› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Need a good Dr in California for Stage IV Melanoma
- This topic has 42 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 11 years, 2 months ago by
DeniseK.
- Post
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- February 13, 2013 at 7:41 pm
Hi,
I want to thank everyone for creating a kind enviroment here. I've posted before, but can't find my previous threads.
Hi,
I want to thank everyone for creating a kind enviroment here. I've posted before, but can't find my previous threads.
My fiance has been diagnosed with Stage IV Melanoma, mets in liver, kidney, spleen, adrenal glands and lungs ( they removed the tumorous testicle). He has finally been approved onto Medi-cal with 100% coverage, so we would like to get a 2nd, 3rd, etc opinion and are wondering who we should go see. We live in Bishop, Ca and will have to drive at least 3 hours to get to the closest dr, but we are willing to go further.
We just need a doctor that has a better outlook, rather than the one we are currently seeing…he says David will eventually become resistant to all treatments. And I say BS to that!! They've given him 10 months with now treatment and 14 months with treatment. 🙁
- Replies
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- February 13, 2013 at 9:19 pm
Hello,
You are doing the right thing looking for another doctor. I recommend that you go to a doctor who is a Melanoma specialist.
Two leading melanoma specialists are Dr. Ribas at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles and Dr. O'day at Beverly Hills Cancer Center. Both doctor have the newest clinical melanoma trials to offer your fiance. Also, both doctors have years of experience dealing with Melanoma research. Both of these doctors will respond to emails. I suggest you contact both of these doctors so you can a choice of treatments.
Here is the contact information on these doctors:
Dr. Ribas email: [email protected] direct number: 310 206-3928
Dr. O'day email: [email protected] number: (800) TO-HEALTH
Good Luck.
A
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- February 13, 2013 at 9:19 pm
Hello,
You are doing the right thing looking for another doctor. I recommend that you go to a doctor who is a Melanoma specialist.
Two leading melanoma specialists are Dr. Ribas at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles and Dr. O'day at Beverly Hills Cancer Center. Both doctor have the newest clinical melanoma trials to offer your fiance. Also, both doctors have years of experience dealing with Melanoma research. Both of these doctors will respond to emails. I suggest you contact both of these doctors so you can a choice of treatments.
Here is the contact information on these doctors:
Dr. Ribas email: [email protected] direct number: 310 206-3928
Dr. O'day email: [email protected] number: (800) TO-HEALTH
Good Luck.
A
-
- February 13, 2013 at 9:19 pm
Hello,
You are doing the right thing looking for another doctor. I recommend that you go to a doctor who is a Melanoma specialist.
Two leading melanoma specialists are Dr. Ribas at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles and Dr. O'day at Beverly Hills Cancer Center. Both doctor have the newest clinical melanoma trials to offer your fiance. Also, both doctors have years of experience dealing with Melanoma research. Both of these doctors will respond to emails. I suggest you contact both of these doctors so you can a choice of treatments.
Here is the contact information on these doctors:
Dr. Ribas email: [email protected] direct number: 310 206-3928
Dr. O'day email: [email protected] number: (800) TO-HEALTH
Good Luck.
A
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- February 13, 2013 at 9:41 pm
Hi,
My husband has stage IV melanoma. We will be seeing Dr Bartosz Chmielowski at UCLA. He is contacting a clinical trial on a new drug referred to as MK3475. Hopefully my husband will be able to participate.
Address: UCLA
100 UCLA Medical Plaza, suite 550
Los Angeles, Ca 90095
His phone # 310-764-4955Fax # 310-443-0477 Fax # 310-443-0477
fax # 310-443-0477
email: [email protected]
Good luck.
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- February 13, 2013 at 9:41 pm
Hi,
My husband has stage IV melanoma. We will be seeing Dr Bartosz Chmielowski at UCLA. He is contacting a clinical trial on a new drug referred to as MK3475. Hopefully my husband will be able to participate.
Address: UCLA
100 UCLA Medical Plaza, suite 550
Los Angeles, Ca 90095
His phone # 310-764-4955Fax # 310-443-0477 Fax # 310-443-0477
fax # 310-443-0477
email: [email protected]
Good luck.
-
- February 13, 2013 at 9:41 pm
Hi,
My husband has stage IV melanoma. We will be seeing Dr Bartosz Chmielowski at UCLA. He is contacting a clinical trial on a new drug referred to as MK3475. Hopefully my husband will be able to participate.
Address: UCLA
100 UCLA Medical Plaza, suite 550
Los Angeles, Ca 90095
His phone # 310-764-4955Fax # 310-443-0477 Fax # 310-443-0477
fax # 310-443-0477
email: [email protected]
Good luck.
