6th Edition
America’s Trusted Source For Identifying Top Doctors
Text by John J. Connolly, Ed.D. & Jean Morgan, M.D.
A C A S T L E C O N N O L LY G U I D E
All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2011 by Castle Connolly Medical Ltd.
The selection of medical providers for inclusion in this book was based in part on opinions solicited from physicians, and other healthcare professionals. The author and publishers cannot assure the accuracy of information provided to them by third parties, since such opinions are necessarily subjective and may be incomplete. The omission from this book of particular healthcare providers does not mean that such providers are not competent or reputable. The purpose of this book is educational and informational. It is not intended to replace the advice of your physician or to assist the layman in diagnosing or treating illness, disease, or injury. Following the advice or recommendations set forth in this book is entirely at the reader’s own risk. The author and publishers cannot ensure accuracy of, or assume responsibility for, the information in the book as such information is affected by constant change. Liability to any person or organization for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions in this book is hereby disclaimed. Whenever possible, readers should consult their own primary care physician when selecting healthcare providers, including any selection based upon information contained in this book. In order to protect patient privacy the names of patients cited in anecdotes throughout the book have been omitted. Reproduction in whole or part, or storage in any data retrieval system and reproduction therefrom, is strictly prohibited and violates Federal copyright and trademark laws. The contents of this book are intended for the personal use of the buyer. Use for any commercial purpose is strictly prohibited and will be pursued vigorously. The confidence of our readers in our editorial integrity is crucial to the success of the Castle Connolly Guides. Any use of the Castle Connolly name, or of any list or listing (or portion of either) from any Castle Connolly Guide, for advertising or for any commercial purpose, without prior written consent, is strictly prohibited and may result in legal action. For more information, please contact: Castle Connolly Medical Ltd., 42 West 24th St, New York, New York 10010 212-367-8400x10 E-mail:
[email protected] Web site: http://www.castleconnolly.com. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 2010932434 ISBN 0-9845670-2-X; 978-0-9845670-2-7 (paperback) ISBN 0-9845670-3-8; 978-0-9845670-3-4 (hardcover) Printed in the United States of America
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Table of Contents About the Publishers ....................................................................................................xvi Medical Advisory Board .............................................................................................xviii Foreword - Vincent De Vita, M.D..................................................................................xx
Section I: Introduction Chapter 1:
Cancer in the U.S. Today ..........................................................................................3
Chapter 2:
Why Top Doctors and Top Hospitals ........................................................................7
Chapter 3:
How Castle Connolly Identified the Top Doctors for Cancer..................................11
Chapter 4:
Judging the Qualifications of a Physician ................................................................15
Chapter 5:
Maximizing Your First Appointment With a Top Doctor ........................................31
Chapter 6:
Clinical Trials...........................................................................................................37
Section II: Using This Guide to Find a Doctor Chapter 7:
How To Use This Book ...........................................................................................53 Locating a Specialist ........................................................................................55 Geographic Regions and States........................................................................55
Chapter 8:
Medical Specialties...................................................................................................57 Descriptions and Abbreviations .......................................................................58 The Training of a Specialist .............................................................................64
Chapter 9:
Partnership For Excellence Program.........................................................................67 List of Participating Hospitals...............................................................................68 City of Hope ...................................................................................................69 Cleveland Clinic Foundation...........................................................................70 Fox Chase Cancer Center ................................................................................71 Hackensack University Medical Center ...........................................................72 Maimonides Medical Center ...........................................................................73 Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center .......................................................74 Mount Sinai Medical Center ...........................................................................75 New York Eye & Ear Infirmary .......................................................................76 NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital .......................................................................77 NYU Langone Medical Center........................................................................78 Penn Medicine.................................................................................................79 Thomas Jefferson University Hospital .............................................................80 UHealth - University of Miami Health System................................................81
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Table of Contents Section III: Physician Listings by Medical Specialty Colon & Rectal Surgery ................................................................................................85 New England ......................................................................................................86 Mid Atlantic .......................................................................................................87 Southeast.............................................................................................................89 Midwest ..............................................................................................................89 Great Plains & Mountains ..................................................................................92 Southwest............................................................................................................92 West Coast & Pacific ..........................................................................................93
Centers of Excellence Cleveland Clinic Foundation ..............................................................................94 NYU Langone Medical Center ...........................................................................95
Dermatology .................................................................................................................97 New England ......................................................................................................98 Mid Atlantic .......................................................................................................99 Southeast...........................................................................................................102 Midwest ............................................................................................................103 Great Plains & Mountains ................................................................................105 Southwest..........................................................................................................105 West Coast & Pacific ........................................................................................106
Centers of Excellence NYU Langone Medical Center .........................................................................108
Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism .....................................................................109 New England ....................................................................................................110 Mid Atlantic .....................................................................................................110 Southeast...........................................................................................................111 Midwest ............................................................................................................111 Great Plains & Mountains ................................................................................111 Southwest..........................................................................................................112 West Coast & Pacific ........................................................................................112
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America’s Top Doctors® for Cancer 6th Edition
