Multidisciplinary second opinion centers

Many cancer patients are dying, not because treatments are not available, but because the initial physician failed to offer the best possible treatment. Cancer is an unusual disease for many reasons – if you don’t treat it properly the first time, often there is no second chance because cancer grows geometrically.

Often an initial treatment precludes the proper treatment from being given later. Doctors are humans and could make a mistake. Rarely is cancer diagnosed by an oncologist (It is generally diagnosed by an optometrist, gynecologist, urologist, dermatologist, GI, GP, etc.) and that doctor may not want to lose the revenue or admit that someone knows more than he does. Of most importance is not what treatments a patient receives or from whom, but that the patient is entitled to make an informed decision. Being told that nothing can be done, that surgery is required tomorrow or take these pills and come back in 90 days is not making an informed decision.

A recent press release by the National Cancer Policy Board was a giant step in the right direction. They stated what poor treatment Americans are receiving for cancer. Many doctors are simply not knowledgeable about the most recent treatment developments, according to their report. Research shows, for example, that Tamoxifen is the best treatment for post-menopausal women with breast cancer that has spread to lymph nodes, but only 60% of such women receive the drug.

The National Cancer Institute has stated that if physicians would use the recommended treatments in Physician Data Query today, some 10% of those dying from cancer could be saved. Ernest and Isadora Rosenbaum, oncologists and authors of an article in this publication, state, “Over 50 percent of persons diagnosed with it (cancer) can be cured, and the rate increases to 75 percent when good preventive and diagnostic procedures are followed.” In other words, they imply that prompt proper treatment could reduce cancer mortality 50%! Prompt second opinions upon diagnosis would save between 50,000 and 250,000 American lives annually. The ultimate solution is a multidisciplinary second opinion. This is where a medical oncologist, radiation oncologist and surgeon, if their specialty is applicable to the specific type of cancer, review a case and discuss it openly together in front of the patient. This way a patient understands all their options and is able to make an informed decision.

MULTIDISCIPLINARY SECOND OPINION INSTITUTIONS

Updated March 2, 2009

The following institutions have advised they will, when requested by a cancer patient, provide a second opinion or a multidisciplinary second opinion.

BL indicates the institution provides bilingual assistance.

