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Working with the right doctor?
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Working with the right doctor?

› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Working with the right doctor?

  • Post
    • October 31, 2013 at 6:53 pm
    Michelem
    Participant

      Our surgical oncologist has just referred us to a medical oncologist – Dr. Vijay Suhag who is based at Sutter Roseville.  He is board certified in medical oncology, and the bionotes I can find list several types of cancer he treats, but make no specific reference to melanoma.

      I did ask the surgical oncologist if he would be referring us to someone who specializes in melanoma and he said yes, "this is who I work with all the time".

      I see a lot of traffic here about the importance of working with someone who specializes in melanoma, and I would appreciate your thoughts.  My husband is Stage IIIB. 

    Viewing 8 reply threads
    • Replies
        • October 31, 2013 at 9:50 pm
        Cooper
        Participant

          Is this doctor involved in research for melanoma?  that is often how you find someone who is onto the latest treatments.  I would stick with one that is and works with a university or NCI approved center.

            • October 31, 2013 at 11:53 pm
            Michelem
            Participant

              No, this doctor isn't involved with melanoma research and doesn't work with a university or NCI. I will ask about this, but how we get linked up with such a doctor whose services will be covered by our insurance (MediCare and TriCare) is a mystery  to me. All I know to do is ask.

              My impression is that we are supposed to accept the referral and be satisfied with that. I want to push it, but I don't understand how.

              My husband, the patient, will not likely be supportive of any push at this point. He's had the surgery, he's been told the melanoma was removed, and he's thinking/hoping that's the end of it. In reality, in six of the eight lymph nodes removed, normal tissue had been completely replaced by cancerous tissue. That causes me to fear that the likelihood of a recurrence is high. I hope I am wrong.

               

              • October 31, 2013 at 11:53 pm
              Michelem
              Participant

                No, this doctor isn't involved with melanoma research and doesn't work with a university or NCI. I will ask about this, but how we get linked up with such a doctor whose services will be covered by our insurance (MediCare and TriCare) is a mystery  to me. All I know to do is ask.

                My impression is that we are supposed to accept the referral and be satisfied with that. I want to push it, but I don't understand how.

                My husband, the patient, will not likely be supportive of any push at this point. He's had the surgery, he's been told the melanoma was removed, and he's thinking/hoping that's the end of it. In reality, in six of the eight lymph nodes removed, normal tissue had been completely replaced by cancerous tissue. That causes me to fear that the likelihood of a recurrence is high. I hope I am wrong.

                 

                • October 31, 2013 at 11:53 pm
                Michelem
                Participant

                  No, this doctor isn't involved with melanoma research and doesn't work with a university or NCI. I will ask about this, but how we get linked up with such a doctor whose services will be covered by our insurance (MediCare and TriCare) is a mystery  to me. All I know to do is ask.

                  My impression is that we are supposed to accept the referral and be satisfied with that. I want to push it, but I don't understand how.

                  My husband, the patient, will not likely be supportive of any push at this point. He's had the surgery, he's been told the melanoma was removed, and he's thinking/hoping that's the end of it. In reality, in six of the eight lymph nodes removed, normal tissue had been completely replaced by cancerous tissue. That causes me to fear that the likelihood of a recurrence is high. I hope I am wrong.

                   

                • October 31, 2013 at 9:50 pm
                Cooper
                Participant

                  Is this doctor involved in research for melanoma?  that is often how you find someone who is onto the latest treatments.  I would stick with one that is and works with a university or NCI approved center.

                  • October 31, 2013 at 9:50 pm
                  Cooper
                  Participant

                    Is this doctor involved in research for melanoma?  that is often how you find someone who is onto the latest treatments.  I would stick with one that is and works with a university or NCI approved center.

                    • November 1, 2013 at 1:14 pm
                    DonnaK
                    Participant

                      Michele, I would suggest finding a melanoma specialist, even at Stage III. His treatment (or lack of treatment) will likely be the same now but should he progress to Stage IV, you will definitely want a specialist.  It can take a long time to transfer files and get an appt with a new oncologist so you are better off doing that now.  Hopefully it will turn out to be unnecessary, but better safe than sorry… If you post where you are located, I'm sure people can chime in with suggestions.  The big names are MSKCC, MDAnderson, and Moffitt, but there are many other potentially closer places.

                       

                      Best,

                      Donna

                      • November 1, 2013 at 1:14 pm
                      DonnaK
                      Participant

                        Michele, I would suggest finding a melanoma specialist, even at Stage III. His treatment (or lack of treatment) will likely be the same now but should he progress to Stage IV, you will definitely want a specialist.  It can take a long time to transfer files and get an appt with a new oncologist so you are better off doing that now.  Hopefully it will turn out to be unnecessary, but better safe than sorry… If you post where you are located, I'm sure people can chime in with suggestions.  The big names are MSKCC, MDAnderson, and Moffitt, but there are many other potentially closer places.

                         

                        Best,

                        Donna

                        • November 1, 2013 at 1:14 pm
                        DonnaK
                        Participant

                          Michele, I would suggest finding a melanoma specialist, even at Stage III. His treatment (or lack of treatment) will likely be the same now but should he progress to Stage IV, you will definitely want a specialist.  It can take a long time to transfer files and get an appt with a new oncologist so you are better off doing that now.  Hopefully it will turn out to be unnecessary, but better safe than sorry… If you post where you are located, I'm sure people can chime in with suggestions.  The big names are MSKCC, MDAnderson, and Moffitt, but there are many other potentially closer places.

                           

                          Best,

                          Donna

                          • November 1, 2013 at 8:12 pm
                          Zan
                          Participant

                            Since it appears you are in the Sacramento area, and working with Sutter, you may want to consider getting a consult at the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. They have melanoma specialists:

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

                              • November 5, 2013 at 5:36 pm
                              Michelem
                              Participant

                                Thank you for those suggestions. I'm going to discuss this with both our surgical oncologist and the medical oncologist when we meet him next week. I'm just not sure how we get the referral, but I expect they'll be able to help with that . . . yes, we are in Folsom, near Sacramento.

                                • November 5, 2013 at 5:36 pm
                                Michelem
                                Participant

                                  Thank you for those suggestions. I'm going to discuss this with both our surgical oncologist and the medical oncologist when we meet him next week. I'm just not sure how we get the referral, but I expect they'll be able to help with that . . . yes, we are in Folsom, near Sacramento.

                                  • November 5, 2013 at 5:36 pm
                                  Michelem
                                  Participant

                                    Thank you for those suggestions. I'm going to discuss this with both our surgical oncologist and the medical oncologist when we meet him next week. I'm just not sure how we get the referral, but I expect they'll be able to help with that . . . yes, we are in Folsom, near Sacramento.

                                  • November 1, 2013 at 8:12 pm
                                  Zan
                                  Participant

                                    Since it appears you are in the Sacramento area, and working with Sutter, you may want to consider getting a consult at the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. They have melanoma specialists:

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

                                    • November 1, 2013 at 8:12 pm
                                    Zan
                                    Participant

                                      Since it appears you are in the Sacramento area, and working with Sutter, you may want to consider getting a consult at the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. They have melanoma specialists:

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

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