Table of Contents Gastroenterology.........................................................................................................115 New England ....................................................................................................116 Mid Atlantic .....................................................................................................116 Southeast...........................................................................................................118 Midwest ............................................................................................................119 Great Plains & Mountains ................................................................................120 Southwest..........................................................................................................120 West Coast and Pacific......................................................................................120
Centers of Excellence NYU Langone Medical Center .........................................................................122
Hematology/Medical Oncology .................................................................................123 Hematology .........................................................................................124 New England ....................................................................................................124 Mid Atlantic .....................................................................................................125 Southeast...........................................................................................................129 Midwest ............................................................................................................130 Great Plains & Mountains ................................................................................134 Southwest..........................................................................................................135 West Coast & Pacific ........................................................................................137
Medical Oncology ...............................................................................139 New England ....................................................................................................139 Mid Atlantic .....................................................................................................144 Southeast...........................................................................................................162 Midwest ............................................................................................................172 Great Plains & Mountains ................................................................................182 Southwest..........................................................................................................184 West Coast & Pacific ........................................................................................190
Centers of Excellence City of Hope.....................................................................................................200 Cleveland Clinic Foundation ............................................................................201 Cleveland Clinic Foundation ............................................................................202 Fox Chase Cancer Center..................................................................................203 Hackensack University Medical Center.............................................................204 Maimonides Cancer Center ..............................................................................205 Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center .........................................................206
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Table of Contents The Mount Sinai Medical Center .....................................................................207 NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.........................................................................208 NYU Langone Medical Center .........................................................................209 NYU Langone Medical Center .........................................................................210 Penn Medicine ..................................................................................................211 Thomas Jefferson University Hospital ...............................................................212 University of Miami Health System ..................................................................213
Neurological Surgery...................................................................................................215 New England ....................................................................................................216 Mid Atlantic .....................................................................................................217 Southeast...........................................................................................................221 Midwest ............................................................................................................223 Great Plains & Mountains ................................................................................226 Southwest..........................................................................................................227 West Coast & Pacific ........................................................................................228
Centers of Excellence Cleveland Clinic Foundation ............................................................................232 NYU Langone Medical Center .........................................................................233
Neurology....................................................................................................................235 Neurology ...........................................................................................236 Mid Atlantic .....................................................................................................236 Southeast...........................................................................................................237 Midwest ............................................................................................................237 Southwest..........................................................................................................238 West Coast & Pacific ........................................................................................239
Child Neurology .................................................................................239 New England ....................................................................................................239 Mid Atlantic .....................................................................................................239 Midwest ............................................................................................................240 West Coast & Pacific ........................................................................................240
Centers of Excellence NYU Langone Medical Center .........................................................................241
Obstetrics & Gynecology ...........................................................................................243 Gynecologic Oncology .........................................................................244 New England ....................................................................................................244
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Table of Contents Mid Atlantic .....................................................................................................246 Southeast...........................................................................................................249 Midwest ............................................................................................................252 Great Plains & Mountains ................................................................................255 Southwest..........................................................................................................255 West Coast & Pacific ........................................................................................257
Obstetrics & Gynecology ....................................................................259 New England ....................................................................................................259 Southeast...........................................................................................................259 Midwest ............................................................................................................259
Reproductive Endocrinology................................................................259 New England ....................................................................................................259 Mid Atlantic .....................................................................................................260 Midwest ............................................................................................................260
Centers of Excellence NYU Langone Medical Center .........................................................................261 NYU Langone Medical Center .........................................................................262
Ophthalmology ...........................................................................................................263 New England ....................................................................................................264 Mid Atlantic .....................................................................................................264 Southeast...........................................................................................................265 Midwest ............................................................................................................266 Great Plains & Mountains ................................................................................267 Southwest..........................................................................................................268 West Coast & Pacific ........................................................................................268
