MultiCare Health System

Finding an Oncologist

A diagnosis of cancer can immediately turn a person’s life upside down.  Things begin to spiral out of control, and one feels as if they have lost command of both their body and their life.  Autopilot goes on. It is exactly at this time that a most important decision needs to be made… “Who will be my oncologist?”

One of the first surprises many cancer patients find is that they are really choosing a whole team of people, not just one oncologist.  There may be a surgeon, a medical oncologist, and a radiation oncologist all intimately involved in an individual’s cancer care.  There are also a slew of nurses, nurse practitioners, technicians, and other support staff that are all important members of the team.  You need to think of your physician as the quarterback; the leader of the team, but not more important than any of the other positions on the field.  Quarterbacks try to surround themselves with good players, so everything runs smoothly and correctly.  The quarterback also needs to choose players he can trust to do the job correctly, so the entire team works efficiently.  In this area, there are several options for second opinions or cutting edge treatments.

Some basic guidelines:

  • You are in control.  The final decisions are yours.  You are the most important part of your health care team.
  • Choose your quarterback and the rest will usually fall into place.  Ask your primary care physician for a recommendation.  They will typically know the oncologist on a professional level.  They also have reports from the patients they may have sent in the past regarding the quality of care that they received.
  • Comprehensive cancer centers typically have a team approach to the treatment of malignancies.  You may consider a consultation at such a facility, and ask to meet an entire team of doctors there.
  • You may want to speak with people who have a similar diagnosis and have already gone through treatment, and then ask them for a recommendation.

In our area, nationally recognized cancer centers may be contacted at University of Washington Hospital, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and Multicare Regional Cancer Center.