Dr in San Jose/ San Francisco Bay Area

I suggest you type "san francisco" in the search window.  You will find several threads on the subject of oncologist in SF.  Two names that are frequently mentioned are Dr. Minor and Dr. Adad Abdil (or something like that).  Good luck.

I suggest you type "san francisco" in the search window.  You will find several threads on the subject of oncologist in SF.  Two names that are frequently mentioned are Dr. Minor and Dr. Adad Abdil (or something like that).  Good luck.

I suggest you type "san francisco" in the search window.  You will find several threads on the subject of oncologist in SF.  Two names that are frequently mentioned are Dr. Minor and Dr. Adad Abdil (or something like that).  Good luck.

Stanford, UCSF, and California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC) all have melanoma specialty clinics (teams combining dermatologists, oncologists, surgeons and more, specializing in melanoma). The only one I have seen as a patient and therefor can recommend (highly) through direct experience is UCSF. I am pretty sure, including what I have heard from other patients, that the others are very good places to go too.

I hope your Mom gets the attention she needs.

http://cancer.stanford.edu/skincancer/melanoma/clinics.html

http://www.ucsfhealth.org/clinics/melanoma_center/

http://www.cpmc.org/services/cancer/melanoma/

Stanford, UCSF, and California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC) all have melanoma specialty clinics (teams combining dermatologists, oncologists, surgeons and more, specializing in melanoma). The only one I have seen as a patient and therefor can recommend (highly) through direct experience is UCSF. I am pretty sure, including what I have heard from other patients, that the others are very good places to go too.

I hope your Mom gets the attention she needs.

http://cancer.stanford.edu/skincancer/melanoma/clinics.html

http://www.ucsfhealth.org/clinics/melanoma_center/

http://www.cpmc.org/services/cancer/melanoma/

Stanford, UCSF, and California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC) all have melanoma specialty clinics (teams combining dermatologists, oncologists, surgeons and more, specializing in melanoma). The only one I have seen as a patient and therefor can recommend (highly) through direct experience is UCSF. I am pretty sure, including what I have heard from other patients, that the others are very good places to go too.

I hope your Mom gets the attention she needs.

http://cancer.stanford.edu/skincancer/melanoma/clinics.html

http://www.ucsfhealth.org/clinics/melanoma_center/

http://www.cpmc.org/services/cancer/melanoma/

I don’t know anyone up there, but have some advice I wish we had had:

1). Get a 2nd and 3rd opinions. Make sure they look at all images with you i.e. PET, MRI & Brain MRI. – You can make the appointment now, but be sure to bring all images and reports to the appointments. – You can get the the same or next day if you fill out the paperwork in advance and submit it ASAP.
IF the doctor does NOT look at the images put them at the bottom of the list. – We discovered my Mom had 3 brain mets AFTER the all clear from the 1st melanoma specialist and 2nd who did not look at the images…
2) Make sure she is tested for the BRAF gene
3) See melanoma specialists who are conduct trials. – They are generally thwart best informed.

Make sure someone attends all doctor appointments and gets a copy of all reporst and images ASAP and keep them in one place and with you at every appointment. – It’s really helped us.

I don’t know anyone up there, but have some advice I wish we had had:

1). Get a 2nd and 3rd opinions. Make sure they look at all images with you i.e. PET, MRI & Brain MRI. – You can make the appointment now, but be sure to bring all images and reports to the appointments. – You can get the the same or next day if you fill out the paperwork in advance and submit it ASAP.
IF the doctor does NOT look at the images put them at the bottom of the list. – We discovered my Mom had 3 brain mets AFTER the all clear from the 1st melanoma specialist and 2nd who did not look at the images…
2) Make sure she is tested for the BRAF gene
3) See melanoma specialists who are conduct trials. – They are generally thwart best informed.

Make sure someone attends all doctor appointments and gets a copy of all reporst and images ASAP and keep them in one place and with you at every appointment. – It’s really helped us.