Centers of Excellence New York Eye & Ear Infirmary.........................................................................270
Orthopaedic Surgery ...................................................................................................271 Orthopaedic Surgery ...........................................................................272 New England ....................................................................................................272 Mid Atlantic .....................................................................................................272 Southeast...........................................................................................................274 Midwest ............................................................................................................275 Great Plains & Mountains ................................................................................277 Southwest..........................................................................................................277 West Coast & Pacific ........................................................................................277
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Table of Contents Hand Surgery ......................................................................................278 Mid Atlantic .....................................................................................................278 West Coast & Pacific ........................................................................................279
Centers of Excellence NYU Langone Medical Center .........................................................................280
Otolaryngology ...........................................................................................................281 New England ....................................................................................................282 Mid Atlantic .....................................................................................................282 Southeast...........................................................................................................286 Midwest ............................................................................................................289 Great Plains & Mountains ................................................................................292 Southwest..........................................................................................................292 West Coast & Pacific ........................................................................................294
Centers of Excellence NYU Langone Medical Center .........................................................................296
Pain Medicine .............................................................................................................297 New England ....................................................................................................298 Mid Atlantic .....................................................................................................298 Southeast...........................................................................................................299 Midwest ............................................................................................................299 Great Plains & Mountains ................................................................................300 Southwest..........................................................................................................301 West Coast & Pacific ........................................................................................301
Pathology ....................................................................................................................303 New England ....................................................................................................304 Mid Atlantic .....................................................................................................305 Southeast...........................................................................................................309 Midwest ............................................................................................................311 Great Plains & Mountains ................................................................................313 Southwest..........................................................................................................313 West Coast & Pacific ........................................................................................315
Centers of Excellence NYU Langone Medical Center .........................................................................318
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America’s Top Doctors® for Cancer 6th Edition
Table of Contents Pediatrics.....................................................................................................................319 Pediatric Hematology/Oncology .........................................................321 New England ....................................................................................................321 Mid Atlantic .....................................................................................................322 Southeast...........................................................................................................328 Midwest ............................................................................................................332 Great Plains & Mountains ................................................................................336 Southwest..........................................................................................................337 West Coast & Pacific ........................................................................................338
Pediatric Allergy & Immunology ........................................................341 Mid Atlantic .....................................................................................................341 West Coast & Pacific ........................................................................................341
Pediatric Cardiology.............................................................................341 Mid Atlantic .....................................................................................................341
Pediatric Endocrinology.......................................................................341 Mid Atlantic .....................................................................................................341 Southeast...........................................................................................................342 Midwest ............................................................................................................342
Pediatric Otolaryngology ....................................................................342 New England ....................................................................................................342 West Coast & Pacific ........................................................................................342
Pediatric Pulmonology ........................................................................343 West Coast & Pacific ........................................................................................343
Pediatric Radiology .............................................................................343 West Coast & Pacific ........................................................................................343
Pediatric Surgery .................................................................................343 New England ....................................................................................................343 Mid Atlantic .....................................................................................................343 Southeast...........................................................................................................344 Midwest ............................................................................................................345 Great Plains & Mountains ................................................................................346 Southwest..........................................................................................................346 West Coast & Pacific ........................................................................................346
Pediatrics .............................................................................................347 Mid Atlantic .....................................................................................................347 Southwest..........................................................................................................347
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Table of Contents Centers of Excellence NYU Langone Medical Center .........................................................................348
Plastic Surgery.............................................................................................................349 New England ....................................................................................................350 Mid Atlantic .....................................................................................................350 Southeast...........................................................................................................351 Midwest ............................................................................................................352 Great Plains & Mountains ................................................................................353 Southwest..........................................................................................................353 West Coast & Pacific ........................................................................................354
