BOSTON: Doctor recommendations? MGH or Dana Farber? Help!

abatract

I'm super stressed right now, and really want a great doctor. All my health care is at MGH and they're slightly easier for me to get to, but I'm not entirely sure about my oncologist/his team (and as far as I can tell, the surgeon sort of comes as a team with the oncologist). I'm currently seeing Dr. Isakoff, I met with him the day I was diagnosed and see him again tomorrow, but I want to get some other rec's, because they want me to start chemo as soon as possible.

I'm also considering Dana Farber, they're ranked #2 to MGH's #12, but that's about all I know about them.

So, yeah, any recommendations for good doctors would be really, really great right now. Sorry if this isn't super clear, I'm feeling kind of a muddle at the moment.

Cpeachymom

I'm so sorry you find yourself here! I saw Dr. Ann Partridge at DF because she specializes in breast cancer in young women. My regular docs were unsure of what treatment plan to go with because apparently I fall into a lot of grey areas, so they wanted me to go get a second opinion up in Boston. I was very impressed with DF, very glad I went for the second opinion. Not sure your particular situation, but it might not hurt just to go get one and see if you like it better there. Best of luck to you

AnimalCrackers

Hi Abatract,

I am being treated at MGH.  I have been very happy with my care there.  I did get a second opinion at Dana Farber and I liked that doctor very much too.  He agreed with the plan MGH had in place so I stayed with MGH.  I'm in a different situation than you in that I am Stage IV so I haven't had chemo or surgery.  However, I credit my breast surgeon and the radiologists at MGH with being thorough and saving me from unnecessary surgery and the toxicity of chemo.  I was heading down the neoadjunctive chemo/surgery road, as it sounds like you are now, but my breast surgeon also sent me for an MRI which uncovered the bone metastasis.  Metastasis at initial diagnosis is Stage IV and that is a game changer for treatment.  Chemo and surgery are not standard of care for Stage IV because the objective of those treatments is to eradicate/cure the cancer before it has had a chance to spread to a distant site (bone, lung, liver, brain).  So it is a toxic and unpleasant measure which is worth enduring for a short time if the payoff is to be cured.  Once the cancer has spread it can't be cured.  However,(depending on the type of breast cancer you have) it can be treated in a far less toxic way than chemo to slow down the progression with quality of life at the forefront.  I am nearly 3.5 years out from my Stage IV diagnosis and I'm doing very well.  I have had progression twice and I am currently on a clinical trial but Life is good.  So what I'm trying to say is that I am grateful to my breast surgeon, the radiologists and my oncologists at MGH for being thorough and proactive and providing me with the best possible outcome.  Had I not been sent for the MRI, and had the radiologist not identified the abnormality on my sternum, the metastasis would have been missed and I would have gone through chemo and surgery just to find out later that it was all for naught because the cancer had already spread.  So that is my experience at MGH.  No institution is perfect, MGH included.  But I think very highly of my team at MGH.  Feel free to PM me if you want more details.

Good luck to you.  Sending you support and hugs. 

ed111

Hi AnimalCrackers, thank you for sharing! If you don't mind me asking, what prompted them to do full body MRI (did I get it right?)

I have been quite miraculously diagnosed with 8.6cm HER-2 which did not show on either 3D or ultrasound, but only on MRI.

They plan to proceed with surgery, quite a wait time, too. Nodes were clear on MRI, but nodes don't tell all the story. Makes me think, should I push for full body MRI/scan before the surgery?

Much thanks!