I don’t know anyone up there, but have some advice I wish we had had:

1). Get a 2nd and 3rd opinions. Make sure they look at all images with you i.e. PET, MRI & Brain MRI. – You can make the appointment now, but be sure to bring all images and reports to the appointments. – You can get the the same or next day if you fill out the paperwork in advance and submit it ASAP.
IF the doctor does NOT look at the images put them at the bottom of the list. – We discovered my Mom had 3 brain mets AFTER the all clear from the 1st melanoma specialist and 2nd who did not look at the images…
2) Make sure she is tested for the BRAF gene
3) See melanoma specialists who are conduct trials. – They are generally thwart best informed.

Make sure someone attends all doctor appointments and gets a copy of all reporst and images ASAP and keep them in one place and with you at every appointment. – It’s really helped us.

I've heard the Los Angeles Clinic and Beverly Hills is very good so might be worth the extra distance.

I've heard the Los Angeles Clinic and Beverly Hills is very good so might be worth the extra distance.

I've heard the Los Angeles Clinic and Beverly Hills is very good so might be worth the extra distance.

My father (from Milpitas) got a second opinion and treatment (anti-PD1 clinical trial) at UCSF with Dr. Adil Daud.  We also saw his colleague Dr. Alain Algazi.  Both were very knowledgeable, and Dr. Daud in particular had a very positive attitude.  It is impossible to get in to see them quickly, however, so I would suggesting contacting UCSF for an appointment even before you know whether you can get a referral, and also starting the process of collecting all of your mother's medical records.  The bureaucratic delays can be infuriating.  We paid out-of-pocket (because he had Kaiser insurance) until the clinical trial kicked in.  I think the appointments were around $400-$600 each, without any labwork; they were well worth it because his primary oncologist had no options or plan of attack for him.  If you can have the bloodwork and tests done somewhere where you have insurance, that is better.  

Stanford is a lot more convenient to San Jose, but I never hear them discussed on this forum or in the context of melanoma clinical trials, so we didn't want to take the chance either.  If your mother is not at an advanced stage, however, they might be sufficient.

Best of luck to your family! 

My father (from Milpitas) got a second opinion and treatment (anti-PD1 clinical trial) at UCSF with Dr. Adil Daud.  We also saw his colleague Dr. Alain Algazi.  Both were very knowledgeable, and Dr. Daud in particular had a very positive attitude.  It is impossible to get in to see them quickly, however, so I would suggesting contacting UCSF for an appointment even before you know whether you can get a referral, and also starting the process of collecting all of your mother's medical records.  The bureaucratic delays can be infuriating.  We paid out-of-pocket (because he had Kaiser insurance) until the clinical trial kicked in.  I think the appointments were around $400-$600 each, without any labwork; they were well worth it because his primary oncologist had no options or plan of attack for him.  If you can have the bloodwork and tests done somewhere where you have insurance, that is better.  

Stanford is a lot more convenient to San Jose, but I never hear them discussed on this forum or in the context of melanoma clinical trials, so we didn't want to take the chance either.  If your mother is not at an advanced stage, however, they might be sufficient.

Best of luck to your family! 

My father (from Milpitas) got a second opinion and treatment (anti-PD1 clinical trial) at UCSF with Dr. Adil Daud.  We also saw his colleague Dr. Alain Algazi.  Both were very knowledgeable, and Dr. Daud in particular had a very positive attitude.  It is impossible to get in to see them quickly, however, so I would suggesting contacting UCSF for an appointment even before you know whether you can get a referral, and also starting the process of collecting all of your mother's medical records.  The bureaucratic delays can be infuriating.  We paid out-of-pocket (because he had Kaiser insurance) until the clinical trial kicked in.  I think the appointments were around $400-$600 each, without any labwork; they were well worth it because his primary oncologist had no options or plan of attack for him.  If you can have the bloodwork and tests done somewhere where you have insurance, that is better.  

Stanford is a lot more convenient to San Jose, but I never hear them discussed on this forum or in the context of melanoma clinical trials, so we didn't want to take the chance either.  If your mother is not at an advanced stage, however, they might be sufficient.

Best of luck to your family!