Psychiatry....................................................................................................................357 New England ....................................................................................................358 Mid Atlantic .....................................................................................................358 Midwest ............................................................................................................359 Great Plains & Mountains ................................................................................359 Southwest..........................................................................................................359 West Coast & Pacific ........................................................................................360
Pulmonary Disease......................................................................................................361 Mid Atlantic .....................................................................................................362 Southeast...........................................................................................................363 Midwest ............................................................................................................363
Centers of Excellence Cleveland Clinic ...............................................................................................364 NYU Langone Medical Center .........................................................................365
Radiology ....................................................................................................................367 Radiation Oncology ............................................................................369 New England ....................................................................................................369 Mid Atlantic .....................................................................................................371 Southeast...........................................................................................................376 Midwest ............................................................................................................380 Great Plains & Mountains ................................................................................384 Southwest..........................................................................................................385 West Coast & Pacific ........................................................................................387
Diagnostic Radiology ..........................................................................390 New England ....................................................................................................390
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America’s Top Doctors® for Cancer 6th Edition
Table of Contents Mid Atlantic .....................................................................................................391 Southeast...........................................................................................................393 Midwest ............................................................................................................394 Southwest..........................................................................................................394 West Coast & Pacific ........................................................................................395
Neuroradiology ...................................................................................395 Mid Atlantic .....................................................................................................395 Southeast...........................................................................................................396 Midwest ............................................................................................................396 West Coast & Pacific ........................................................................................396
Vascular & Interventional Radiology ...................................................397 New England ....................................................................................................397 Mid Atlantic .....................................................................................................397 Southeast...........................................................................................................398 Midwest ............................................................................................................398 West Coast & Pacific ........................................................................................399
Nuclear Medicine .................................................................................399 Mid Atlantic .....................................................................................................399 Southeast...........................................................................................................400 Midwest ............................................................................................................400 Southwest..........................................................................................................401 West Coast & Pacific ........................................................................................401
Centers of Excellence City of Hope.....................................................................................................402 Fox Chase Cancer Center..................................................................................403 NYU Langone Medical Center .........................................................................404 NYU Langone Medical Center .........................................................................405 NYU Langone Medical Center .........................................................................406 Penn Medicine ..................................................................................................407 University of Miami Health System ..................................................................408
Surgery ........................................................................................................................409 New England ....................................................................................................410 Mid Atlantic .....................................................................................................412 Southeast...........................................................................................................420 Midwest ............................................................................................................425
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Table of Contents Great Plains & Mountains ................................................................................431 Southwest..........................................................................................................432 West Coast & Pacific ........................................................................................436
Centers of Excellence City of Hope.....................................................................................................441 Cleveland Clinic Foundation ............................................................................442 Fox Chase Cancer Center..................................................................................443 Mount Sinai Medical Center.............................................................................444 NYU Langone Medical Center .........................................................................445 University of Miami Health System ..................................................................446
Thoracic Surgery .........................................................................................................447 New England ....................................................................................................448 Mid Atlantic .....................................................................................................449 Southeast...........................................................................................................452 Midwest ............................................................................................................454 Great Plains & Mountains ................................................................................455 Southwest..........................................................................................................456 West Coast & Pacific ........................................................................................457
Centers of Excellence NYU Langone Medical Center .........................................................................459
Urology .......................................................................................................................461 New England ....................................................................................................462 Mid Atlantic .....................................................................................................463 Southeast...........................................................................................................468 Midwest ............................................................................................................472 Great Plains & Mountains ................................................................................475 Southwest..........................................................................................................476 West Coast & Pacific ........................................................................................477
