MD Anderson Houston: Can anyone suggest doctors... - CLL Support

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MD Anderson Houston

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43 Replies

Can anyone suggest doctors there for cll specialist

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showdog
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43 Replies
cajunjeff profile image
cajunjeff

I think Weirda, Thompson or Jain would be good choices of the ones I know. The others are probably good too, those are just the ones I know a little bit about. I see Dr Keating there but I think he is still on a leave of absence and i doubt taking new patients.

Cllcanada profile image
CllcanadaTop Poster CURE Hero

Also...

Jan Burger, MD, PhD, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston

Alessandra Ferrajoli, MD, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston

Both are renowned clinical researchers in CLL...

~chris 🇨🇦

JR1964 profile image
JR1964

All of the above mentioned are great. My Doctor is Dr. Wierda. MDA is great as well. STAY STRONG JR. 😊😊

I would see whoever had the first available appointment. You cannot go wrong. The CLL doctors work as a team and they are tops in the field. More importantly, they all have access to exciting drug trials and possess cutting edge knowledge. I have seen Drs. Wierda, Thompson, and Jain over a 4 year period.

CLLmoxie profile image
CLLmoxie

I don’t know where you live but as a native Houstonian who now lives in Dallas and could easily go either place I STRONGLY recommend Dr. Awan at UT Southwestern in Dallas.

showdog profile image
showdog in reply to CLLmoxie

That's closer than Houston. I live in Tulsa. Thank you

CLLmoxie profile image
CLLmoxie in reply to showdog

I cannot fully express how personal/kind and brilliant this man is. I am quite picky lol and he is the best doc I have ever seen. You should be able to do everything in less than one day. I can help you get an appointment if you wish - but would need info and am not sure how to exchange that here ??? do you

showdog profile image
showdog in reply to CLLmoxie

Not sure. Can you give out info privately on here

CLLmoxie profile image
CLLmoxie in reply to showdog

I found a private message place and sent you a message. I think you can respond with info there because another person did.

bigunwill2 profile image
bigunwill2 in reply to CLLmoxie

I too recommend Dr. Awan at UTSW. I’ve heard him speak and very impressed. He was brought from university of Ohio to Dallas to make UTSW the CLL speciality in North Texas on par with MDA.

Also check out our CLL support group for DFW. Find meeting times on CLL Society Web site.

Bama-Girl profile image
Bama-Girl

I took first available for my appointment when I went to MDA. I got Dr. Ferrajoli. I have seen her a couple of times. I am well pleased with her.

showdog profile image
showdog

Thank you

PCara90 profile image
PCara90

I see Dr. Ferrajoli there. Can’t say enough good things about her and her entire support staff. I am currently 7 months into a 12 month trial. I was there for treatment #7 of 12 just yesterday. But I agree that you can’t go wrong with any of the specialist at MDA. They know their stuff!

showdog profile image
showdog in reply to PCara90

Thank you

KMac1969 profile image
KMac1969

Alessandra Ferrajoli is my doctor.. I love her.. She is great.

showdog profile image
showdog in reply to KMac1969

Thank you

Psalm22-3 profile image
Psalm22-3

I'm a big fan (and patient) of Dr. Wierda and his team. They listen, they take their time, and they know a thing or two about CLL.

showdog profile image
showdog in reply to Psalm22-3

They want you to be there 3-5 days. Sounds expensive. What all do they do the first time

Psalm22-3 profile image
Psalm22-3 in reply to showdog

It takes time simply because diagnosis and treatment planning is an iterative process, from bloodwork to lymph node biopsies to bone marrow biopsies to PET/CTscans, with pathologists in between each result to decide what tests are needed next. If you can get it done in those 3-5 days, it will be well worth it. The uncertainty over prognosis and treatment plan stretches time.

MDA is the place to be--all of that work-up can be done in one place, and with doctors who have seen it all. They could teach courses in corporate culture: Everyone is caring and competent. And when you walk through that overwhelming complex, you'll feel a little more fortunate to "only" have CLL.

There is great hope in our little world, and great reasons for that hope. May you find some on your visit.

EugeneL2 profile image
EugeneL2 in reply to showdog

For my first visit, they asked me to plan for staying 3 to 5 days but ended up everything was done in one day. They took 18 tubes of blood for testing and their research protocol, which I volunteered. The next morning, after looking at the blood results, they contacted me to let me go and scheduled the next visit 12 months later. They did CBC, CD4/CD8 ratio, flow cytometry, Fish test, IGHV test, 29 CLL gene panel analysis, reticulocyte test, HIV, HBV, HCV, HTLV, metabolic panel, blood chemistry, thyroid function, immunoglobin levels, DAT, haptoglobin, beta2M, and others. These tests yielded a lot of results and insights. I highly recommend MD Anderson for your needs.

showdog profile image
showdog in reply to EugeneL2

Thanks. What I'd your blood test are pretty recent. Do they make you redo them

EugeneL2 profile image
EugeneL2 in reply to showdog

Yes, I had my fish and IGVH tests done just a few months before the visit. They did Fish and IGVH again and yielded similar results. They wanted to have a comprehensive landscape of what each patient is facing during the first visit.

showdog profile image
showdog in reply to EugeneL2

Ok 3-5 days there sounded long. I hope its not

Kmiller profile image
Kmiller

I see Dr. Thompson, and just love him. I see him Friday, as a matter of fact.

