Mom,
I spoke with Jill - one of the navigators at Memorial Sloan Kettering about your case and your interest in seeking a treatment option there. All the major research hospitals work in collaborative teams that evaluate your diagnosis, medical history, age etc. and recommend the treatment that best suits your condition. They will also be able to answer your questions about the suitability of each option for you.
The institutions below are among the best in the world with the most advanced technology. It is perfectly reasonable to start a case with Memorial Sloan Kettering and Penn in parallel. Penn obviously is your best option because its close to home but MSM gives you another excellent option–there are others that I can look into as well such as Columbia-Cornell and NYU-Langone.
My sense is that with a metastatic case there is a two-pronged approach–eliminate growths with the most targetted least invasive treatment possible and supress spreading/recurrance with a systemic treatment i.e. by drug, immunotherapy, hormonal therapy etc. I think its premature to make this decision before your team of doctors has a chance evaluate, recommend and explain your options to you. Although clearly, waiting to start treatment is difficult I think you’ll assemble the best advice on treatment this way.
To get started at MSM I’m summarizing Jill’s information and what she requested (I opened a case for you but you’ll need to follow-up)
Jill - Breast Cancer navigator 646-497-9064 phone 646-227-2408 fax
She will need the following which should be similar to what you provided to Penn . . .
Identification:
* Social Security Number
* Health Insurance Provider and Policy Number
Records from Fox Chase:
* Scans (PET, MRI, CT) <= most recent
* Last doctor’s note (recommendation for treatment)
recent biopsy
Medical history including:
* original diagnosis
* pathology - lumpectomy
* chemo and radiation history
Since you will be at Penn on Thursday, I can get this information to MSM while you are there if you’d like.
Love,
Scott *Note to right-click on any link that doesn’t open directly and choose “open in a new window”