doctors not agreeing

iluvmms
iluvmms Member Posts: 134 Member
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Has anyone had the problem with doctors not agreeing? My Onc sent me to moffitt for liver resection consult and they referred me to theraspheres, and my ONC doesnt agree. Not sure who to listen to.
Christy

Comments

  • Shayenne
    Shayenne Member Posts: 2,342
    #2
    That Has
    Not happened to me, but if it did, I'd seek a third opinion, or fourth, and go from there :)

    Hugsss!
    ~Donna
  • KATE58
    KATE58 Member Posts: 299
    #3
    Shayenne said:

    That Has
    Not happened to me, but if it did, I'd seek a third opinion, or fourth, and go from there :)

    Hugsss!
    ~Donna

    I agree with Donna, get a
    I agree with Donna, get a third opinion and split the diff.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #4
    This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • zenmonk
    zenmonk Member Posts: 198
    #5
    not yet
    I guess the surgeon would have the final say of course. I would be leary of any surgeon who is not supremely confident that surgery is the way to go. Definatly seek out other surgeons opinions as I was ready to do. Some surgeons just have better skills than others and you have to find the good ones.
  • JDuke
    JDuke Member Posts: 438
    #6
    Difference of opinion
    Hi Christy,
    What is your ONC reason for thinking theraspheres is not appropriate for you? Why did Moffitt think it was a better option for you than a resection?

    This is such an awkward place to put us. We want to think that the Drs. know what is best, but when they have conflicting opinions, how are we to choose. Similar to you, I sought a second opinion at Moffitt and the GI ONC there wants to treat agressively and go after my one liver met (she does want to do a repeat PET to confirm that it is all we are dealing with)and is putting my case before the tumor board tomorrow am. Her thought is to address the liver met first and then chemo for anything that may still be lurking. She thinks treating the met prior to the liver being affected by addtional chemo would be best. My previous ONC wants to do 12 weeks of chemo first (although since mine is anal cancer he doesn't have a real definitive course to suggest)in hopes that it will eliminate or at least shrink the tumor, then address the met if it is still there, then more chemo if necessary. How to decide?

    Good luck in making your choice. I know for me it seems that all the opinion gathering takes precious time that is delaying treatment. I will say a prayer that you will find clarity in the decision making process.

    Warm regards,
    Joanne
  • KATE58
    KATE58 Member Posts: 299
    #7
    JDuke said:

    Difference of opinion
    Hi Christy,
    What is your ONC reason for thinking theraspheres is not appropriate for you? Why did Moffitt think it was a better option for you than a resection?

    This is such an awkward place to put us. We want to think that the Drs. know what is best, but when they have conflicting opinions, how are we to choose. Similar to you, I sought a second opinion at Moffitt and the GI ONC there wants to treat agressively and go after my one liver met (she does want to do a repeat PET to confirm that it is all we are dealing with)and is putting my case before the tumor board tomorrow am. Her thought is to address the liver met first and then chemo for anything that may still be lurking. She thinks treating the met prior to the liver being affected by addtional chemo would be best. My previous ONC wants to do 12 weeks of chemo first (although since mine is anal cancer he doesn't have a real definitive course to suggest)in hopes that it will eliminate or at least shrink the tumor, then address the met if it is still there, then more chemo if necessary. How to decide?

    Good luck in making your choice. I know for me it seems that all the opinion gathering takes precious time that is delaying treatment. I will say a prayer that you will find clarity in the decision making process.

    Warm regards,
    Joanne

    Yes surgeons know more about
    Yes surgeons know more about surgery than oncologists
    on the other hand my experience has been that surgeons
    are surgeons because they like to cut.they think surgery is
    usually the way to go.
    I think of doctors like plumbers,just because they went to plumbing school,
    doesn't make them all good plumbers,some are geniuses,some are good some are a...holes.
    ALWAYS get another opinion if the docs don't agree.
    I had large tumours in my liver that chemo completly removed.
    then a year later when a couple small ones reappeared,they resected my liver
    2 years ago --No recurrance.
    i can't comment on these sirspheres or whatever spheres cause I don't know enough about them.
    But I would want another opinion.
    good luck
    GOD BLESS
    kATE
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #8
    KATE58 said:

    Yes surgeons know more about
    Yes surgeons know more about surgery than oncologists
    on the other hand my experience has been that surgeons
    are surgeons because they like to cut.they think surgery is
    usually the way to go.
    I think of doctors like plumbers,just because they went to plumbing school,
    doesn't make them all good plumbers,some are geniuses,some are good some are a...holes.
    ALWAYS get another opinion if the docs don't agree.
    I had large tumours in my liver that chemo completly removed.
    then a year later when a couple small ones reappeared,they resected my liver
    2 years ago --No recurrance.
    i can't comment on these sirspheres or whatever spheres cause I don't know enough about them.
    But I would want another opinion.
    good luck
    GOD BLESS
    kATE

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • KATE58
    KATE58 Member Posts: 299
    #9
    KATE58 said:

    Yes surgeons know more about
    Yes surgeons know more about surgery than oncologists
    on the other hand my experience has been that surgeons
    are surgeons because they like to cut.they think surgery is
    usually the way to go.
    I think of doctors like plumbers,just because they went to plumbing school,
    doesn't make them all good plumbers,some are geniuses,some are good some are a...holes.
    ALWAYS get another opinion if the docs don't agree.
    I had large tumours in my liver that chemo completly removed.
    then a year later when a couple small ones reappeared,they resected my liver
    2 years ago --No recurrance.
    i can't comment on these sirspheres or whatever spheres cause I don't know enough about them.
    But I would want another opinion.
    good luck
    GOD BLESS
    kATE

    P.S.
    I think these spheres
    P.S.
    I think these spheres things are a relatively new procedure
    and I know surgeon drool all over themselves to try new things to gain experience
    even if there is a non surgical way to go.
    i'd ask the surgeon how many he's done and if it's not many,seek another opinion.
    and I'm kinda ballsy,i'd push fot the exact #, wouldn't accept 'OH LOTS OF THEM'
    "dozens" "i do them all the time"
    this is just my opinion,i am not a doctor,altho i dressed up like one for halloween once.
  • thready
    thready Member Posts: 474
    #10
    KATE58 said:

    P.S.
    I think these spheres
    P.S.
    I think these spheres things are a relatively new procedure
    and I know surgeon drool all over themselves to try new things to gain experience
    even if there is a non surgical way to go.
    i'd ask the surgeon how many he's done and if it's not many,seek another opinion.
    and I'm kinda ballsy,i'd push fot the exact #, wouldn't accept 'OH LOTS OF THEM'
    "dozens" "i do them all the time"
    this is just my opinion,i am not a doctor,altho i dressed up like one for halloween once.

    Kate
    Kate,
    I like your posts also. Always has a fresh outlook! And you are right about doctors the only difference between doctors and plumbers is a doctor is always "practicing" hope they get it right some day! (Sorry bad humor, just a bit frustrated with the doctor thing, but at least it is humor-or sarcasm.
    Jan
  • PhillieG
    PhillieG Member Posts: 4,866 Member
    #11
    Seems a little odd to me
    I have not had that happen to me other than when I was first diagnosed. My PCP who "discovered" that I was stage IV CC (after being a patient of his for over 10 years with yearly checkups - and he is an oncologist...) wanted me to have surgery first then try to extend my life a bit. There's some optimism for ya! I made a B-line to Sloan and got a second opinion. My oncologist works closely with the surgeons there and there had never been any conflict of opinions on my treatment.
    I'd go for a third and make sure they have no affiliation with the place you currently are at.
    -phil

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