ST	City	BL	Name	Contact	Phone
AL	Birmingham		Birmingham Baptist Medical Center	Bob Princeton	205-783-7484
AL	Birmingham		Carraway Cancer Center	Judy Lang	205-502-5066
AL	Huntsville		Crestwood Medical Center	Pam Hudson, MD	256-880-4161
AL	Mobile		University of South Alabama Hospitals – Mobile Infirmary Medical Center	Marcel Conrad, MD	251-435-2400
AR	Little Rock	BL	Arkansas Cancer Research Center	Brian Dinsmore	501-296-1505 ext. 1906 or dinsmorebriank@umas.edu
AR	Little Rock	BL	St. Vincent Cancer Center	Pam Weaver	800-446-7341
CA	Berkeley		Alta Bates Hospital, Herrick Campus – Breast Only	Receptionist	510-204-6752
CA	Daly City		Seton Medical Center	Rose Silver	415-750-5848
CA	Los Angeles		Cedars-Sinai Health System & Hospital	Zahir Ali	310-423-2440
CA	Los Angeles		USC/Norris Comp. Ca. Ctr. & Hospital	Staff	323-865-3000
CA	Oakland	BL	Alameda County Medical Center	Laura	510-437-4997
CA	La Jolla		Scripps Green/Scripps Clinic	Paulette Geiger	858-554-8384
CA	Loma Linda		Loma Linda University Cancer Institute Resource Ctr.	Judy Chatigny	909-558-3389
CA	Palm Springs	BL	Desert Hospital Comprehensive Ca. Ctr.	Elber Camacho, MD	760-416-4880
CA	Pasadena	BL	Huntington Cancer Center	Lynette Ballard	626-397-5074
CA	Redwood City		Sequoia	Rose Silver	415-750-5848
CA	Sacramento		Sutter Cancer Center	Dr. Vincent Caggiano	916-454-6500
CA	San Francisco		Regional Cancer Foundation	Sara Thurman	415-775-9956
CA	San Francisco	BL	Saint Francis Memorial Hospital		415-353-6501
CA	San Francisco		St. Mary’s Hospital & Medical Center – Breast Cancer only		415-668-1000 ext. 6100
CA	San Francisco		UCSF Comprehensive Cancer Center	Staff	415-885-3693
CA	Stanford	BL	Stanford Univ.Medical Center	New Patient Coordinator	650-723-7621
CA	Stockton	BL	St. Joseph’s Cancer Center	Dorene Tomei	209-467-6560
CO	Pueblo		St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center	Cathy Gepfert	719-560-5525
CT	New Haven		Yale University	Dr. Vincent DeVita, Jr.	203-785-4095
DC	Washington		Lombardi Cancer Center	Receptionist	202-784-4000
FL	Jacksonville	BL	Univ. of Florida Shands Cancer Center	Amanda Baeker	904-244-1045
FL	Miami	BL	Cedars Medical Center	Victoria Balabous	305-325-5950
FL	Miami		UM/Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center	Melissa Martinez	305-243-5302
FL	Orlando		MD Anderson Cancer Center Orlando	New Patient Referral	321-841-1869
FL	Pensacola		The Baptist Ca. Ctr.	Marcia DeSonier	850-469-2224
FL	St. Petersburg	BL	All Childrens Hospital	Receptionist	727-767-4176
FL	Tampa	BL	H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center	Cancer Answers	800-456-7121
GA	Atlanta		DeKalb Medical Center	Betty Castellani	404-501-5559
GA	Savannah		The Curtis & Elizabeth Anderson Cancer Institute	Mary Blaney, RN BSN OCN	877-224-8515
GA	Savannah		Nancy & J.C. Lewis Cancer & Research Pavilion at St. Joseph’s/Candler Institute	Wanda Jones, RN	912-692-6449
GA	Thomasville		Lewis Hall Singletary Oncology Center	Esther Reeves	800-852-2694
GA	Valdosta		Pearlman Comprehensive Cancer Center – South Georgia Medical Center	Laquita Johnson	229-259-4622
HI	Honolulu	BL	Straub Clinic &Hospital	Tracey Hewitt, RN	808-522-3335
IA	Des Moines		John Stoddard Cancer Center/Iowa Methodist Med. Ctr.	Representative	515-282-2921
IA	Iowa City		Univ of Iowa Clinical Cancer Center	Peter R. Jochimsen, MD	319-356-3584
ID	Coeur d’Alene		North Idaho Cancer Center	Robin Gustin	208-666-3603
IL	Chicago		Children’s Memorial Hospital	Morris Kletzel, M.D.	773-880-4562
IL	Chicago		Northwestern Memorial Hospital	Representative	312-695-0990
IL	Chicago		Saint Mary of Nazareth Cancer Center	Dr. Korather Thomas	312-770-2293
IL	Chicago		Rush Cancer Institute(Presb.St.LukesMed)	Representative	773-227-8870
IL	Joliet		Provena St. Joseph Medical Center	Andrew Tanner, MD	815-741-7560
IL	Maywood		Cardinal Bernardine Cancer Center, Loyola University Med. Ctr.	Representative	708-226-4357
IL	Zion		Cancer Treatment Center at Midwestern Regional Med. Ctr.	Second Opinion Staff	800-333-2822
IN	Fort Wayne		Women’s Cancer Ctr. of Lutheran Hospital	Linda Jordan	260-435-7959
IN	Goshen		Center for Cancer Care	Will Hodges	866-226-2371 or 866-775-4673
IN	Indianapolis		Indiana University Melvin & Bren Simon Cancer Center (NCI Designation)	Patient Services	888-600-4822
IN	Indianapolis		St. Vincent Hospital& Health Services	Michael Wiemann, MD	866-415-6789
