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I went oncologist shopping about 6 months ago. I took all the information I had from tests etc, and made the appointment. I knew at the time that this new doctor was a temporary--a fill in for one that had left the practice. But I really wanted to move on. Luckily the new onc recocnized the Her2 problem and immediately offered me Herceptin!
I got lucky and you might, also. This onc and the replacement both seem very good and the infusion center, MUCH better than the one I had left.
I think telling your current onc that you want a second opinion and asking them to send your reports to another doctor is the way to go if you can. I have been taking a pet bird to a top bird specialist and will now be asking him for a referral to another vet for a second opinion. I hope he isn't offended, I have been going for several years, but some doctors, be it for human or other animals, have a different perspecitve on a problem and I want to know what it is. I think my vet will understand, though I don't think my oncologist would have understood why I wanted to leave him.
Best of luck and you might well mention the matter of health insurance, Alaska Angel. I found out that I would have been given second rate care from the first oncologist--not because my health insurance wouldn't cover it--it is because they wanted much more than what my health insurance would offer! As far as we can figure based on what they told me, they planned to give less than State of the Art Care with less than the State of the Art infusion center--at least based on compassion.
Janet/FL
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