IN SEARCH OF AN EXCELLENT DOCTOR... - Cancer: Prostate Message Board

groundhog · 07-23-2003, 11:49 PM

My doctor seems to have no plan for early detection. After talking with him, he seems to feel that in the world of prostate issues, nobody knows anything for sure, nothing really works, etc. He says that antibiotics don't really do anything better than placebos, and that docs prescribe them basically because they don't know of anything else to do. He says that if the medical community did PSA testing on all of the patients that they could, that the medical system would be overwhelmed and that PSA tests don't tell you anything that useful anyway. He thinks that prostate pain is mostly an auto-imune thing.

From talking to him, it seems that you just wait and see if you get cancer, and then after you get it real good, the doc just gives you the news of whether you're a gonner or not.

I asked him if there is early detection with prostate cancer and he just started talking real fast and louder. In the end I just nodded and didn't know anything more than before I asked the question.

I believe alot of what he is telling me.... BUT even though this medical science may be prehistoric, I am here now and must deal with the world as it is. And I want a doctor that will TRY. Not someone who waits for every thing to have absolute concrete studies before trying anything. I want a doctor that trys things, uses his own head, and reaches to the future of medicine and trys to save and protect his patients NOW with whatever tools he has or can find. I am hiring a prostate expert for one thing - to be in charge of the prostate department that is next to my *** and minimise the chances that it will bite my ***.

Does anyone know of a doctor in the Baltimore area that fits - even remotely - the description of the type of doctor I am looking for? I will drive 2 hours in any direction. Maybe more.

Sincerely,
Mr. Groundhog

KennyH · 08-05-2003, 04:41 PM

You are close to best hospital in the nation for Prostrate Problems. U.S. News & World reported that John Hopkins in Baltimore is the top hospital in the nation for prostrate problems. I would contact the hospital for a list of doctors that specialize in Prostrate problems and visit the first on the list.
Then ask for a list of people that he has sucessfully treated and go from there. My PSA has been up and down and if I have a higher psa I will be doing the same. Good luck.

JanettoB · 08-06-2003, 09:34 PM

I agree 100% with KennyH about the best doctors for prostate being in Baltimore.

My brother, who lives in Louisiana, was diagnosed with prostate cancer at age 48. His PSA would hoover around 3.5 - 3.8 - 4.2. After an antibiotic treatment and 6 month wait and see period, he had a 20 point biopsy done under sedation. Two of the 20 came back positive!!!!! What if he had only had 10 sticks and none of these had cancer!!!

After much much research on options, he flew to Baltimore's John Hopkins for the "NERVE SPARING" surgery. He was operated on by Dr. Carter......who pioneered this nerve sparing surgery.

Today, my brother is neither impotent nor incontinent!!!! After having new PSA testing done.....looks like his cancer is sitting on a shelf in Baltimore!!!

Dr. Carter call my brother once a month (certain day and time) to see how he continues to feel. This is part of their followup research.

Check out JOHN HOPKINS!!!!! You could not be in a better place!!!

Janetto

mckeener · 08-28-2003, 07:16 AM

We are down south and have access to H.Lee Moffett. We were lucky we had a primary care doctor that was concerend about my husband's family history. His father, grandfather and several uncles had prostate cancer and his mother, grandmother and aunt had breast cancer. Because of this he was sent to a urologist for a complete workup.

There was no signs. No abnormal P.S.A (0.5) no enlarged prostate with the digital exam just the history.

Any good uroligest will listen to your concerns. If you are over fifty the P.S.A is standard if you are under fifty and have any history of prostate cancer in your family they will do the tests.

Ultrasounds of the prostate for men with family history of the desease is just like Mamograms for younger women. Both cancers run in the family and both have a very good recovery rate when caught early.

ANNETTE H · 09-01-2003, 11:03 AM

We have always heard that 88% of men will have prostate cancer when they die,but almost none will die from it. Prostate cancer brings men into the women's world of the unknown! My father at 85 just started chimo for P.C. and my husband shows high on testing. You just hope that the drs you have are good enough to listen to you and understand what you are saying. As with so many diseases lab work is a constant part of your life. Good luck!