Best cancer centers

favabee

Could any offer advice on some of the best cancer centers around, places where they're doing the best work? My mom has been diagnosed with mets to her lungs and liver and we'd like to try a second opinion. She hasn't always gotten the best care at her hometown oncologist (this is her fourth time with breast cancer) in Wisconsin or at the hospital in Madison. Thanks for any ideas!

Tamara

Anonymous

Tamara - I would post this on the stage IV board - I think you will get more info.  I live on the west coast, so pretty far from you!  I will list a few hospitals I hear a lot about regarding BC - MD Anderson (Texas?), Dana Farber (Boston?)  UCSF, UCLA and Stanford all have great cancer centers.  I would think that Chicago would have a good cancer center - maybe University of Illinois Medical Center.  

I'm sorry that your mom is dealing with this.  A second opinion is always a good idea.

j414

Tamara,

I'm so sorry about your mom's recurrence.  Here is the official list and from what I've read, it's accurate.  Mayo clinic is in Minn and has an excellent reputation.

Please get a second opinion and if you have any more questions please post them on the stage iv board too - all the women are incredible and they can give you a better insight into treatment plans and hospitals.

Best to you and your family,

J

http://health.usnews.com/health/best-hospitals/cancer-hospital-rankings/ 

cancersuks

Be careful, sometimes the biggest centers are.not the best!  I was treated at the #3 cancer center in the country back in '97 (Johns Hopkins) and my cancer just came back last month with mets

to my spine.  My  current oncologist from a local hospital among the top 100, called me on the weekends, took my call the day before Christmas and when I didn't call him on Christmas to let him know about I was feeling (sick from Zometa infusion), he called me.  He is one of the most caring doctors I've ever met.  I repeat I fell between the cracks at Hopkins, after my chemo

and radiation in '97 no one did any follow-through with me.   My current oncologist didn't say anything directly, but when he asked about follow-up, and I said none he looked shocked.

I have some other things to say about JH, but I don't want to be banned.

konakat

You also need to keep in mind that regardless of where you go you may end up getting the same treatment.  Even going to the best of the best won't assure a different or better outcome.  Just tossing in a bit of reality here.  Large teaching hospitals are good for clinical trials though...

3katz

Tamara - Where in Wisconsin is your mom? Froedert Hospital in Milwaukee has a new cancer center and they are affiliated with the Medical College of Wisconsin. They are supposed to be excellent. I go to a small clinic in Milwaukee (which has recently been purchased by Aurora) and I absolutely LOVE my onc!!! She is so on top of things.

So a large cancer center isn't always the best answer.

Judiiiii

Favabee, It is generally considered best to go to an NCI-designated cancer center.  The list of the National Cancer Institute's designated cancer centers is posted on:

   
                                        http://cancercenters.cancer.gov

Best of luck.   Judi

dlb823

Tamara ~ I second what Judi said -- definitely get an opinion @ an NCI-designated facility if you can.  While it's true women find excellent doctors as a wide range of places (and occasionally one they may not like at even the best facilities), the reason these places are NCI-designated is that they are the ones doing the research, as well as teaching tomorrow's docs, so they absolutely have to stay up on the research and the latest surgical advances.  You also have all of your specialists under one roof, so to speak (even if they're in different buildings), which means excellent communication amongst them.  And because they are the acknowledged leaders, they see far more bc than most community or regional facilities and docs ever will.

I'm pretty passionate about this, and if you read my bio you'll see why.

I'm so glad you're exploring this for your Mom.  I will pray that you and she find the best doctor out there for her situation.    Deanna 

CaSux

I agree with cancersuks (and we're not the same person! even though our names are similar) - Johns Hopkins is not the best by a long shot. They are really full of themselves there. Just look at their breast center website. it's all about them - not the patient. The oncologists are stuck up. The nurse practitioners that are supposed to fill in for the surgeons are never available docs are nearly as unavailable. Maybe if you're Stage 4 or really rich and influential, you'll get some personal attention. And don't tell me that a nurse practitioner who only gets 2 years of extra school after nursing school can possibly know the complexities of cancer treatment.

I know some women who work at Hopkins and they had their treatment (and even their reconstructions) at other places - every one of them - they privately advised me to go elsewhere. I would get much more  personal attention. Especially from the plastic surgeon. At Hopkins, with DIEP, the attending, depending on which one you get, doesn't even do the surgery. Its all his residents with the surgeon "available" (usually he's in another OR doing other cases) in case there's a problem. I know the attending does some surgery - but you're never going to know if he's doing yours because he'll lie about it and say he is even if he isn't. I know one of the OR nurses so I know this is true. The surgeon comes in, consents you, then leaves the case to the residents - and you never even meet the residents. Its all very shady, IMHO.

otter

I also think it's a good idea to go to an NCI-designated cancer center, or, better yet, an NCI-designated "comprehensive" cancer center.... at least for a consultation and/or 2nd opinion. 