17Pisme profile image
17Pisme

I have had both Weirda and Jain and both are great. I believe Burger is research only and not taking patients.

Murphy1021 profile image
Murphy1021

I’ve been seeing Dr. Ferrajoli there for three years. I would highly recommend her.

You might see if there is a medical place in your local area is affiliated with MDA. It saves the travel and the work can be performed locally rather than traveling to Houston. My Hemo Dr. consults with the CLL team regularly since they have an affiliation. Just a thought.

showdog profile image
showdog in reply to

My doc has an affiliation but dont know if it's current. Seeing him today thank you so much

Lisa-1959 profile image
Lisa-1959 in reply to showdog

If you are going to a doctor at Oklahoma Cancer Specialists and Research Institute, they are an affiliate of MDA; however, my oncologist recommended that I actually go to MDA for an initial visit. Now that I have that behind me, she is following their recommendations for treatment, and it is working out very well.

Lisa-1959 profile image
Lisa-1959 in reply to Lisa-1959

I need to clarify one thing. After not doing well on my initial treatment and facing a changing in meds, I actually requested the involvement of a doctor from MDA. I had hoped since the facility was an affiliate of MDA that my local oncologist could share medical records with one of their doctors and get an opinion on how to proceed; however, I learned that affiliate and branch are two different things. They are willing to work with MDA recommendations, but I had to go there to get a baseline assessment.

BCpsych profile image
BCpsych

I've been in a clinical trial at MDA with Dr. Takahashi. He and his team are outstanding. He works with Dr. Weida and the others. Treats me like I'm the only patient he has to see in a day, which of course isn't close to true, but they make you feel that way. Great care. MDA is an amazing place. Best of luck to you.

yalc58 profile image
yalc58

any recommendations for CLL specialists in San Antonio?

Lisa-1959 profile image
Lisa-1959

I live in the Tulsa metro and went to MDA the week before Christmas. I asked for Dr. Keating, but he was not available, so I was assigned to Dr. Thompson. I was very impressed and am pleased with his recommendations. My local oncologist (the entity is an affiliate of MDA) is working with his recommendations, and I am doing well.

Unfortunately the 3-5 day prediction turned out to be correct for me, but it may have been due to it being the week before Christmas. I had appointments all day Tuesday and then nothing until Friday; however, my husband and I hit some of the museums in the area and also connected with one of my college roommates! :-)

I am VERY glad I went to MDA...will go back again in August once I finish 6 months of Rituxin in combo with Venetoclax. Having the specialist as part of my care team is very reassuring!

showdog profile image
showdog in reply to Lisa-1959

Thank you

Lisa-1959 profile image
Lisa-1959 in reply to showdog

Don't know if you saw my comments on another post in this thread, but I feel sure we are both going to the same facility in Tulsa. Hope you were able to find out some more information when you saw your oncologist today.

suebb profile image
suebb

We love Dr. Wierda, but have seen many of the other doctors (they work as a team, particularly when you're hospitalized). My husband also was on Dr. Thompson's study at one point, and he's great too. MD Anderson is keeping my husband alive because they are willing to try so many new things. You can't go wrong with the place.

MichelleM61 profile image
MichelleM61

I went to Dr. Jain 3 years old for my CLL. I highly recommend. I live in Broken Arrow and my oncologist here is Dr. Charles Strnad at OSCRI.

CLLmoxie profile image
CLLmoxie

Dr Ferrukh Awan now at UT Southwestern in Dallas (formerly at Ohio State) and touted as best CLL specialist in US is awesome. He did all of the tests mentioned above, a salivary DNA profile and anything else needed for your particular situation.

My regular hem/onc classified me as Stage 0 W&W and with his much more thorough evaluation, I am between Stage 1-2 and going to receive treatment because of my debilitating fatigue. I grew up in Houston and have been very familiar with MDA my entire life. I am not trying to suggest that anyone happy with their care there should make a change. But as a physician who has researched all possibilities, I would choose Dr. Awan hands down and although I live in Dallas now - I would travel from anywhere in US to see him, if needed.

bigunwill2 profile image
bigunwill2 in reply to CLLmoxie

Please join our DFW CLL group. You can find meeting times on CLLSociety web page. We’ve been meeting about 1 year.

showdog profile image
showdog in reply to bigunwill2

Ok thanks

CLLmoxie profile image
CLLmoxie

Also, after your initial evaluation - Dr Awan is very happy to work with your local oncologist if you desire.

bigunwill2 profile image
bigunwill2

Our next meeting is this Sunday, April 28 in Dallas at 3.

showdog profile image
showdog in reply to bigunwill2

Wow I work on Sunday

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