General Category > Inquiries
Choosing/Interviewing Radiologists
Berta:
Hello -
I've been watch and wait for 5 years (Daniel Lee, MEEI) and recently was referred to and had my first meeting with a surgeon (Fred Barker, MGH) for consultation about treatment. At that appointment, he said I could either do surgery or radiotherapy, but it seemed pretty clear that the treatment best for me is radiation therapy. Is there any information on the ANA website specific to choosing a treatment center for radiation therapy and/or a radiation oncologist? Do you go directly to a radiation oncologist for a second opinion or do you go through the surgeon's office first? If you contact the radiation oncologist, how best to determine the best person to seek out? (I've been thinking of seeing if I could get a phone consult with Mayo.) I've seen the questions to ask radiologist and there are lots of videos with surgeons, but I haven't found anything specific to finding/choosing radiation professionals.
Thanks for any advice.
v357139:
Hi Berta. The ANA site does have a list of medical professionals. See if you can find it. Let me know if not, and I'll try to locate it for you. Good idea for you to ask on this site. Hopefully someone from up there will give you some local names. I can tell you that Dr Kondziolka in NYC is well known for Gamma Knife. He's at NYU. Some doctors will let you send them your MRI and do a phone consult. Did Dr Barker say he would do the radiosurgery, or did he give you a name? For second or third opinions (I got like eight :), you don't generally go through the first one you spoke to.
Again, let me know if you can't find the list on ANA and I'll try to locate it for you. Let me know how it goes. All the best.
Berta:
Thank you, v357139! I'll look again at the list, I didn't think they were separated by professionals. When I met w/Dr. Barker he said I could go either surgery or radiation therapy. From our discussion, it sounded like radiotherapy would be best for me so I started asking about what type/what would that mean, etc. and he told me I'd have to talk to a radiation oncologist about options. (Honestly, I found him pretty cold and unhelpful.) He did refer me to Dr. Shih at MGH, but I can't get in to see her until June. I'm hoping to talk to some more specialists so that I feel more educated by the time I get to her.
v357139:
Looks like Mass General is big on Proton Beam, which I don't know much about. I know more about Gamma Knife and Cyberknife. But this is one potential resource.
Proton Stereotactic Radiosurgery Center
Wang Ambulatory Care Center 745
15 Parkman Street
Boston, MA 02114
Phone: 617-726-3887
v357139:
Here's another. You could call them and ask which doctor is most experienced treating acoustic neuroma
Beth Israel Deaconess
Keith C. Field CyberKnife Center
330 Brookline Avenue
Boston, MA 02215
P 617-667-2345
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