Oncologist question Specialist or no specialist?

I met with an oncologist at a local hospital and also met with the radiation guy locally. They suggested some local surgeons. I went for second opinions at Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. The Oncologist and Radiologist agreed with the treatment plan at the local hospital so I went with that but I'm having the surgery done by a colorectal specialist at Brigham and Women's Hospital (surgeries for DFCI are done there). The DFCI oncologist and radiologist were specialists - DFCI does such a huge volume in cancer cases that they have multiple specialists for colorectal cancer. So I'd definitely talk to a specialist, even if the chemo and radiation are done locally.

It's nice that MSK is an option for you. Thank-you for offering to answer questions.

Ruthmomto4 said:

Thank you

I think we will try her out see what she says. I am always so afraid of hurting someone's feelings, one Dr my husband went for a second opinion on refused to take him back. He got mad and said you went to someone else so it makes me nervous. Thank you for replying I love that you share the same interests as I do in supplements and other alternatives in addition to modern medicine.

Thanks.  Cheers (on my second glass of red wine).

Ruthmomto4 said:

Thank you!

we are going to do it. The dr was his urologist and he was such a jerk about it!

There was an article in The Boston Globe a few years ago about the phenomena of the big Boston Hospitals sucking a lot of the business away from hospitals outside the city because of their reputations and that it was hurting these hospitals financially. I imagine that doctors at local places may take some offense to people getting a second opinion or just going to the big city for all of their treatments. One of my co-workers did this to get world-class care at Dana Farber and he's alive today.

My local oncologist recommended many local surgeons but I decided to go with one from Brigham and Womens. He did not have any objections to getting second opinions at Dana Farber. I'm sure that he's used to it - he is a general oncologist but his treatment approach seems pretty much standard.

Better answers for both cancer and quality of life are needed.

I like to get multiple views and truly independent opinions.  We had some good response before surgery with alternative adjuncts like cimetidine and supplements described by Life Extension Foundation articles but still needed more - real 5FU chemo.  We sometimes interviewed (or interogate) 5-6 doctors to pin down a subject or option, but usually one or two are enough for simple items.  I interviewed and read several alternative MDs (e.g. Riordan Clinic) and one ND (Life Extension), with a lot of good information for free, via internet phone.  More medical opinions in the early years than now.

I interviewed a number of oncologists at length, never found one that gave us the answers needed.   Found more of our answers in the literature (some outstanding MD-PhDs).   We finally got started with one local doctor that had some experience with our preferred chemo, and we evolved from there with the previously successful alternatives too, extending the natural medicine angle.  Our "local" regular dr worked mostly by phone after statup but we had house calls from an alternative MD that was particularly interested (and we paid well).  It's worked out a lot better than "regular" would have.