Need advice for Center of Excellence in Southern California

[Kidgee]

We found out definitively the other day that my Dad has MDS. My parents and I are meeting with his medical oncologist on Monday to discuss "what next?" We set up this appointment, it was not suggested by his doctor. He has treated my Dad for the last 12 years through his bout with non-hodgkins lymphoma. We are going to talk to him about going to someone else to treat this new disease (a "center of excellence"). We live in Southern California, does anyone have any experience with an MDS center of excellence in Los Angeles or its environs? Does anyone have a specific doctor that they would recommend to us who specializes in MDS? Thanks (in advance!).

Melissa

[Neil Cuadra]

Melissa,

There are a number of well-known treatment centers for MDS in California. You can find them alphabetically in the list of U.S. Treatment Centers by State or geographically on the Treatment Center Map (click "California" under the map, then drag on the map to scroll or double-click on the map to zoom in).

Centers in the Los Angeles area:

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
City of Hope
UCLA
USC

Elsewhere in Southern California:

U.C. Irvine
UCSD

All are designated as NCI Comprehensive Cancer Centers and/or MDS Foundation Centers of Excellence.

Dr. Ronald Paquette at UCLA is especially well-known among the MDS patient community.

[Kidgee]

Thank you, Neil, for responding. We saw my Dad's doctor yesterday and he recommended a hematologist at USC.