NY Presbyterian Hospital

[PNR]

Does anyone have any experience with NY Presbyterian Hosptial? I am asking for my 18 year old son. We are in NJ and saw a local urologist, but I looked up NY Presbyterian and they are rated 5th in the nation for treatment of TC. We have an appointment on Friday with a Dr. in NY and I was just wondering if anyone else had any experience with this hospital. Any info or insight would be appreciated as we are trying to make the best decision for him as possible in this difficult situation.

[Paul54]

I recall several guys going to NY Pres, but off-hand can't remember who. I'm sure they are terrific at this stage of the game. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center also in Manhattan is probably rated 1 or 2. They have a branch in Basking Ridge NJ, although I'm not sure they conduct initial consultations there. MSKCC is one of the best places to be for advanced stage disease, which we pray won't be the case. From your other posts, it sounds like your son caught this early.

Not only are you not alone in this battle, but there is a boat-load of Jersey members here. I am a native of Bergen County.
Paul

[a.d.]

I'm sure that NY Presb is a great option, and MSKCC is of course the first go to for serious cases. The orchiectomy - which seems to loom in the future for your son - is a relatively simple procedure that I'm sure your doctors in NJ will have no problems with. X-ray, CT scans and pathology likewise don't require world class experts (although the pathology can be complex sometimes; when this happens a second opinion from a leading expert can be helpful). Whether a long commute and potentially higher bills are justified after the orchiectomy depends on the pathology/ staging. I had the exact same options as you. In the end, I stayed with a somewhat less reputable doctor/ hospital because it was more convenient and because it was clear that I would go on surveillance. If I needed chemo or radiation, though, I might choose to do it at a different place. Should your son require an RPLND surgery (let's hope he won't), you need to see one of the leading experts, if at all possible.

[PNR]

Thanks to all of you for the info. We are going tomorrow. I read that NY Presb. is 5th and Sloan Kettering is 10th. I am sure the doctor here is very competent, it's just that he is only 18 and as a Mom if I can take him to the best of places within reason I have to at least try. Thankfully we are fortunate with our insurance as this doctor and facility in NY are in network. Hopefully it will all work out. I really appreciate all of the support on this forum. I certainly learned a lot from all of you. You are all amazing!

[Aegean]

I read that NY Presb. is 5th and Sloan Kettering is 10th

In terms of specifically treating TC, MSKCC is 1 or 2 along with Indiana University. That being said, the removal of the testicle is actually a short and fairly simple operation. This can be done by any experienced urological surgeon and there is no need to hunt around too much as long as the person has done it before. The important part is to make sure that you get the pathology done by a qualified genito-urology pathologist. A few member on this board had their slides sent to MSKCC for a second read just to make sure.

Since you are at the beginning of this journey, you should also ask to get a baseline read on your sons testosterone levels if not already done. This can be useful later to determine if his hormone levels have been impacted by the removal.

The most important thing right now is to get the testicle out as soon as possible. Keep copies of all records and reports and CT scans as well. Make a folder.

If the size of the tumor is any indication, hopefully your son has caught this early. He'll get through with flying colors!!