Susan E. Bates, MD 161 Fort Washington Avenue, Manhattan, New York 10032

"The best! Highly recommend! Dr. Bates is unmatched by any oncologists I have come across and there were a lot. As an advocate for a loved one who is suffering with a rare cancer (cholangiocarcinoma/bile duct cancer), I have relentlessly pursued multiple opinions and treatments at some of the top cancer institutions in the country such as Memorial Sloan Kettering, NYU, Rutgers, Univ. of Pitt and Mass General. However, no doctor has been more compassionate, caring and knowledgeable, especially when it relates to clinical trials and experimental treatments. Her prior 30 years of experience at the National Cancer Institute (now at Columbia University) has given her the depth of experience and knowledge that cannot compare to others. She truly cares about her patients and providing them with the best options possible. She is an outside the box thinker and that is exactly what someone with a rare cancer needs. She would be the first person I suggest to anyone who has a rare and difficult cancer to treat, such as pancreas and cholangiocarcinoma. When you are just a number to others, you are a human being and a beautiful person who deserves top notch care. A special type of person!"

"When I was first diagnosed with cancer and then learning that the treatment following surgery was chemotherapy, I had no idea how I was going to get through it. Dr. Bates was there every step of the way. Dr. Bates took the time to explain my options, why the treatment was necessary and always had time for my endless questions. Dr. Bates shows tremendous compassion and understanding for both the physical and mental attack on my body. She is always a phone call away. Under her care, I have been able to remain strong, continue to work and move forward with my life. As this is a continuing process, I am thankful that Dr. Bates is my oncologist."

"This review applies to Dr. Bates and Columbia, in general, for their lack of compassion when treating cancer patients. My mother, who suffered from pancreatic cancer, was treated at both White Plains Cancer Center and Columbia, so I am able to compare her experience from the two facilities. At Columbia, on a chemotherapy treatment day a patient who is suffering from debilitating cancer can expect to wait a minimum of TWO HOURS, in a crowded waiting room, before blood is even drawn to see if they are eligible for treatment on that day. I brought my mother to almost every treatment, and we were often the first people to arrive in the morning. We would wait sometimes THREE HOURS before we knew if she would even be able to receive chemotherapy on that day. By the time she was called, despite being the first to arrive, often a treatment room with a bed was not available, forcing her to be seated upright for her 6 hour treatment. Once she got into the treatment area, she would sometimes have to wait up to an hour for the chemo to come up "from the basement", where the pharmacy is located. Then, after waiting for 3 hours and after receiving between 5-6 hours of chemotherapy (causing her to feel SO ill), she would then have to get on a crowded elevator and go down several floors to Dr. Bates office, where she would wait to see if Dr. Bates was availalb to see her (despite having been directed by Dr. Bates to come for a visit). Sometimes Dr. Bates was available, sometimes not. By contrast, my mom previously received treatment at White Plains Cancer Center where she would wait a maximum of 30 minutes to begin treatment, be treated in a compassionate and caring manner the entire time AND the oncologist would come speak to her while she was receiving her treatment. Such a simple thing to do, but it made such a profound difference in her day. Dr. Bates does not see her patients during the many hours that they are sitting just a few floors up from her office, while they receiving treatment. By the way, I was informed by her assistant that she typically only had about 20 patients (total) at any given time, so in my opinion, this lack of accommodation is inexcusable. Besides these horrible treatment days, often my mother would call Dr. Bates' office early morning with a question and would have to wait until the next afternoon to get a call back with an answer. I would recommend that you go to Columbia to get an opinion, but consider getting treatment elsewhere. Often the chemotherapy treatment is the same at other, more caring and compassionate, cancer centers."

"Top notch. Really knows her field."