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- February 14, 2013 at 7:20 pm
Hi qtkitycat,
My name is Butch. I live in Oregon so I can't help with DR's. I read your concerns about getting a second opinion. Good idea. The more info you can get the better.
I was diagnosed in July 2011 with stage 4 melanoma and at that time I was given 3 month to live because there was no meds. available at that time for me and could not operate on the 6 tumors in my chest area. They did remove a big tumor in the brain with surgery and did gamma – knife on a small tumor. (last MRI shows all clear for now).
There was new medicine called Zelboraf approved in late aug. 2011 that was gene approved if you had the B-RAF gene so we sent for a biopsy. I was lucky to be in the 40% to have that gene. I have been on it for 17 month now and my cat scans show no tumors or new tumors.
Have you checked to see about the gene make up? If not a recommend that you do that.
Butch
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- February 14, 2013 at 7:20 pm
Hi qtkitycat,
My name is Butch. I live in Oregon so I can't help with DR's. I read your concerns about getting a second opinion. Good idea. The more info you can get the better.
I was diagnosed in July 2011 with stage 4 melanoma and at that time I was given 3 month to live because there was no meds. available at that time for me and could not operate on the 6 tumors in my chest area. They did remove a big tumor in the brain with surgery and did gamma – knife on a small tumor. (last MRI shows all clear for now).
There was new medicine called Zelboraf approved in late aug. 2011 that was gene approved if you had the B-RAF gene so we sent for a biopsy. I was lucky to be in the 40% to have that gene. I have been on it for 17 month now and my cat scans show no tumors or new tumors.
Have you checked to see about the gene make up? If not a recommend that you do that.
Butch
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- February 14, 2013 at 7:56 pm
Hi Butch,
Thank you so much for your post, how wonderful to hear how you are doing. Thank you for posting the reply and boosting my hope.
We are currently waiting for Medi-cal to approve the B-Raf Mutation test to be done. It should only take a few days for the test but it could take awhile for Medi-cal to approve. I keep learning more and more, after the fact, each day of what to do and how to expedite these types of things and to make sure I'm on top of all the medical staff and insurance to do their jobs quickly for us.
Again, thank you so much for the hope you have given me after reading your post!!
Cathy
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- February 14, 2013 at 7:56 pm
Hi Butch,
Thank you so much for your post, how wonderful to hear how you are doing. Thank you for posting the reply and boosting my hope.
We are currently waiting for Medi-cal to approve the B-Raf Mutation test to be done. It should only take a few days for the test but it could take awhile for Medi-cal to approve. I keep learning more and more, after the fact, each day of what to do and how to expedite these types of things and to make sure I'm on top of all the medical staff and insurance to do their jobs quickly for us.
Again, thank you so much for the hope you have given me after reading your post!!
Cathy
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- February 14, 2013 at 7:56 pm
Hi Butch,
Thank you so much for your post, how wonderful to hear how you are doing. Thank you for posting the reply and boosting my hope.
We are currently waiting for Medi-cal to approve the B-Raf Mutation test to be done. It should only take a few days for the test but it could take awhile for Medi-cal to approve. I keep learning more and more, after the fact, each day of what to do and how to expedite these types of things and to make sure I'm on top of all the medical staff and insurance to do their jobs quickly for us.
Again, thank you so much for the hope you have given me after reading your post!!
Cathy
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- February 14, 2013 at 7:20 pm
Hi qtkitycat,
My name is Butch. I live in Oregon so I can't help with DR's. I read your concerns about getting a second opinion. Good idea. The more info you can get the better.
I was diagnosed in July 2011 with stage 4 melanoma and at that time I was given 3 month to live because there was no meds. available at that time for me and could not operate on the 6 tumors in my chest area. They did remove a big tumor in the brain with surgery and did gamma – knife on a small tumor. (last MRI shows all clear for now).
There was new medicine called Zelboraf approved in late aug. 2011 that was gene approved if you had the B-RAF gene so we sent for a biopsy. I was lucky to be in the 40% to have that gene. I have been on it for 17 month now and my cat scans show no tumors or new tumors.
Have you checked to see about the gene make up? If not a recommend that you do that.
Butch
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- February 15, 2013 at 5:26 am
Hi!
I am in Los Angeles area and have stage IV melanoma. I am under a clinical trial at the Angeles Clinic in Santa Monica.
My doctor's name is Dr. Omid Hamid and phone number is 310-231-2121.
I encourage you try the Angeles Cliic, it is a reaseach facility and they have a lot of clinical trials.
It has been a great help to me, one of my tumors has completely disappeared and the other is shrinking.
Good luck in your search!
