How to find community in LA area?

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SandysAunty
SandysAunty Member Posts: 1
edited October 2016 in Just Diagnosed

My aunt is waiting for her core biopsy scheduled next week. Where can I find a dicussion forum in LA area? Her main concern is where to find the list of best doctors in this area that she can visit for the future treatment.

Her mammogram/ultrasound results are 2 irregular avascular and suspicious for malignancy, one is 8x7x8 mm.

Please provide me some information on which doctor or medical center she should go for next step exam and treatment. Thank you very much.

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  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited September 2016

    You may want to call 1-800-4-CANCER (The Cancer Information Service) for this information.

    The American Cancer Society may also have it.

    Thinking of you.


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  • hsant
    hsant Member Posts: 790
    edited September 2016

    I had my surgery in Los Angeles at Cedar Sinai. My surgeon is Dr. Scott Karlen and my oncologist is dr. Michael Van Scoy Mosher. They are both excellent doctors

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  • jpBCfree
    jpBCfree Member Posts: 78
    edited October 2016

    Hi. I live in Los Angeles and looking for a new Medical Oncologist...mine is considered 'the best' but she is impatient with my questions and seems to be very trigger happy with meds based on studies which I understand but this is my life and I really want to feel like I can explore options and have a dialogue about it all. Would love to find an Oncologist who has had breast cancer (or GYN or internist). Would love any suggestions...thanks!

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  • dlb823
    dlb823 Member Posts: 9,430
    edited October 2016

    I can highly recommend UCLA to anyone in the L.A. area. My BS was Raquel Prati. My PS for Diep recon was Jaco Festekjian. Both are at the Westwood medical complex. My onc is Sara Hurvitz whose office is in Santa Monica. I'm not sure, but she may not be taking any new patients at the moment, but there are several oncs there who specialize in bc. UCLA is ranked #4 in the nation in cancer care, and they have a wonderful multidisciplinary clinic where bc patients can get a comprehensive second opinion from all the specialists involved in one afternoon. Here's the info.

    http://breastcenter.ucla.edu/multidisciplinary-pro...

    You won't find more knowledgeable bc docs anywhere. Feel free to PM me if you need more info.

    Edited to fix some glaring typos


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  • Positive2strong
    Positive2strong Member Posts: 316
    edited October 2016

    I was just diagnosed and will have surgery Monday with Dr. Kristi Funk. She is in Beverly Hills you can google her she is also on YouTube.

    Would love to meet all the LA women

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  • Jackster51
    Jackster51 Member Posts: 357
    edited October 2016

    I go to City of Hope... UCLA excellent also.

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  • Pessa
    Pessa Member Posts: 519
    edited October 2016

    I also had surgery at Cedars-Sinai and found the care to be outstanding. My MO is Dr. Philomena McAndrew. She is the best. Office is in Beverly Hills and she is affiliated with Cedars-Sinai. She is patient, answers all questions thoroughly and is extremely knowledgable.

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  • jpBCfree
    jpBCfree Member Posts: 78
    edited October 2016

    Hi.

    I've been looking to meet up with other women in LA area for support and compare notes etc. I'm happy to host at my house (hollywood area) or we can FaceTime or Skype if travel not possible.

    I'm stage 1, 0/2 lymph (ER/PR+, Her2-) with oncotype score 14 and had double mastectomy on 5/28/16 and just put in implants on tuesday 10/4 so surgery over (fingers crossed). Starting November 1, 2016 I will start taking Arimidex (purchasing directly from phrama for better prices) Aromatase Inhibitor which I've been researching like crazy and also best practices for diet etc to support my system. I'm 52 (post menopause) years old with 5th grade daughter and intend to live to see her through adulthood. ...luckily don't need radiation or chemo but i'm feeling frustrated with my Oncologist. My BC surgeon was Kristi Funk (who I loved but now she won't see me anymore), my PS is Dr. Tiffancy Grunwald (who has been my absolute favorite doctor out of them all) and my Oncologist is Dr. Philomena McAndrew (who everyone says is the best [whatever that means] but I've found her to be closed minded about answering questions and thinking outside of the pharmaceutical box)...I"m going to see a few other Oncologists who may be a better fit for me. I really want to understand as much as I can because I feel like the factory system that is healthcare just throws us all in a set protocol regardless based on (mainly pharama -funded) studies without and gray areas of what might work for individual systems. I am also looking for a primary care and/or GYN who has had BC so they have a special insight into watching for blood results etc to catch anything funky going on. Also, my semi-distrust of 'the system' also stems from the fact that I found my lump and 2 doctors (internist and gyn) felt it and said probably nothing and sent me for yet another mammogram that did not show the lump (11 years of mammogram radiation on my dense breasts was a waste of radiation) and wasn't until I pushed back that they gave me a (no radiation) ultrasound and found the invasive cancer 1.2cm. Had we done it a year prior I could have been stage 0! Had I done nothing, I"d still be here with cancer growing in my breast!

    Anyhow, the drugs Tamoxifen (not for me b/c family history of blood clots) and the AIs are heavy duty toxic drugs which have permanent side effects which of course i'm going to take and see how I do (starting 11/1 after final surgery recovery) but i'm not taking them lightly as they are a form of chemotherapy ....and yes those effects are better than having metastasized BC but bone loss is serious and then the (more chemotherapy) infusions to try and prevent bone loss can cause jaw bone necrosis (no cure) or cause your large femur bone to break in half from just walking. Again, these are less common side effects but they are real and I like to fully understand all the options and possibilities before making a decision.

    Sorry for the long post but hoping to find like minded women to stay in contact with (outside this forum) to compare notes, doctors, ideas, studies. BTW, if you've not checked out the really great website www.foodforbreastcancer.com, I highly suggest it. It's run by a fellow BC survivor who has been following studies and protocols for 8 years and has lots of great info on how we can make good choices every day in eating. Also the site www.nutritionfacts.org is another great (not for profit) site with unbiased nutritional info run by a doctor and team of researchers who look at all the studies published daily.

    Thanks.

    best,

    jp

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