← Return to Pancreatic spot

Discussion

Pancreatic spot

Pancreatic Cancer | Last Active: Aug 21, 2023 | Replies (12)

Comment receiving replies
@mikalleb

Update: so discouraged. Mayo won't even look at him until it's actually diagnosed as cancer. Doesn't make any sense to us. My husband argued with the intake person but she wouldn't budge. Does anyone know where he could get a second opinion in the St. Paul/Minneapolis area? Not MN Oncology.
Thanks!

Jump to this post


Replies to "Update: so discouraged. Mayo won't even look at him until it's actually diagnosed as cancer. Doesn't..."

Couple of thoughts. First, would Mayo gastroenterology see you to do the diagnostic workup? My pancan was diagnosed by a gastroenterologist who pulled the tumor marker blood tests and did the endoscopic ultrasound that verified diagnosis. He referred me to the surgical oncologist, who staged the cancer but wasn't involved in the initial diagnosis. Only then did I get referred to a medical oncologist so we could begin treatment. I don't know who you tried to see at Mayo, but maybe this is an option for you.

Second, I know nothing about MN, so please take this with a grain of salt. I looked on the NCI list for centers of excellence and found that besides Mayo, there is the Masonic Cancer Center at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. The National Pancreas Foundation lists those two clinics as well. I don't know whether the Univ of Minnesota clinic is the same place you went to first.
https://www.cancer.gov/research/infrastructure/cancer-centers/find/minnesotamasonic