Jeff
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- February 15, 2013 at 5:26 am
Hi!
I am in Los Angeles area and have stage IV melanoma. I am under a clinical trial at the Angeles Clinic in Santa Monica.
My doctor's name is Dr. Omid Hamid and phone number is 310-231-2121.
I encourage you try the Angeles Cliic, it is a reaseach facility and they have a lot of clinical trials.
It has been a great help to me, one of my tumors has completely disappeared and the other is shrinking.
Good luck in your search!
Jeff
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- February 15, 2013 at 5:26 am
Hi!
I am in Los Angeles area and have stage IV melanoma. I am under a clinical trial at the Angeles Clinic in Santa Monica.
My doctor's name is Dr. Omid Hamid and phone number is 310-231-2121.
I encourage you try the Angeles Cliic, it is a reaseach facility and they have a lot of clinical trials.
It has been a great help to me, one of my tumors has completely disappeared and the other is shrinking.
Good luck in your search!
Jeff
-
- February 15, 2013 at 5:26 am
Hi!
I am in Los Angeles area and have stage IV melanoma. I am under a clinical trial at the Angeles Clinic in Santa Monica.
My doctor's name is Dr. Omid Hamid and phone number is 310-231-2121.
I encourage you try the Angeles Cliic, it is a reaseach facility and they have a lot of clinical trials.
It has been a great help to me, one of my tumors has completely disappeared and the other is shrinking.
Good luck in your search!
Jeff
-
- February 15, 2013 at 5:26 am
Hi!
I am in Los Angeles area and have stage IV melanoma. I am under a clinical trial at the Angeles Clinic in Santa Monica.
My doctor's name is Dr. Omid Hamid and phone number is 310-231-2121.
I encourage you try the Angeles Cliic, it is a reaseach facility and they have a lot of clinical trials.
It has been a great help to me, one of my tumors has completely disappeared and the other is shrinking.
Good luck in your search!
Jeff
-
- February 15, 2013 at 5:26 am
Hi!
I am in Los Angeles area and have stage IV melanoma. I am under a clinical trial at the Angeles Clinic in Santa Monica.
My doctor's name is Dr. Omid Hamid and phone number is 310-231-2121.
I encourage you try the Angeles Cliic, it is a reaseach facility and they have a lot of clinical trials.
It has been a great help to me, one of my tumors has completely disappeared and the other is shrinking.
Good luck in your search!
Jeff
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- February 15, 2013 at 6:50 am
Seconding the suggestion of Angeles Clinic. Not sure how they handle Medi-Cal but they are a heavily trial based program so that might be a good option. I have appreciated Dr. Hamid's approach and optimism in discussing many options for tackling treatment.
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- February 15, 2013 at 6:50 am
Seconding the suggestion of Angeles Clinic. Not sure how they handle Medi-Cal but they are a heavily trial based program so that might be a good option. I have appreciated Dr. Hamid's approach and optimism in discussing many options for tackling treatment.
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- February 15, 2013 at 6:50 am
Seconding the suggestion of Angeles Clinic. Not sure how they handle Medi-Cal but they are a heavily trial based program so that might be a good option. I have appreciated Dr. Hamid's approach and optimism in discussing many options for tackling treatment.
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- February 15, 2013 at 8:20 am
Hi Cathy,
I’m on medi cal in Sacramento. They covered the braf testing right awAy. It also covers zelboraf. I’m not sure of a dr near bishop, I’m up north from you. But I will say you sound determined and positive and I wish you and your husband all the best. Is he on social security? I got ssi in 4 days, also if u need help the American cancer society can help you with gas and lodging for up to $300/ yr. It all helps.
Denise -
- February 15, 2013 at 8:20 am
Hi Cathy,
I’m on medi cal in Sacramento. They covered the braf testing right awAy. It also covers zelboraf. I’m not sure of a dr near bishop, I’m up north from you. But I will say you sound determined and positive and I wish you and your husband all the best. Is he on social security? I got ssi in 4 days, also if u need help the American cancer society can help you with gas and lodging for up to $300/ yr. It all helps.
Denise -
- February 15, 2013 at 8:20 am
Hi Cathy,
I’m on medi cal in Sacramento. They covered the braf testing right awAy. It also covers zelboraf. I’m not sure of a dr near bishop, I’m up north from you. But I will say you sound determined and positive and I wish you and your husband all the best. Is he on social security? I got ssi in 4 days, also if u need help the American cancer society can help you with gas and lodging for up to $300/ yr. It all helps.