IN	Plymouth		Saint Joseph’s Regional Medical Ctr.	Second Opinion Representative	574-935-2353
IN	South Bend		St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Ctr.	Second Opinion Representative	574-237-8010
KS	Garden City		The Cancer Center at St. Catherine Hospital	Surendra Verma, MD	620-272-2102
KS	Hutchinson	BL	Chalmers Cancer Treatment Center	Steve Braun, M.D.	316-662-1212
KS	Kansas City		Heartland Cancer Research and Treatment Center	Diane Fletcher	913-236-6986
KS	Kansas City	BL	University of Kansas Medical Center	Physician Referral, RN	913-588-1227
KY	Owensboro		Owensboro Mercy Health System	Rhonda Paul	270-688-2768
KY	Bowling Green		Greenview Regional Hospital	Representive	270-793-3010
KY	Louisville		Norton Hospital Cancer Help Line	Judy Fisher	800-555-6772
LA	New Orleans		Ochsner Cancer Institute	Sue Champagne	504-842-3910
MA	Boston		Brigham and Women’s Hospital	Representative	800-320-0022
MA	Boston		Dana-Farber Cancer Institute	Representative	800-320-0022
MA	Boston		Boston Medical Center	Staff	617-638-6428
MA	Boston		St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center	Margaret Sullivan	617-789-2442
MA	Boston		New England Medical Center	Elaine Gauthier	617-636-2626
MD	Baltimore		The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins	Representative	410-955-8964
MD	Baltimore		U of MD Greenebaum Cancer Center	Kevin J. Cullen, M.D.	410-328-7904
MD	Baltimore		St. Agnes Health Care-Cancer Center	Carol Webb	410-368-3412
MD	Towson		Greater Baltimore Medical Center	Sarah Jacque	443-849-3322
ME	Lewiston		Central Maine Medical Center	Nicholette Erickson, MD	207-795-2935
ME	Scarborough		Maine Medical Center	Robert Hillman, MD	207-885-7680
MI	Ann Arbor		University of Michigan Comprehensive Ca Ctr	Cancer Information Nurses	800-865-1125
MI	Detroit		Josephine Ford CancerCenter	Representative	888-734-5322
MI	Detroit		Karmanos Cancer Institute	Judy Hatfield	800-527-6266
MI	Kalamazoo		West Michigan Cancer Center	Representative	616-382-2500
MN	Duluth		Duluth Clinic Cancer Center	Representative	218-786-3625
MN	Minneapolis		Park Nicollet Cancer Center	Nan Quade	952-993-2068
MN	Minneapolis		Hennepin Comprehensive Ca. Ctr.	Rita Larson	612-347-8781
MN	Robbinsdale		Hubert H. Humphrey Cancer Center	Linda Johnson, MS	763-520-1144
MO	Kansas City		St. Luke’s Hospital	Nurseline	816-932-6220
MO	Kansas City		Children’s Mercy Hospital	Alan S. Gamis, MD	816-234-3265
MO	St. Louis		Barnes-Jewish Hospital	Shirley Johnson	800-600-3606
MO	St. Louis		St. John’s Mercy Cancer Center	Cancer Answer Line	314-251-6400
MS	Columbus		Baptist Memorial Hospital	Lisa Colvin	662-244-4673
MT	Bozeman		Bozeman Deaconess Cancer Center	Jill Welch	406-585-5070
MT	Helena		St. Peter’s Hospital	Scott S. Smith, CMD	406-444-2381
NC	Chapel Hill		University of North Carolina-Clinical Cancer Center	Sandra	919-966-4224
NC	Charlotte		Presbyterian Cancer Center	Genella Roseboro	704-384-5373
NC	Durham		Duke University Comprehensive Cancer Center	Duke Consultation & Referral Ctr.	800-633-3853
NC	Greensboro		Moses Cone Regional Cancer Center – Moses Cone Health System	Nick Carroll, New Patient Coordinator	336-832-0754
NE	Omaha		Univ. of Nebraska Eppley Cancer Center	Kenneth Cowan,MD, PhD	402-559-4238
NE	Omaha		Methodist Cancer Center	Kathy Christiansen	402-354-5276
NE	Scottsbluff		Regional West Medical Center	Jerry Pope	308-630-1145
NH	Lebanon		Norris Cotton Cancer Center	Deb Steele	800-639-6918
NJ	Hackensack		The Cancer Center at Hackensack University Med. Ctr.	Patient Referrals	201-996-5855
NJ	New Brunswick		The Cancer Institute of New Jersey	New Patient Referrals	732-235-6777
NM	Albuquerque		Dr. Paul R. Duncan	St. Joseph Healthcare	505-938-5858
NM	Albuquerque		Presbyterian Healthcare Services	Jamie McDonald	505-841-1561
NV	Las Vegas		University Medical Center	Fina Wardle	702-383-2500
NV	Reno		Washoe Medical Center	Cancer Services	775-982-5638
NY	Binghamton		Lourdes Reg Cancer Center	Robin Donohoe	607-798-5307
NY	Bronx	BL	Our Lady Of Mercy Cancer Center	Peter H. Wiernik, MD	718-304-7220
NY	New York	BL	Ruttenberg Ca. Ctr. Mount Sinai Med. Ctr.	Karen Waite	212-241-6756
NY	New York	BL	St. Luke’s Roosevelt Cancer Center	Thelma M. Navarro	212-844-8238
NY	New York	BL	Beth Israel Cancer Center	Thelma M. Navarro	212-844-8238
