Anyone with UCSF experience? Treatment advice?

I did not end up using Dr. Carroll, but his reputation is one of the top five in the country. I chose a guy with similar background and the results were great. I do know two people who used Dr. Carroll and they have had great results. i did not want to be laid up and chose the robotic procedure over open and that was the only reason I did not go to Dr. Carroll.

Tony

Hi Rdlesstrav'ld,
I'd like to welcome you as well to the forum!  Please, make yourself at home with kind friends who are here to listen and to help in ways for which they are able.

You mentioned that Dr. Carroll was your second opinon.  In you don't mind, was the recommendation from the first doctor?

Kind regards,

  Hi ~   This forum truly is a blessing for many.   Thank you for sharing that it’s made a difference for you!   Please ~ continue to stay close .   It is important for you physically as well as mentally.   Making your decision is a very personal one.   And having so many friends here on HealingWell willing to share their experiences… (Good, Bad, and/or Scary)… gives us the Knowledge to help move us forward in our decision.   YOU MAKE THE DECISIONS… YOU HAVE OPTIONS… ~ and ~ Your decision will be the right decision for you!!!   Friends of the forum will be walking beside you.   We truly are great at stabilizing any stepping-stones in your path that may seem a little wobbly.   The most important thing is… Stay Close!   Okay…   and just for the fun of it!   Start kegeling.   Why?   You never know what the future holds until you make that entry into treatment… and it can’t hurt!   Be prepared!     As time permits ~ a signature attached to your postings will help all of us to know where you’ve been and where you are today.   Directions are located in the link above in your Welcome Message… and a “name” (even one made-up) brings your journey a little closer for all of us!!   Our thoughts are with you ~ and we will continue to keep you close! In Friendship ~ Lee & Buddy

Rossi's name kept on recurring on boards and in books, but your point is well-taken; given seeing someone else, and at least being able to evaluate the treatment, or holding out for Rossi, and never seeing anyone before my scheduled brachytherapy, the obvious choice is to see someone other than Rossi. I'm going to see if that makes a difference, and thanks for the suggestion.

I'm sure it doesn't say anything about the rest of their program - it is excellent.  What it says is that proton is becoming very popular as an option to surgery and is also being used for surgery salvage.  Also, being the place where the largest number of prostate cancers are treated, alot of men are willing to travel in order to go there, so they are coming from all over the country.  I can't think of any other suggestions except what you are doing - open to all doctors, on waiting list for cancellation and maybe a call weekly might shake something up.  Good luck.

Dutch

Rdlesstrav'ld,

Having just completed 44 treatments at Loma Linda on the 28th of September, I know of several issues that could be influencing your ability to get a faster track for consult.

One is that they are not accepting any patients currently for Gantry 1, as they are to start performing a major upgrade in November to that treatment room with the installation of a new robotic Proton delivery system developed in conjunction with NASA. This will cut setup time in half, allow them to have 10 times the current precision in delivery and will allow them for the first time to treat not only locally metastatic tumors of the prostate but also cancers of the lung and some other organs. Lung cancers had previously been untreatable with Protons because the movement of the torso while breathing made it impossible to deliver an accurate conformal dose. This computer assisted arm will be able to track the target area while the patient breathes normally. Eventually all 3 gantries and the fixed beam room will be upgraded. The rad oncology staff is excited because this is the first real upgrade since the facility started treating patients 17 years ago.

Another issue is that they are actively recruiting several new doctors. I know that my attending Dr. Luu is or has left to take a job with the radiation medicine department at Stanford University. Evidently the idea of working with the linear accelerator there was too much to resist. The remaining docs probably have pretty full slates and schedules. Also around the holidays it tends to become congested as there will be interruptions for Thanksgiving and Christmas, so some choose to wait till after the 1st of the year.

If you have your heart set on Protons, Loma Linda is the place to go, regardless of the wait. Our numbers are almost identical I see, including age so if you would like to chat my email below my forum name is active. Drop me a line and I would be glad to call you at your convenience to answer any questions you may have about the process. I see you are coming to Seattle for seeds or do you already live in Puget Sound? If so we are neighbors as I live in the area myself.

Hope some of this helps and hope to hear from you if you are interested.

John