Some people think the big cancer centers lack the friendliness and personal touch that might be easier to find at a smaller community hospital.  Also, it's not hard to come in contact with people at a large cancer center who don't do a good job or who don't like their jobs at all.  But, those problems can also occur at a smaller hospital.  Just because a place is small doesn't mean the staff will pay more attention to your needs; and just because it's small doesn't mean everyone there is conscientious.

My main concern when choosing a place for my treatment was to look for the best, most experienced doctors and the widest array of treatment options. I was less interested in a warm, fuzzy feeling than whether my doctors were staying up-to-date and using modern treatment protocols and equipment.

I have no regrets at all that I chose to be treated at a comprehensive cancer center, rather than the local (regional) hospital.  I am still going there for follow-up care, even though the center is a 2-hour drive from where I live.  Ironically, one reason why I chose the center was because both the medical oncologists I consulted there said they would be comfortable working with either of the two local oncologists at my regional hospital, if I decided to stay home for my treatments.  That was because the med oncos at the cancer center had trained both the local oncos.  In contrast, a former co-worker of mine had all of her diagnostic work-ups and treatments locally, including multiple surgeries, radiation treatment, and chemo; and she's perfectly satisfied with the quality of her care.

It can be easy to get lost, emotionally as well as literally, at a large medical center.  Some people can't handle the crowds of people, the huge waiting rooms, and what can seem like fragmentation of care among different "clinics" and specialists.  I had no trouble with those things, because my cancer center tries really hard to personalize the care they provide, and they always request feedback on the quality of their care.  It was also very helpful to have all my doctors and medical care in one large building, with one computer system keeping track of all my medical records.  The larger centers can sometimes provide better coordination among all the specialists than might be found at a smaller hospital.  That was surprising to me.

Deciding where to be treated is just one of the long list of decisions we have to make.

otter 

CaSux

I agree, an NCI accredited cancer center is a good place to be in this case. Here's a link to their website's homepage:

 National Cancer Institutes

 This Link will take you to the index page for the NCI accredited centers:

NCI Centers Index 

If you have a good relationship with any of your current doctors, oncologist or otherwise, ask them to refer you.

I was flippant in my earlier message, and of course, in your situation, you have every reason to go to one of the big places. Which will be best, may be a matter of relationship with current providers,  your mother's own goals for treatment and other factors. I wish you the very best. I am thinking of you and your mother in this difficult time.

favabee

Thanks everyone! You saved me hours of Internet research. I might post to the Stage IV board too just to hear their perspectives too.



Tamara

cancersuks

CaSux,

Exactly about JH!  What did it for me was the new head of the Breast Cancer Center,  I was previously treated by the old head who left JH, when the new Head saw me for my yearly, he asked me why I was seeing him and not the nurse.  I was always use to seeing the doctor for my check-ups....he made me feel so small and like I was wasting his precious time.  There are many other issues as well, the nurse doing the tatoo on my breast and deflating my newly constructed nipple, the radiologist not putting a shield on my lower body area while being radiated.  I'm talking major issues, in addition to all my primary care doctor's leaving JH.  There is constant turnover and I just became a number... JH has lost the idea about patient "care" first.

CaSux

Cancersuks - I love that we have similar name - like we're cousins or something. Thank you for posting about your experiences at Johns Hopkins Breast Center. I think it's important that women know what the REAL EXPERIENCE is like there. They rely on their reputation to sell their services - but their service is sub-par for the most part. Basically, they have a "system of caring." If you don't fit into the pre-determined system for you then too bad. They don't customize patient experience for individuals.

 I know sooo many women who work at Hopkins and have chosen to go elsewhere for their treatment. The stories I heard about what really goes on in the OR was shocking. I wonder how they keep their accreditation? I guess they cover for each other - or they use a broad definition for "close supervision" of the surgical residents.

I would never agree to see a nurse practitioner for follow up - and how dare that doctor question your decision to see him instead of the nurse. Typical Hopkins arrogance.

As to doctors leaving - that's par for the course. Hopkins pays less than its competitors - relying on the prestige of the Hopkins name to make up for salary losses. Probably works better for specialists than for primary care docs. Primary care is under valued and not reimbursed appropriately for the time it takes so a lot of primary docs stick it out for a year or two to get experience and then go elsewhere.

cancersuks

Hey CaSux, Looks like we are distant cousins, I'm in Maryland.  You hit it on the head about Hopkins, all it took for me to get discharged after my mastectomy and free tram flap was to nibble on a little food.  I had drains and couldn't walk but that didn't matter to them....