NY	Rochester		Univ. of Rochester Cancer Center	2nd Opinion Info.	585-275-5830
OH	Cincinnati		Deaconess Hospital	Kim Buhrlage	513-559-2762
OH	Cincinnati	BL	Children’s Hospital Medical Center	Debra Freese	513-303-1709
OH	Cleveland		Cleveland Clinic – Cancer Center	Representative	216-444-7923
OH	Cleveland		Ireland Cancer Center(Univ.)	Rosalie Tyner	800-641-2422
OH	Columbus		Arthur James Ca Hosp/Ohio State Univ.	Dr. David Schuller	800-293-5066
OH	Delaware		Grady Memorial Hospital	Vicki Maggard	740-368-5383
OH	Mayfield Heights		Merida Hillcrest Hospital	Virginia Kerekes	440-473-4228
OH	Warren		Trumbull Memorial Hospital	Nancy Hopsdor	330-884-4152
OH	Youngstown		Northside Medical Center	Nancy Hopsdor	330-884-4152
OK	Oklahoma City		Oklahoma University Medical Center – Children as well	Kathy Baker	405-271-2627
OK	Tulsa		Cancer Treatment Center of Tulsa	Pattie Berens	800-333-2822
OR	Portland		Adventist Medical Center	Gerry Taylor	503-251-6263
OR	Portland		Legacy Cancer Services	Charlyn Wilson	503-413-7250
OR	Portland		Oregon Health ServicesUniversity	Debbie Sannes	503-494-6594
PA	Philadelphia		Cancer Treatment Center at Eastern Regional Med. Ctr.	Second Opinion Staff	800-333-2822
PA	Philadelphia	BL	Fox Chase Cancer Center	Patricia Stanley	215-728-3622
PA	Philadelphia	BL	Frankford Hospital Cancer Center	Patient Referral	215-612-4300
PA	Philadelphia	BL	Jefferson’s Kimmel Cancer Center	Patient Referral Services	800-Jeff-now (800-533-3669)
PA	Philadelphia	BL	Univ. of Pennsylvania Cancer Center	Patient Referral Services	800-789-7366
PA	Pittsburgh	BL	Magee – Womens Hospital	Donna Hope	412-641-4747
PA	Pittsburgh	BL	University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute	Cancer Information Specialists	412-647-2811
RI	Providence		Roger Williams Cancer Center	Mary Ann Taylor	401-456-2100
SC	Charleston		Roper Cancer Center	Health Services	843-402-CARE (843-402-2273)
SC	Spartanburg		Spartansburg Regional Medical Center	Richard K. Orr, MD	864-560-1576
TN	Knoxville	BL	Thompson Cancer Survival Center	Pam Murph	865-541-1757
TN	Knoxville	BL	University of Tennessee Cancer Center	Nancy Vineyard	865-544-9572
TN	Memphis	BL	(Children Only) St. Jude Childrens	Nancy Parnell	901-495-3277
TN	Memphis	BL	Methodist Health Care-Medsearch	Staff	901-726-8686
TN	Nashville	BL	Henry Joyce Cancer Clinic (Vanderbilt)	Janet Iacolino	615-322-6053
TX	Arlington	BL	Arlington Cancer Center	New Patient Coordinator	800-344-8351
TX	Dallas	BL	UN.Of TX Southwestern Medical Center	New Patient Coordinator	214-648-5961
TX	Galveston	BL	UTMB Cancer Center	Dr. Dennie Jones	888-772-5564
TX	Houston	BL	MD Anderson Cancer Center	New Patient Referrel	800-392-1611
TX	Lubbock	BL	Joe Arrington Ca. Research & Treat. Ctr.	Mary Beth Stalcup	806-725-7962
TX	Lubbock		Southwest Cancer Center	Shelly Miles	806-775-8600
TX	San Antonio		San Antonio Cancer Institute/Phase I Clinical Trials only/Solid Tumors only	Epp Goodwin	210-616-5798
UT	Salt Lake City	BL	University of Utah Medical Center	Susan Foss	801-585-0124
VA	Richmond		Massey Cancer Center(VCU)	Stephanie Brunner	804-828-5116
VT	Bennington		Southwestern Vermont Regional Cancer Center	Letha Mills, MD	802-447-5600
WA	Bellingham		St. Joseph Hospital	Shelly Smits	360-738-6740
WA	Olympia		Western WashingtonCancer Treat. Center	Melody Edgington	360-754-3934
WA	Seattle	BL	Seattle Cancer Care Alliance includes Fred Hutchinson Cancer Res. Center University of Washington Medicine, Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center	Clinical Coordinator	800-804-8824
WA	Seattle		Puget Sound Cancer Center	Receptionist	206-365-8252
WA	Seattle		Providence Seattle Medical Center	Mehmet Fer, MD	206-227-2491
WA	Spokane		Holy Family Hospital	Representative	509-474-5490
WA	Spokane		Sacred Heart Medical Center	Representative	800-228-6618
WI	Eau Claire		Sacred Heart Hospital	Staff	715-839-3956
WI	Madison		Meriter Hospital, Inc.	Representative	608-267-6403
WI	Madison	BL	University of Wisconsin Cancer Center	Cancer Connect Office	800-622-8922
WI	Milwaukee		Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital	Joanne Neuman	414-805-3666
WI	Milwaukee		St. Luke’s Medical Center	Carla Rohloff, RN, BSN	414-385-2362
WV	Fairmont		Fairmont General Hospital	Trisha Julian	304-367-7247
WV	Parkersburg		Camden-Clark Memorial	Josie Poling	304-424-2744
WV	Wheeling		Wheeling Hospital	Lynn Wood	304-243-3260