Finding a Team of Doctors for Surviving Breast Cancer

Finding a Doctor

It did not take very many appointments with the general surgeon who diagnosed my breast cancer at the Saint Jude Breast Center in Fullerton before my husband and I realized this doctor does not stay current with cancer research. There were numerous recent articles we mentioned of which he was totally unaware. For this reason, we decided to look for another doctor.

We used the list of resources listed in Suzanne Somers’ book, KNOCKOUT as the starting point and spent over a month doctor shopping. That experience sure taught us all doctors are not alike. The bottom line: if you don’t have COMPLETE faith in your doctor, go find another one. And if you are searching for a doctor, think of each appointment as an interview in which you are interviewing the doctor (not the doctor interviewing you). The best tip I can give you for the interview process is to research your condition on the Internet and have questions pertaining to the latest research. (Save the URL for each site that spurred the question.) If it becomes apparent the doctor is totally unaware of the latest research or procedures pertaining to your condition, keep shopping.

Most important for you to remember, regardless if your appointment is for the purpose of health maintenance or addressing a health crisis: You are the person in charge. It is your responsibility to research and understand your options. Don’t walk into a doctor’s office with the attitude you’ll do whatever your doctor advises. Research the Internet and walk in with as many written questions as you can think of that can be covered in the time allowed. Make notes of the answers, and if you walk out with any doubt about the diagnosis or treatment being presented, keep searching. Even if your search does not give you answers, it will at least give you additional questions that can lead to the best solution for your individual needs.

During the several appointments following my breast cancer diagnosis, my husband and I had numerous questions pertaining to studies we found on the Internet. The first general surgeon's response to these questions was, "Stop reading the Internet. You're just driving yourselves into a frenzy!" I'm so thankful we did not follow this advice, for it was through the Internet I learned I had the option to have a bilateral mastectomy that does not leave disfiguring scars (unlike the mastectomies this surgeon was going to perform).
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Internet Research

When researching a medical condition using the Internet, always keep in mind there are many sites selling “snake oil”, or providing misleading information for the purpose of satisfying a particular agenda. Determining what’s “snake oil” and what isn’t is not an easy task. So, before investing a lot of money, and/or risking your life, put together a list of questions and make an appointment with a doctor OUTSIDE of the medical group(s) you have already seen. (Given that you are not satisfied with the question and answer sessions that have already taken place.) And don’t think every appointment has to be with an M.D.; consider seeing a Naturopath. If you have insurance, check to see if the appointment will be covered, and if not, find out what the initial and any subsequent appointments will cost to help budget the additional expense.

This is an interesting article on using the Internet to research medical conditions (written by doctors for doctors) that discusses how the Internet is redefining the roles of physicians and patients: Untangling the Web - Patients, Doctors, and the Internet Pamela Hartzband, M.D., and Jerome Groopman, M.D.
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/362/12/1063

You Have the Final Say

Always remember, you have the final say in your medical treatment. It is in your best interest to not play the role of a patient who unquestionably does as the doctor says (doctor is God syndrome), especially if you are not 100% confident in that doctor’s abilities. Ask many questions and research as much as possible to best understand all your options before deciding on a course of treatment. I cannot stress the importance of this enough.

Finding My Oncologist

I had just finished reading Suzanne Somers' book, Knockout when I began my journey to find a team of doctors I would trust with my life. Story after story of unconventional cancer survivors encouraged my husband and me to look for an alternative to conventional therapy. We both were hopeful we would find some magical pill to dissolve the cancer inside of me, and we would be done with it.

Our first appointment was with the Whittaker Wellness Center, listed as a resource in Knockout. When I made the appointment, I requested a doctor who is most knowledgeable of the latest technology and current clinical trials in the treatment of breast cancer. With the understanding that this one appointment would cost $320 and would not be covered by insurance, we went to pick that doctor's brain. We found him to be knowledgeable, but he did not provide the answers we had hoped. Instead, he explained - no matter what treatment we used to kill the cancer cells, I would still need surgery. For, the amount of cancer (three tumors totaling a mass of 5.5 centimeters) in my right breast was just too much for the body to be able to flush out all of the dead cancer cells, given the therapy I chose would kill the cancer. Plus, not having surgery created too great a risk for parent cancer cells to survive, re-establish, and metastasize to other areas of my body later on.

The next appointment was with an Oncologist recommended by a friend. She recommended surgery, followed by chemotherapy (also recommended by the general surgeon who diagnosed my breast cancer). Since we were still in the mindset of finding an alternative to chemo, we were not receptive to her chemo push. But, when she made the comment that the type of cancer I had was totally “nutrition independent”, in that I could eat anything I wanted and it would not have any affect on the cancer cells – I knew she and I were not on the same page, and there was no way I was going to entrust my life to her.

So, I went back to the list of resources in Knockout. One recommendation led to a second, and I found my current Oncologist. When presented with my MRI image, this doctor proposed a different approach. After explaining to me that the large blood vessel running very close to the parent tumor was possibly carrying cancer cells “like a super-highway” from that tumor straight to my lungs and bone matrix, he stressed the need to treat the cancer systemically (with chemo) as soon as possible, then surgery should follow. There was too great a risk of the cancer metastasizing outside the breast to wait for surgery to be completed. I started chemotherapy under his care the following week.

What to look for in an Oncologist's Office

In addition to the Oncologist we selected being extremely qualified, his medical practice included numerous 'perks' I should mention, for they have had a very positive affect on my treatment. The one element I liked most was that his practice only accepts breast cancer patients. So, all the patients we met were going through the same or similar ordeal. When I look back and compare his waiting room experience to that of the first Oncologist - in his office I rarely waited over a couple minutes to be taken back to begin treatment. At the first Oncologist's office, we waited over a half hour to be seen by the Oncologist in a waiting area that was filled with male and female patients coming and going like it was a conveyor belt system, with everyone sitting and waiting for some time. So, when you are shopping for an Oncologist, make note of the following:

• 1. How many people are waiting in the reception area and for how long?
• 2. Does the Oncologist and staff exhibit care and compassion?
• 3. How do you feel about the comfort level inside the chemo treatment room?
• 4. Is a psychologist available to you at no charge?
• 5. Are there books and on the subject of breast cancer and healing that you can read and borrow?
• 6. Is a surgeon part of the practice? (You want a surgeon who specializes in breast cancer - not one who is a generic "Doc-of-all Surgeries".)