Centers of Excellence versus other providers

There is a Mayo in Phoenix. Depends on where you are on west coast.

Where in the west coast? If you are near San Francisco or Los Angeles, that are plenty of top centers of excellence. If you’re moving to Oregon or Washington not so much. UCSF and UCLA are both top centers to go to.

Wherever you move, you want to make sure there is a Genito Urinary oncologist you can go to. Those oncologist specialize in prostate cancer. Medical oncologist, work with all types of cancer and can’t keep up with all the things going on with prostate cancer, which is constantly changing.

If you want to be able to find out whether there is a Genito urinary oncologist where you are moving you could come to one of the Ancan.org weekly advanced prostate cancer meetings. The people there know where those top oncologist are, all over the country, and can advise you who to go to.

One attendee who lives in Oregon has to keep coming down to San Francisco because there are no oncologist that are really prostate specialists there.

I am very happy that I was treated at a major Cancer Centre (our Canadian equivalent of a U.S. "Center of Excellence"). PCa treatment is evolving rapidly, and a research oncologist at a major interdisciplinary institution is far more likely to be up to date, and to have access to trials, patient-access programmes for new drugs, etc. They also have colleagues who can step in with their own expertise in other areas.

I doubt I'd be doing so well right now if I were just being treated by a lone urologist at a regular hospital or clinic, but of course, it's impossible to know for sure.

2. I use two oncologist. One from at an "NCI" funded teaching/research Cancer Institute. Her role is primarily my treatment plan consultant. Epically helpful. Her ideas and suggestions always end up in my treatment plan. Two, my local oncologist is more operational, he delivers high quality and caring treatments for me locally.

The local oncologist took a lot of tries and interviews before I finally selected him. His communication style, humanist bedside manner, and sense of humor really help. He knows great.

If in Seattle, although there is no official "Center of Excellence" specifically ranked for Urology excellence, there is Fred Hutchinson/University of Washington and Providence/Swedish Urology. The former is reknown for oncology and may be better for that aspect while I chose the latter after screening and second opinions, etc. leading to my surgery. Both organizations have surgeons who have performed over 1000 robotically assisted radical prostatectomies (RARP).
If choosing surgery, the experience of the surgeon and his team is paramount.
Best wishes on your journey, you have come to the right place for support!

Dear Northoftheborder
Please send me contact
information about Canadian Centre of Excellence.
I am Canadian with PC.
CALGARY

(replied privately)

I believe it is critical to have your MO be a Genitourinary (GU) specialty oncologist and have your care at a Center of Excellence. Very few oncologists in private practice specialize only in GU oncology. I agree with the other comments that the field is changing so rapidly that you need this expertise to get the best care.

I live in Georgia and when I discovered my G9 prostate cancer had spread to one bone site (oligometastatic) I did extensive research and elected to get my care directed by a very experienced MO at Johns Hopkins. I have traveled to other cities frequently in my life for pleasure so why wouldn't I do the same when my life depended on it.

Having practiced medicine for 40+ years I can say with certainty that not all physicians have equal knowledge, skills or dedication. There is wide variation as there is in all professions.

Good luck.

One of the top centers is in Vancouver . In Toronto there is the world renouned ( 5th in the world for Cancer Treatment & Research ) Princess Margaret Hospital . Also in Toronto . Sunnybrook and Toronto General Hospital . Plus others .

Your closest place is The Vancouver Prostate Center . It's ranked as one of the top , if not the top, in Canada See also my post Princess Margaret Hospital , Sunnybrook Hospital and the Toronto General , all in Toronto .