and was told there was no alternative hormonal treatment for me (I had developed my estrogen positive cancer while on an AI, so had already failed that class of drugs).

He refused to suggest whether I needed chemo at all, saying only that it was up to me to decide, "It's all about your perception of risk." despite my HER2+++, grade 3, highly aggressive tumor, because it was small - 9 mm - and there were no positive nodes found. I argued that an overwhelming family history of death from cancer and the aggressive character of my tumor was of greater significance than the early detection. The results reported at SABC that demonstrate a 3-4 times higher rate of recurrence for even small HER2+ cancers supports me, not Dr Raptis, on this issue. 

He delayed my treatment for a prolonged period of time while insisting that I collect over 25 years worth of past medical records from major hospitals around NYC to document my past medical history, because he would not take my word for it about my medical conditions. No physician has ever delayed my treatment because they did not believe my report of past history. Due to his medical record retrieval requirement by the time I realized I was not receiving an acceptable level of care and managed to transfer my care down to St. Vincent's it was already past the three month window of time following surgery that is recommended for the institution of chemotherapy.

At St Vincent's Paula Klein was willing to do Herceptin without chemo if I couldn't tolerate the chemo. She told me she would try to get Faslodex as a hormonal treatment alternative for me, which will be a fight because it is only approved for metastasized breast cancer. Overall she demonstrated the kind of flexibility and willingness to deviate from protocol that a complicated patient like me requires.

What is the point of having clinical experience and expertise if you are unwilling to put it at the service of the patient? Dr Raptis has both, but without being willing to put them at the patient's disposal they have no importance.

My concerns turned out to be well founded, because I suffered kidney failure after the first chemo treatment and needed the flexibility of a modified regimen. The results of my CEA, a tumor marker assay taken right before my first chemo, were elevated, indicating possible metastasis. I hope it wasn't because I waited so long, and had to transfer my care. If I had it to do over I would have far rather have just gone to St Vincent's to begin with, and don't want anyone else to have to go through that.

For whatever it is worth to anyone, that was my experience. I have no idea what Dr Raptis is like with his other patients, so I cannot generalize. He definitely has all the clinical acumen anyone could ask for, you won't do better anywhere else on that score. He is very well regarded by his peers. But if you aren't getting what you need, move on quickly. 

myishaforteena

Thank you everyone for sharing your recommendations, comments, thoughts and experiences. I'm so heartend by the support and am very happy to have some good information to share with my friend. I'm sure she'll feel, as I do that she now has the material to make, a good informed decision.

Thank you, thank you!

MiyshaforTeena

AnnNYC

Good luck to your friend, Myisha!  (I misread your initial post, and said "your mom" in my PM, but my recommendation still stands for your friend!)

jenns

I have been at Sloane now for about 2 months and I recommend Dr. Robson.  I really like him -good bedside manner and I feel like he listens. They have great people there.  The only negative is they are pretty busy so wait time is longer.

good luck to your friend 

Robby

I also recommend Memorial Sloan Kettering.  I went there for a second opinion, has have several from my home town, and also know NYC folks who go there.  They have a very large group -- I'm not sure if it matters exactly who you go to.

Verebey

I just finished my chemo at Memorial Sloan Kettering and will be starting radiation there on March 20, 2009. My husband and I just love my onco there at Sloan, Dr. Shanu Modi. She is an unbelievable doctor. She is brilliant and caring. I would recommend her to anyone. Hope this helps.

Madon

A very good oncologist in NYU Cancer Center is Dr.Tibor Moscovits. I like very much how well is organized all his office. Call any time and always get call back and an appointment you need.

That I was not able to get in MSKCC, when I was operated. 

Madon

Myisha, give a call to the office Dr. T.Moscovits (212-731-5191).

I am his patient.

ninap7

SOMEONE JUST RECOMMENDED GEORGE RAPTIS AND AFTER READING THESE POSTS I AM VERY SCARED AND NERVOUS

susand

I agree that Dr. Shanu Modi at MSKCC is wonderful.  She was the most knowledgeable, kind Doctor I have had.  I cant say enough great things about her.