Do you get your post-diagnosis treatm... - Advanced Prostate...
Do you get your post-diagnosis treatment -mostly- in an academic (medical school/university research) or community (non-academic) hospital?
I am answering for my husband who was also a member. He died last December after 40 months of treatment mostly at Dana Farber in Boston.
what doctor did he have, I'm also a patient at Dana Farber.
Dr. Chaudhry (sp?). He was matter-of-fact and discussed studies and options in depth with my engineer husband who read studies with a researchers eye. My husband was diagnosed at age 50 with very advanced disease. He likely lived as long as he did with a combination of carefully chosen treatment and otherwise good health. I'd like to think my loving care played a part too.
Does it matter? Truly? Good Luck
We don't know if it matters or not. That's why we ask.
The only reason I answered in that tone was, if due dilligence, talk to doctors from both venues, or more, you will likely get as many responses to your queries. It is still ultimately to patient, and with fingers crossed, make best informed you possibly can. And Hope.Once again, wish you best.
Kuban
It probably matters if you have very advanced disease. My husband was quickly transferred to Dana Farber because his disease was advanced and he was young (age 50). I believe the coordination of care at DF and the opportunity to get the latest advances and participate in trials helped him and perhaps those getting better treatment in the future.
I guess I’m not sure how to answer! My hospital is privately owned / managed by Lifespan but is also a teaching hospital for Brown! So....?
The ‘community’ hospitals are almost entirely affiliated with either University Hospital or Cleveland Clinic. My Uro is in a private practice. My former RO, also. New RO is out of state. MO and 2nd opinions and scans are main campus physicians.
I can’t really select any of the choices for my husband. Academic for consults and direction; daily care like chemo and labs locally. So, hybrid.
Treating medical oncologist was a researcher and professor of genitourologic cancer at a major medical school.
Add a question. Academic and community hospital.
My husband's prostate cancer was metastatic at diagnosis, so surgery was never an option (also because of the locations of the tumors), neither was radiation. Thus hospitals were used only for imaging and one attempt at guided biopsy. Red Cross did the Provenge treatment in their own facility in Atlanta. Infusions and shots were handled by the private doctors in their clinics. The local university only recently got permission from the state board of governors to open a public health major. He did go to NIH for a clinical trial but had to be dropped after one month.
Got treatment in a private clinic, not a hospital.
Good question. I've been at this 8 years now. Started with private practice Uro, then Onco affiliated with a teaching hospital but all treatment at a for profit hospital.
Now, Onco and all treatment at a teaching hospital
Having experienced both community based and academic hospital treatment, for me, it is about the individual doctors and the ability to have all the players work in concert. I live in Portland, Oregon and go to OHSU. I have found some great people there but also some that are too focused on clinical trials and less on patient wellness.
When we lived in Ashland, my oncologist was in Medford, Oregon and she was awesome. She came from doing bone marrow transplants at Stanford and had a good sense of humor, reviewed my labs and gave a physical exam at every visit. I want to have a creative and exceptional oncologist but it has to be someone who really sees the bigger picture of quality of life, alternative care to supplement standard treatments, and most importantly gets to know me as a person.
Belfast City Hospital, the consultant is Professor Joe O'Sullivan, lead research at Queens University Belfast. see also belfastlive.co.uk/news/belf...
Following diagnosis, consultations with PC consultant oncologist at private hospital and monthly visits at home by specialist nurses. Treatment ADT with Zytiga/pred. 4years in psa 0.163 testosterone 0.09.
I had treatment at both a community and a teaching university hospital - two of them. Maybe the survey needs one more choice?
There may be a combination of the two at play as well. For me, I sought what I hope will be the cutting edge of an academic hospital with the practicality of a local hospital. Will the two work together to help me live longer? So far it has been a little frustrating. I'm thinking the best treatment may not be at the feet of the expert genius a thousand miles from home or in the hands of a due process, uninspired local practitioner with public grant hardware. Both of these generalizations are false and disregard the gray zones of human individuality. Listen to everyone, lean toward reason not blind faith, and learn to accept with grace that no one has all the answers.
Mayo Clinic Rochester MN, FL Cancer Specialists,
Levine Cancer Institute.
MD Anderson Houston TX for initial RP treatment.
Mayo runs the show.
Injections, Blood tests, where ever I'm located.
Choline/PSMA/Axumin Scans have happened at UCLA, Anderson SC, MAYO
Radiation, CT scans, Levine.
MRI. M D Anderson, MAYO, Levine.
I was diagnosed and have had all my treatments at the University of Rochester in New York state. My RO in addition to her MD has a Phd. My Onco is highly experienced as is her NP.But it is true that I, the patient, am responsible for choosing medicines and treatments. Decisions are made after information is presented and questioned. Reasoned consideration and many questions along with my researching via medical journals then I choose.
We are the deciders of our fate in life, we often have many options and sometimes, as with pca, choices that are not perfect or even easy. In many of our options the results might only be a delay until yet another series of choices.
Through my recent 6 years with pca my choices got me this far and I remain Positive in my outlook. I encourage each and every one of us to look to a good future and remain a Positive attitude.
Ask or PM me for more if interested.