Centers of Excellence City of Hope.....................................................................................................480 Cleveland Clinic Foundation ............................................................................481 NYU Langone Medical Center .........................................................................482
Other Specialties .........................................................................................................483 Cardiovascular Disease.........................................................................487 Mid Atlantic .....................................................................................................487
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America’s Top Doctors® for Cancer 6th Edition
Table of Contents Clinical Genetics ..................................................................................487 New England ....................................................................................................487 Mid Atlantic .....................................................................................................487 Southeast...........................................................................................................487 Midwest ............................................................................................................488 Southwest..........................................................................................................488 West Coast & Pacific ........................................................................................488
Infectious Disease ................................................................................489 Mid Atlantic .....................................................................................................489 Great Plains & Mountains ................................................................................489 West Coast & Pacific ........................................................................................489
Internal Medicine.................................................................................489 Mid Atlantic .....................................................................................................489 Southeast...........................................................................................................490 Southwest..........................................................................................................490 West Coast & Pacific ........................................................................................490
Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation ....................................................491 Mid Atlantic .....................................................................................................491 Southeast...........................................................................................................491 Midwest ............................................................................................................491
Centers of Excellence Fox Chase Cancer Center..................................................................................493 NYU Langone Medical Center .........................................................................494
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Table of Contents Section IV: Appendices Appendix A: Medical Boards...........................................................................................................497 Appendix B: Hospital Listings ........................................................................................................507 Appendix C: Selected Cancer Resources..........................................................................................539 Appendix D: NCI Designated Cancer Centers................................................................................549
Section V: Indices Subject Index ....................................................................................................................................577 Special Expertise Index......................................................................................................................581 Alphabetical Listing of Doctors.........................................................................................................633 Acknowledgements............................................................................................................................667 Doctor-Patient Advisor .....................................................................................................................669 Castle Connolly Corporate Membership...........................................................................................670 Castle Connolly LifeStream MD.......................................................................................................671 Strategic Partnerships ........................................................................................................................672 Castle Connolly Services ...................................................................................................................674 Castle Connolly and Social Media ....................................................................................................675 National Physician of the Year Awards ..............................................................................................677 Other Products from Castle Connolly...............................................................................................679
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America’s Top Doctors® for Cancer 6th Edition
About the Publishers John K. Castle, the Chairman of Castle Connolly Medical Ltd., has spent much of the last three decades involved with healthcare institutions and issues. Mr. Castle served as Chairman of the Board of New York Medical College for eleven years, an institution where he served on the Board of Trustees for twenty-two years. Mr. Castle has been extensively involved in other healthcare and voluntary activities as well. He served for five years as a commissioner and officer of the Joint Commission formerly known as (JCAHO), the body which accredits most public and private hospitals throughout the United States. Mr. Castle has also served as a trustee of five different hospitals in the metropolitan New York region, including New York Presbyterian Hospital, where he continues to serve. Mr. Castle has also served as the Chairman of the Columbia Presbyterian Science Advisory Council and as a Director of the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research. He is a Fellow of New York Academy of Medicine and has served as a Trustee of the Academy. He was Chairman of the United Hospital Fund of New York’s Capital Campaign and continues as Director Emeritus of the United Hospital Fund. He is a Life Member of the MIT Corporation, the governing body of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Mr. Castle’s goal, as is the goal of Dr. John Connolly and all the Castle Connolly team, is to publish America’s Top Doctors®, America’s Top Doctors® for Cancer, Top Doctors: New York Metro Area, and other materials as well as build websites to help the public identify the very best in healthcare resources. Mr. Castle received his bachelors degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, his MBA as a Baker Scholar with High Distinction from Harvard, and two Honorary Doctorate degrees.
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About the Publishers
John J. Connolly, Ed.D. is the President & CEO of Castle Connolly Medical Ltd., and is the nation’s foremost authority on identifying top physicians. Dr. Connolly’s experience in healthcare is extensive. For over a decade he served as President of New York Medical College, the nation’s second largest private medical college. He is a Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine, a Fellow of the New York Academy of Sciences, a Director of the New York Business Group on Health, a member of the President’s Council of the United Hospital Fund, and a member of the Board of Advisors of Funding First, a Lasker Foundation initiative. Dr. Connolly has served as a trustee of two hospitals and as Chairman of the Board of one. He is extensively involved in healthcare and community activities and has served on a number of voluntary and corporate boards including the Board of the American Lyme Disease Foundation, of which he is a founder and past chairman, and the Board of Advisors of the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research. He was also a Director and Chairman of the Professional Examination Service. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Worcester State College, a Master’s degree from the University of Connecticut, and a Doctor of Education degree in College and University Administration from Teacher’s College, Columbia University. Dr. Connolly has authored or edited nine books and has been interviewed by more than 100 television and radio stations nationwide including Today Show, Good Morning America, 20/20, 48 Hours, Fox Cable News, CNN, and Weekend Today in New York, and he and Castle Connolly have been featured in major newspapers and magazines including The New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, the Daily News and the Boston Herald, Redbook, Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Ladies Home Journal, and regional magazines including New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Memphis, Palm Springs Life, Oklahoma, Pittsburgh and Atlanta magazines.
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Medical Advisory Board
Castle Connolly Medical Advisory Board Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. is pleased to have associated with a distinguished group of medical leaders who offer invaluable advice and wisdom in our efforts to assist consumers in making good healthcare choices. We thank each member of the Medical Advisory Board for their valuable contributions.
