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@hanscasteels I am sorry about your experience with your oncologists. There are other oncologists at the Grand River Regional Cancer Center. I suggest that you request an appointment with another oncologist there.
In my experience, I didn't have the chance to choose who to see in my cancer center. One of my appointments was with one of the top oncologists at my cancer center. However, on the appointed date, another doctor (his assistant, it seemed to me) saw me and did my gold seeds/fiducial markers implant. I also did not have the chance to choose the members of my care team (an aspirational goal based on a few posts I read). Each one of my 5 SBRT sessions was with a different radiation team. I heard that my cancer center does a thousand SBRTs a year, so I can assume each team has enough experience anyway and know what they are doing. But I have been seen four times by the same radiation oncologist (except the one for the fiducial markers). I think this is the limitation of our taxpayer-funded medical care, we don't get to choose who will treat us, compared to who will want to pay with our own or our insurance money for treatment. I believe there are other oncologists who could have been more helpful to you. Regards,
Replies to "@hanscasteels I am sorry about your experience with your oncologists. There are other oncologists at the..."
Oh, and for the record, while a cancer centre will initially assign us to whichever oncology team has space free, even under universal healthcare we do have the right to ask for a second opinion or even a different oncologist. More info here:
https://cancer.ca/en/living-with-cancer/coping-with-changes/working-with-your-healthcare-team/getting-a-second-opinion
much appreciated. You’re right: in a publicly funded system, we don’t often get the luxury of choosing our specialists. But while I understand the logistical reality, I don’t believe it should excuse poor communication or dismissiveness. When an oncologist opens with, "What are you doing here? You’re wasting my time," that’s not a resource constraint—it’s a failure of professionalism.
Like you, I’ve accepted that continuity of care is patchy at best, and I don’t expect concierge service. But I do expect that if someone’s going to implant radioactive seeds near my rectum or decide my long-term survival strategy, they might engage for more than seven minutes and refrain from treating questions as a personal inconvenience.
I agree—it’s reassuring that these centers handle high volumes and have experienced staff. But volume doesn't justify apathy. Competence without compassion is assembly-line medicine.
So yes, I’ll be requesting another oncologist—and perhaps logging a formal complaint, not out of vindictiveness, but because if we don’t call this out, it continues. We deserve better, even in a “free” system.
Thanks again for your thoughtful response—and I genuinely hope your treatment continues to go smoothly.
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Yes, if Grand River works like my cancer centre (elsewhere in the province), the senior oncologists lead teams that include at least one resident and maybe some interns as well as an oncology nurse.
My onsite appointments would involve my going into a room and meeting the nurse first, then waiting a few minutes and seeing a resident, then at the end, the senior oncologist (sometimes accompanied by an intern). It was useful, because the nurse and resident had more time to talk, so I could refine my questions before I got to the senior onco.
The nurses made their own entries in my chart, separate from the oncologists.
Now I have a younger oncologist (ex Harvard med school) who hasn't built up a team under him yet, and we meet mainly remotely, since my situation has been stable for a long time. He's easy going and chatty, which is a big change from my former Big Gun (who was great, and got me onto what was in 2021 a cutting-edge treatment path).