Denise-
- February 15, 2013 at 7:27 pm
Hi Denise,
Thank you for the very helpful info. We are willing to go to Sacramento too 🙂 We have to drive at least 4 hours already to go to a Dr in Lancaster, CA. Your Dr in Sacramento sounds like he gets things through quickly. We have applied for SSI, but that's been over 3 weeks ago. How did you get your's?
Thanks!!!
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- February 15, 2013 at 7:27 pm
Hi Denise,
Thank you for the very helpful info. We are willing to go to Sacramento too 🙂 We have to drive at least 4 hours already to go to a Dr in Lancaster, CA. Your Dr in Sacramento sounds like he gets things through quickly. We have applied for SSI, but that's been over 3 weeks ago. How did you get your's?
Thanks!!!
-
- February 15, 2013 at 7:27 pm
Hi Denise,
Thank you for the very helpful info. We are willing to go to Sacramento too 🙂 We have to drive at least 4 hours already to go to a Dr in Lancaster, CA. Your Dr in Sacramento sounds like he gets things through quickly. We have applied for SSI, but that's been over 3 weeks ago. How did you get your's?
Thanks!!!
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- February 17, 2013 at 8:41 am
I’m seeing Dr. Minor in san fran, he’s awesome!! He accepts medi cal too. He’s my drs back up “tell him what to do guy”. My Dr is Dr suhag butI ddon’t recommend him.
Ssi took 4 days under the compassionate allowance program, tell them you hAve a terminal illness and have your dr fax over a letter. Also in my county I get $200 a month food stamps because the ssi is under $1211/month. Ssi is the supplemental insurance not disability its confusing but it maxes out at $866/month. Ssd/disabilty hasnt been approved for me yet I’ve heard it can take longer, its been since dec 14 for me, that will pay me more since I’ve worked my whole life. Go back to social security and make sure you tell them about terminal illness and ask if you’ve applied for ssi. Hope this helps.
All my best,
Denise -
- February 17, 2013 at 8:41 am
I’m seeing Dr. Minor in san fran, he’s awesome!! He accepts medi cal too. He’s my drs back up “tell him what to do guy”. My Dr is Dr suhag butI ddon’t recommend him.
Ssi took 4 days under the compassionate allowance program, tell them you hAve a terminal illness and have your dr fax over a letter. Also in my county I get $200 a month food stamps because the ssi is under $1211/month. Ssi is the supplemental insurance not disability its confusing but it maxes out at $866/month. Ssd/disabilty hasnt been approved for me yet I’ve heard it can take longer, its been since dec 14 for me, that will pay me more since I’ve worked my whole life. Go back to social security and make sure you tell them about terminal illness and ask if you’ve applied for ssi. Hope this helps.
All my best,
Denise -
- February 17, 2013 at 8:41 am
I’m seeing Dr. Minor in san fran, he’s awesome!! He accepts medi cal too. He’s my drs back up “tell him what to do guy”. My Dr is Dr suhag butI ddon’t recommend him.
Ssi took 4 days under the compassionate allowance program, tell them you hAve a terminal illness and have your dr fax over a letter. Also in my county I get $200 a month food stamps because the ssi is under $1211/month. Ssi is the supplemental insurance not disability its confusing but it maxes out at $866/month. Ssd/disabilty hasnt been approved for me yet I’ve heard it can take longer, its been since dec 14 for me, that will pay me more since I’ve worked my whole life. Go back to social security and make sure you tell them about terminal illness and ask if you’ve applied for ssi. Hope this helps.
All my best,
Denise
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- February 15, 2013 at 8:22 am
Hi Cathy,
I’m on medi cal in Sacramento. They covered the braf testing right awAy. It also covers zelboraf. I’m not sure of a dr near bishop, I’m up north from you. But I will say you sound determined and positive and I wish you and your husband all the best. Is he on social security? I got ssi in 4 days, also if u need help the American cancer society can help you with gas and lodging for up to $300/ yr. It all helps.
Denise -
- February 15, 2013 at 8:22 am
Hi Cathy,
I’m on medi cal in Sacramento. They covered the braf testing right awAy. It also covers zelboraf. I’m not sure of a dr near bishop, I’m up north from you. But I will say you sound determined and positive and I wish you and your husband all the best. Is he on social security? I got ssi in 4 days, also if u need help the American cancer society can help you with gas and lodging for up to $300/ yr. It all helps.
Denise -
- February 15, 2013 at 8:22 am
Hi Cathy,
I’m on medi cal in Sacramento. They covered the braf testing right awAy. It also covers zelboraf. I’m not sure of a dr near bishop, I’m up north from you. But I will say you sound determined and positive and I wish you and your husband all the best. Is he on social security? I got ssi in 4 days, also if u need help the American cancer society can help you with gas and lodging for up to $300/ yr. It all helps.
Denise
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