Jeremiah A. Barondess, M.D. President Emeritus New York Academy of Medicine Professor of Clinical Medicine Emeritus Weill-Cornell Medical College
Roger Bulger, M.D. National Institutes of Health (ret.)
Menard M. Gertler, M.D., D.Sc. Clinical Professor. of Medicine Cornell University Med School
Leo Henikoff, M.D. President and CEO (ret.) Rush Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center
Yutaka Kikkawa, M.D. Professor and Chairman Emeritus Department of Pathology, University of California, Irvine College of Health Sciences
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America’s Top Doctors® for Cancer 6th Edition
Medical Advisory Board David Paige, M.D. Professor Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University
Ronald Pion, M.D. Chairman and CEO Medical Telecommunications Associates
Richard L. Reece, M.D. Editor Physician Practice Options
Leon G. Smith, M.D. Chairman of Medicine St. Michael’s Medical Center, N.J.
Helen Smits, M.D. Former Deputy Director Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA)
Ralph Snyderman, M.D. Chairman Emeritus Duke University Health System
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Foreword
Vincent T. DeVita, Jr., MD Director, National Cancer Institute (1980-1988) As a physician, I‘ve spent my professional career valuing the ability to find the right information and resources I need - quickly, efficiently and with the confidence that my sources are reliable. Similarly, healthcare consumers need to be able to find reliable information about the very best medical and healthcare services is critical, especially when confronting a diagnosis of cancer. That’s why I like Castle Connolly’s consumer guide, America’s Top Doctors® for Cancer. In creating this guide to more than 2,000 of the nation’s leading medical specialists involved in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of various cancer in both adults and children, Castle Connolly has invested a tremendous amount of time, energy and money in its research, screening and evaluation processes. To illustrate some of the complexity of doing this kind work, let me share a story with you. In my capacity as Director of the NCI from 1980 to 1988, I was often deluged with phone call requests, frequently from members of Congress or other well-placed individuals, to help them with their own personal problem with cancer or that of a friend or relative - and “pretty damn quick”. They were not satisfied with just going to any doctor when their life, or the life of a friend or loved one was at stake - they wanted to know “who was doing what and where” and they wanted suggestions about the top doctors for their particular type of cancer. I often felt guilty that only a privileged few had access to this type of information. (This lack of fundamental information for the average patient is exactly what motivated Castle Connolly to start their “Top Doctors” series in 1991.)
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America’s Top Doctors® for Cancer 6th Edition
Foreword The National Cancer Act had been established in 1971 by an Act of the U.S. Congress as part of a national “War on Cancer.” Among its mandates for National Cancer Institute (NCI) was the creation of a cancer information service to get relevant information rapidly to cancer patients. Two unique individuals deserve credit and recognition for the role that they played in creating this information service. This part of the Cancer Act mandate was actually the brainchild of the philanthropist Mary Lasker, who was also one of the main architects of the passage of the Cancer Act itself. She had her finger on the pulse of the American public and was concerned, and correctly so in my view, that researchers and organizations that supported them, like the NIH, had a tendency to ignore the practical applications of their work for the public, despite the fact that their research was paid for by tax dollars. From the time of the passage of the act, Mary Lasker pursued each subsequent National Cancer Institute Director to build this information service. In 1981, Mr. Richard Bloch, of H&R Block, then a member of the National Cancer Advisory Board, and himself a successfully treated lung cancer patient, approached the NCI Director about his dream that a patient could use computerized information services to enter their personal information and get, in return, the most up-to-date management recommendations, and names of doctors using them. He was motivated by his own experience. He had had to fight his way through the system, being told by several doctors that he was incurable before he found where to go, and the physicians to provide the treatment that ultimately cured him. It was his goal, a goal to which he dedicated the rest of his life; to see that cancer patients like him got the information they needed. With the strong advocacy of Mary Lasker and Richard Bloch, in 1984 NCI launched the PDQ system at the National Library of Medicine. It was the first computerized database in the world, aimed at the general public, devoted to a single disease, cancer. PDQ included lists of institutions, treatment protocols, and physicians devoted to managing cancer patients, all geographically matrixed, to allow patients, regardless of their status, to find the most appropriate doctor, treatment, and or clinical trial for them anywhere in the country and in their locale as well. Ironically, this aspect of PDQ - a list of specialists that seemed so logical and necessary - was controversial. From cancer specialists themselves, we heard that since not all cancer specialists (for example Cancer Surgeons) are “certified” by boards that test their qualifications for the cancer part of their work, the PDQ lists did not include “ board certification” as a selection criteria. The PDQ physician list was also constructed primarily by using input and lists from specialty organizations. By building our list with assistance from specialty organizations, we were told, we had abrogated peer review and would be including doctors who might be only marginally qualified as specialists. To identify all doctors who were capable of providing modern care for cancer patients, on an individual basis, was not within the capability of the NCI or any government or private institution at the time. And to identify who were among the most qualified to diagnosis and treat specific types of cancers was simply not within our purview. And yet we knew that finding the right doctor at the right time could be a matter of life and death. www.castleconnolly.com
