How to go about getting an expert opinion?

16 years 8 months ago #6669 by Patricia
Replied by Patricia on topic How to go about getting an expert opinion?
Hi Renee...a couple of suggestions for you....Bladder cancer is such a specific category and not all hospitals make the various lists of Best Hospitals as thats one small consideration in the overall ratings....Some of the best are listed but others aren't.
In Chicago...at the University of Chicago Hospitals there is Dr. Gary D. Steinberg who is director of Urologic Oncology there. He has done many new renovations in bladder sparing and surgery including non-invasive surgery for bladder reconstruction. You might want to go to their web site and look up his credentials or you can call 1-888-UCH-0200 for an appointment.
Indiana University Hospital in Indpls also does great work with bladder reconstruction...Dr. Michael Koch or Dr. Richard Bihrle.
Just a start for you.....Pat

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16 years 8 months ago #6663 by wendy
Replied by wendy on topic How to go about getting an expert opinion?
Hi Renee,

You are doing a good thing by asking for names of good doctors in your area. I'm sure you'll get some replies. U of Mich has great uro-oncology dept, Chicago University too. The Cleveland Clinic is not far away either.

If I were you I'd try to get in with whoever is the head of the dept of uro-oncology at the place you end up at.

You could ask the present doctor for his opinion of the best place for a second opinion.

I have a feeling he was discussing the 'combined modalities' approach of chemo and radiation instead of bladder removal. We have info on the main site on this option under 'treatment options'. A person would need to fit very strict criteria to qualify for this protocol, such as one single tumor in the right place of the bladder, no ureter obstructions and other things. I take it your father is in pretty good shape or the doctor wouldn't consider bringing this up. But...he may be in the middle of a trial himself and looking for candidates? I wonder.

It's a valid option but the response/cure rates are not higher than cystectomy. I know of a couple of people who have taken this path, it's not easy but it spares the bladder and sexual function and is very appealing to younger men.

At the bottom of this page is a link to a place where you can search out the best hospitals and doctors in your area:
blcwebcafe.org/newlydiagnosed.asp

All the best to you and your father.
Wendy

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16 years 8 months ago #6662 by helpdad
Hi, my 67 year old father was just diagnosed Friday with Stage 3 bladder cancer. Well, actually, my mother said it was Stage 3, but then said it hadn't invaded the muscle yet which, from what I'm reading, can't be right. So I have to ask her more questions and find out if they got a copy of the pathology report or not. The urologist, a Dr. Hassan Alsheik, who did the tumor removal procedure recommended removing the bladder but also said there was a non-surgical option that has shown a 70% success rate (my mother didn't know the specifics). My father has not met with an oncologist yet. My father is still trying to decide what he wants to do, but I would very much like him to get a second opinion. We are in the Chicago area, but the hospital he's been going to is actually in Northwest Indiana. I'm wondering how we go about finding an expert opinion? With all the great hospitals in Chicago I'm sure there is probably a ton of doctors that specialize in bladder cancer and I just don't know where to begin. If anyone can point me in the right direction or offer some names of doctors he could speak to I would really appreciate it!

Renee

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