We were looking for another surgeon to get a second opinion, and whoever we asked, we were given the same name: our surgeon. I believe he is good. I think all of them talk with each other because whenever we visit one of them, they mention discussions between each other. I'm not sure if this is called a tumor board. We met with the surgeon again after meeting the medical oncologist, and the surgeon said, 'You will not see me for a year.' Also, he was the first person mentioning about avoiding surgery if there is a complete response. He said chemo and radiation are necessary.

The medical oncologist did not inform us of the plan during our initial meeting. It was our first visit, and the focus was on addressing the kidney cancer issue, and to give us some general information about treatment of rectal cancer. He or they recommended kidney surgery as the initial step, allowing time for healing before deciding on subsequent steps. Following the kidney surgery, we consulted with a radiation oncologist, which left us feeling confused. We plan to meet with the medical oncologist soon to discuss the next steps.