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Foreword Fast-forward to 2005 - PDQ and the Cancer Information Service have played a big part in the decline in national mortality rates from cancer in the US that began in 1990 and has continued since then. PDQ has now become a more complex information system about cancer and NCI cancer programs. But regrettably, the one thing that patients appreciated the most - the list of cancer doctors - is no longer a part of the PDQ system. Castle Connolly’s America’s Top Doctors® for Cancer represents the much-needed and long-overdue answer for consumers – and physicians - seeking the top cancer specialists. Their physician-led Research Team has tackled some of the tough issues and developed criteria for selection, built on the foundation of Castle Connolly’s wellrespected national survey process that has enabled them to identify the leading physicians in more than twenty medical specialties associated with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancers. The breadth and depth of the information they offer on each profiled physician will enable readers to be empowered consumers, to make informed decisions about the right doctor for their particular type of cancer. The guide also includes valuable information on some of the nation’s most outstanding medical centers and specialty hospitals that are involved in the treatment of cancers. America’s Top Doctors® for Cancer will be an invaluable resource – a user-friendly, trusted source of information from an independent nationally renowned healthcare research and information company. I believe that using Castle Connolly’s America’s Top Doctors® for Cancer as a key source of information will help cancer patients and their loved ones navigate the complexities of the American healthcare system to find – and receive – the highest quality medical care. Vincent T. DeVita, Jr., MD Amy and Joseph Perella Professor of Medicine Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine (New Haven, Connecticut) Director, National Cancer Institute (1980-1988)
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Section I Introduction
•1• Cancer in the U.S. Today If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with cancer, this book is for you. Although one in four Americans will be told they have cancer at some point during their lives, it is important to emphasize this no longer automatically carries a grim prognosis. Due to advances in treatment and, more importantly, early detection, people with cancer are living longer as well as healthier and more productive lives. While the overall quality of medical care throughout the United States is generally of very high quality, and in many places is superb, there are still those rare, complex or extremely difficult problems that demand resources beyond the ordinary or that require talents that are exceptional. There is no denying fear is the most common reaction to the word “cancer,” at least initially. Cancer has recently emerged as the leading cause of death of Americans under age 85. Bernadine Healy, M.D., former Director of the National Institutes of Health, wrote in U.S. News and World Report that cancer is both “sneaky and inexplicably virulent in many of its forms.” These characteristics go a long way toward making cancer even more formidable than heart disease, another major killer. However, Dr. Healy also described how advances in identification and prevention have restrained cancer from “galloping” through our population. We are all familiar with PAP smears which can identify early forms of cervical cancer in women, or the Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) test for prostate cancer in men, as well as colonoscopies that permit doctors to remove potentially cancerous polyps from the colon. Many cancers are potentially curable, provided they are detected in the early stages. Growing awareness of early warning signs and symptoms, together with advances in screening, have resulted in major improvements in cancer survival.
Many cancers are potentially curable, provided they are detected in the early stages. www.castleconnolly.com
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Section I Prevention is even more important. Jane E. Brody, one of the nation’s leading health columnists, wrote in The New York Times about life-enhancing changes involving diet and exercise we can make that may enable us to live cancer-free beyond the age of 85. At the same time that methods of diagnosis and prevention have advanced, so too has our ability to treat cancer. In fact, today, many people are completely cured or are able to cope with their cancer as a chronic disease. There are nearly 10 million cancer survivors in the U.S. alone. Americans’ risk of getting cancer and dying from cancer continues to decline and survival rates for many cancers continue to improve. The 2009 Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, 1975-2006, which is a colaboration among the American Cancer Society (ACS), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACR), provides updated information on cancer rates and trends in the United States, found that both incidence and death rates decreased by
