Pster Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 (for dh) A friend and I were discussing what type of dr an oncologist is and I said it was a dr whose specialty was tumors. But now that I look into it more - I see that it is more specifically.... the study of cancerous tumors. So...would a person go there to see if a tumor was/wasn't malignant? Or....should you know that first before you go there? I don't want to "waste" a dr appmt with a specialist. But.... we need to know what kind of tumors we are dealing with - I figured this type of specialist would know...right? course this is kinda last minute considering he has an appmt at 10am tomorrow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 I think that, when you're dealing with something as serious as a tumor, an appt with a specialist is never wasted. Is there a concern that the tumors in question might be cancerous? Were you referred to the onc by another doctor? Either way, s/he will be getting paid for your visit, so I'd put this in the "better safe than sorry" category, personally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pster Posted January 22, 2008 Author Share Posted January 22, 2008 true, true.... It's just that we just had an appmt with a neuro-surgeon and he was a waste of time. I guess they can't turn us away because we don't know if it is or not, right? I just want somebody to tell us something for sure...100% they know because of...x,y,z. And then we can move on & do something... ok, thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 An oncologist is a cancer specialist, but he will be able to tell you about the tumor and what you're dealing with. I would keep the appointment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy in MD Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 it's as obvious as my last cancer was. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT, drag your feet on this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claire Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 An oncologist will be able to definitively determine if tumors are benign or cancerous. A doctor who does not specialize in oncology might mistake one for the other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pster Posted January 22, 2008 Author Share Posted January 22, 2008 I am so sorry you have had to go thru this. It must be very, very difficult. What we've been thru has been very rough. Maybe "waste" an appmt was phrasing it wrong - I want to go to the right dr's and not take any "long" roads to get there... does that make sense? We are still in the trying to get it diagnosed phase - and it's hard waiting to find out. I definitely want to figure out what the tumor is early so I/we can do something - anything. Thinking about tomorrow makes me worry. Thank you for sharing Kathy. Believe me I am scared... just have to wait and see what this dr's opinion is. (( Kathy)) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackie in AR Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 ((Pster)) Let us know what you find out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdWTMer Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 There is a website: http://38lemon.com Maybe it can help, but let me caution you it is about a guy named David who is actually going through treatments for brain cancer. He actually blogs every day. He may have some info on there on how you could proceed. I must admit that I am fascinated by his blog. I go every night to read about his day. I hope that this can help you. :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy in MD Posted January 23, 2008 Share Posted January 23, 2008 going to skip seeing the doctor. And I didn't want you to make that mistake. But you do want to see the oncologist soon. He is the one who will manage and coordinate the work of other specialists. He will very possibly send you in for a biopsy, so don't be surprised if you also see a surgeon very soon also. You might also ask the oncologist if you should set up an appointment with a surgeon before seeing him. Be sure to get a recommendation for a surgeon from the oncologist. You want these two to work as a team in diagnosising and possibly treating you. The worse time is the waiting. It is scary. Horribly scary. I think any action is better than sitting around waiting. (( )) I'm praying that your tumor is benign. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*LC Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 Pster, I hope today's appointment brought you some answers. I pray that it was good news. There are some kinds of tumors that are treated by an oncologist even though they are considered "benign." Some kinds of "benign" central nervous tumors are extremely dangerous. In fact, they have started calling them low-grade tumors instead of benign tumors for the reason you brought up in your post. The surgeon tells the patient that the removed tumor was benign and follow-up with this oncologist. The patients hears benign and thinks "why should I go see an oncologist." So, there is no follow-up or treatment, if needed. Sometimes the only follow-up needed is regular MRIs. (There could be other kinds of benign tumors that work this way, but we dealt with a brain tumor for five years.) I cyber-know the mom of David from http:38lemon.com that sdWTMer mentioned in her post. She joined a BT mailing list after he was diagnosed three years ago with an inoperable, "benign" brain tumor, grade ll. My husband had the same kind of tumor. (I'm stepping on my soapbox for a moment. If you or a loved one are ever told you have an inoperable brain tumor, go get a few other opinions from the top neurosurgeons that specialize in brain tumors. There are inoperable tumors, but a lot of times "inoperable" has more to do with that particular neurosurgeon's ability than the tumor itself.) It took David a year or more to find a neurosurgeon that would operate. The NS removed half of the tumor, I think. He went on chemo for a couple of years. Last month, he learned the tumor had grown. He had a second surgery. According to his website, his tumor is now "malignant," a grade IV. (Actually, he has a mixed tumor with two different pathologies.) While statistics don't mean anything for an individual patient, the statistics are awful for this particular kind of tumor. The latest advance has brought the average life expectancy up to 14 months after initial diagnosis of a grade IV brain tumor. Sorry, like Kathy in MD, I don't mean to scare you, but I want to make sure your husband is in the right place. Do I remember correctly that your husband is dealing with a spinal tumor? I don't know about spinal tumors, but I know doctors cannot diagnosis brain tumors with only an MRI. They will tell you that the tissue is the issue even though they may have an opinion on what the biopsy or sugery will reveal. I don't remember your husband having a biopsy or surgery. Is that an option? Have you been told no by the 2 or 3 neurosurgeons that specialize in spinal tumors. (Sorry, back on that soapbox again. It just amazed me that doctors would never suggest seeing a more experienced surgeon that could "save" a patients life.) Again, I pray that I just gave you a bunch of information that you no longer need. LC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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