Time for a new MD? Anyone in Seattle know what happened to Dr. Higano?

[Tak-Druk]

Apparently Celestia Higano is no longer at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. I received an email from Dr. Higano that was a little bit enigmatic, stating she would be establishing a new practice. I got no real information when I asked SCCA, other than assigning me to a new MD.

I believe Dr. Higano is a top tier researcher, and I enjoyed our meetings for the most part. I have had generally good experiences at SCCA. It wasn't always easy to get appointments with Tia, but I saw the nurse/PA easily. They have great facilities and a robust organization; they have been really good about helping to get my insurance to pay for tests and treatments.

I have also met with Dr. Ben Chue who has a smaller private oncology clinic and has been doing a lot of interesting work with metronomic chemotherapy for various cancers. I guess I wasn't yet ready to stray from a more conventional and researched course of treatment.

I seem to have stabilized in a good place for now after a couple months with Enzalutimide and my latest PSA that is barely detectable. It seems like a good time to explore my options for urological oncologists who I might like to work with over the long haul (and perhaps, eventually, through the dark days.) Hopefully I'll get a good amount of time out of my run with Enza so it won't feel pressing to make a decision about a new doctor for a while, but it seems like a good time to be thinking about it.

Any other Seattle doctors people have good experiences with? Curious, engaged, compassionate, open minded, accessible, and actively engaged in the most up to date research and clinical trials?

[Tall_Allen]

Evan Yu told me they have a lot of excellent MOs at SCCA, and are dividing up her patients. He would be a pretty good choice if Tia Higano isn't ready to take patients.

[Tak-Druk in reply to Tall_Allen]

Thanks. I do like SCCA as an institution. I was not 're-assigned' to Dr. Yu, but it might be nice to talk to a few different doctor's myself to get a sense of who I feel good working with so I feel some ownership in the process and not just that it was a default handed to me. So having someone like Dr. Yu as a recommendation to interview with is helpful.

[Hidden]

Good luck ! Keep truckin.

[Wassersug]

Dr. Higano is now the medical lead for the Prostate Cancer Supportive Care Program at the Vancouver General Hospital. Try Tia Higano <[e-mail]>.

If that doesn't work just contact, just contact Monita Sundar, who is now the senior admisntrator for the PCSC program: [e-mail]. Monita will now how to reach Tia and what sort of clinical practices she now has underway.

Richard W.

[Tak-Druk in reply to Wassersug]

Wow... she left the country?

[Wassersug in reply to Tak-Druk]

Last I knew she was travelling back and forth between Vancouver and Seattle. However the border is now closed, so I don't know which side she is on right now.

[tkalaf]

I was referred to Dr. Schweizer for a clinical trial he headed up in 2018. He took the time to thouroughly explain all the details of the trial. I found him to be both professional and very personable. After careful consideration, I joined the trial. I was given medical tests first (blood, EKG, etc.) before I was accepted into the trial of ~22 participants.

Here is his link: seattlecca.org/providers/mi...

I visited him at UW Med. Center Urology, which works closely with SCCA. I was referred to him by urologist Dr. Ellis there. Dr. Ellis performed both my biopsy in early Feb. and my RP surgery in early June, of 2018.

Here is his link: uwmedicine.org/bios/william...

The clinical trial provided new+existing neoadjuvant cancer medicines during months between biopsy and RP (12 weeks of Mar, Apr, and May). These were intensive weeks of medicine consumption. Looking back, it was worth it! I attribute these trial meds. 'and' the excellent surgical skills of Dr. Ellis to my outcome. I get my PSA tested regularly and it has since (almost 2 years after), remained below (< 0.03) threshold.

I wish you all the Very Best of Health!

[howardroark]

i've been a patient of Dr. Evan Yu for 4 years - he is terrific.

[Hidden in reply to howardroark]

Same here for the two years since diagnosis. I am a fan.

[Tak-Druk in reply to howardroark]

I appreciate the feedback. I have asked SCCA to schedule my next visit with Dr. Yu so I can meet him and see if that feels like a good fit. Thanks.

[EricE]

Dr Higano is still in Seattle. When she left SCCA she offered to continue seeing her patients. She is working out of her home I believe. I very much like her and have no plans to change docs but she is not always able to order tests and appointments probably because she has not joined another hospital.