Be advised that because the National Cancer Institute (NCI) funds most of the cancer research in the U.S, its designation of an institution as a comprehensive cancer center (CCC) or cancer center (CC) has everything to do with a facility's research interests and nothing to do with patient care. Institutions choose to apply for NCI designation, which can lead to additional research funding, and the approval process can take as long as a decade. However, given that the top research institutions do tend to attract the top physicians, the list Christine linked to -- the list of NCI-designated facilities -- is a good starting point.
Note: The difference between NCI-designated CCCs and CCs is that the CCCs do research in three broad areas, while the CCs concentrate in one or two. Just to confuse matters further, the phrase "comprehensive cancer center" or CCC is also used on these boards to refer to an institution -- not necessarily an NCI-designated one -- that uses a team approach for each case, bringing together specialists from a variety of areas (surgery, radiology, chemo, etc.) to determine an individualized treatment plan. Make sure that wherever you end up uses this approach.
Another list to check is the
National Comprehensive Cancer Network, the alliance of 23 leading U.S. cancer centers that annually develops and publishes the
state-of-the-art treatment guidelines. You'll note that two of the NCCN members are in your area -- UCSF and Stanford.
Finally, there's the list of
best cancer hospitals published yearly by U.S. News. To get more specific, you can cross-reference this with U.S. News' list of the
best hospitals for ear, nose and throat (ENT) (for example, Johns Hopkins is #4 in cancer and #1 in ENT).
These lists are probably the best places to start to "narrow down on a good doctor and a good hospital."
As for finding a doctor,
Mamacita offered this advice in a recent post:
[quote=Mamacita]-- No matter where you go, you should also choose the best doctors. Do your research before you call so that you can request the best doctors by name. Even CCCs have some docs who are stronger than others. Ask your GP, ENT or medically connected friends to recommend the top docs. Look at each docs publications -- Do they publish? Does his/her research show a predominant and recent interest in HNC? Do any of their publications concern your particular HNC? Is the doc in a leadership role at his/her institution or in national medical groups? All are signs that the doc is at the top of his/her field.[/quote]
Where you are treated can depend on a number of factors, including your medical insurance (or lack of same) and willingness or unwillingness to travel. Since I first got involved here in 2006, I've known of a patient from California who flew to New York for treatment at Memorial Sloan-Kettering. Several people here, including OCF founder Brian Hill, traveled to Houston for treatment at M.D. Anderson; others have come to Baltimore for Johns Hopkins. Many people opt to stay closer to home, of course -- but wherever you are treated, everyone here will strongly recommend that you get a second opinion from one of the top facilities, which could confirm the recommendations of your initial consultation or could open up new treatment possibilities that doctors at smaller institutions just may not be aware of. Many health insurance plans will cover the cost of a second opinion, and some insist on it before treatment begins.
And keep coming back!
