North Memorial Health Cancer Center - Robbinsdale

"NORTH MEMORIAL CANCER CENTER. There has been so much confusion at this cancer center lately regarding testing, blood draws and scheduling conflicts They have high turnover, with doctors and other staff leaving (appt schedulers). When any of these conflicts arise, they make you feel as if it’s your fault. I’ve left this cancer center in tears! No feeling safe and comfort here. I’ve been here for 8 years and thinking it’s time to find another Oncologist where I’m taken care of and not full of anxiety the night before my appointment. I travel an hour+ away to this cancer center. They have no regard for your time. I have traveled up to Robbinsdale several times for them to tell me my appointment has changed. Or the machines for chemo is down. They are inconsiderate. I’ve waited for my oncologist, Dr Avanti Mehrotra to see me over an hour. I completely understand being theral, however an hour is not okay. Our time is precious too! I’m not as happy as I was a few years back. I’m sure they are all completely overwhelmed with their staffing situation but, I don’t want to be treated by a cancer center that is falling apart without any stability and can’t manage our care properly. Dr. Avanti Mehrotra in the last couple years has not been caring, her oncology manor has become awful. In the nine years I’ve been seen by her I’ve never felt as as I did a couple of weeks ago. I have never left her clinic upset or crying until that day. She had no patience, disregard for my time, questions and health concerns. The appointment was so awful that we called a few Oncology specialists to get another Oncologist. I am happy that i decided to see Dr. DREYER at Minnesota Oncology! I recommend Mn Oncology to anyone. The staff made me feel welcome right from the start as I entered the clinic. Dr. Mehrotra lost my trust at North Memorial."

"PLEASE READ: I'm a RN and this was the worse experience of my life! I’m 61 I have never smoked. On 09/21, 2022, I had an ultrasound was which showed a breast lump of 3.3 cm in my right breast with one lymph node was also noted to be enlarged. I had a biopsy on both spots. On 9/23/22 I read the results of the biopsy; I had breast cancer listed as stage II by the radiologist and the pathologist the recommendation was surgical consult. I immediately made an appointment with a surgeon Dr. Yelenish Huss and on 9/28/22 she drew a picture of my breast and wrote on the pic stage II. She then touched my breast for five seconds and said I had stage II breast cancer and needed the tumor removed. 24 hours later on 09/29/22 I met with Dr. Mariash the oncologist Much to my surprise I was told my tumor was now ‘’upstaged’’ to stage III with a breakdown of (T4NI). How? Why? well ‘’maybe’’ the tumor was attached to my skin and or my chest and maybe we could shrink it with chemo. I now know that breast cancer of the skin occurs in the 3rd world. This diagnosis can only be rule in with breast skin punch biopsy and an MRI (not done). If a surgeon or an oncologist suspects breast cancer with chest wall involvement an MRI/PET scan needs to be completed. None of this was done. I was told the lump was inoperable and I would need six months of chemo. My tumor is Estrogen; strongly positive; Progesterone; positive and HERT; neg. This type of tumor morphology does not response well to any type of intravenous chemo. I was not told this. Dr. Mariash follow no protocol in informing me of options (protocols are clearly noted by the board of breast cancer oncology) I should have been offered gene testing to see if the chemo would shrink my cancer, I should have had an MRI or Utz to assess if tumor was shrinking during the chemo (non was done). I went through chemo from Oct of 2022 until then end of February of 2023. As a result of the chemo, I developed severe bone pain as well as severe neuropathy (pain to feet and hands) The type of chemo I received is known to cause heart damage (which I feel I have as I’m fatigued with any exertion), hearing damage and brain fog which continues to this day.. I completed multiple rounds of ‘’the red devil’’ also known as doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide (within two weeks I lost all my hair) this was followed by weekly Taxol. The plan was for 12 weeks of Taxol. I completed 8 weeks of Taxol. During the last weeks of Taxol, I spent everyday day in bed with severe pain, nausea, and diarrhea. I had had enough, and I changed providers. I went to the U of M. I had a consult with a breast surgeon and in April of 2023 I had a bilateral mastectomy The results of the pathology from the breast tumor showed that from September of 2022 until April of 2023 the tumor had grown from 3.3 cm to 4 cm, the morphology (grade) was at a 2 in September and now it was a 3. Meaning the chemo did nothing and the cancer was worse/ The one lymph node (2022) had grown and showed that the grading had changed from II to III; The morphology of lymph node showed extranodal extension: greater than 2 mm which was not on the biopsy in September of 2022. My new oncologist Dr. Lassi ( U of M) said I never needed intravenous chemo. The pathological findings of the tumor showed there was never any skin or chest wall involvement. I lost so much time, and my tumor grew. I trusted the specialist and they failed me."

"Great service and love my Dr hope 10am Monday will work. Last radiation on Monday at 10 am. Hope I can get in to atleast get access to port removal. Was left in by Unity hospital. Can't make it in today just got out of hospital."

"They are extrememly busy the times I have been there. My doctor is wonderful. We discussed treatment options and I was not talked down to it convinced to change my mind about some treatments I was declining. I actually went into my first appointment with her knowing I didn't want some of it. She sat down face to face, full attention and said, change my mind. I told her my feelings and concerns and she agreed with me. It was refreshing. I wasnt made to feel bad because of the choices I was making."

"I tried to tell my mom to go somewhere else after her diagnosis of cancer but she is a creature of habit. I have attended numerous chemo sessions with her. I know to expect a loud uncomfortable expirience. My mom averages 6 hours a session and throughout that session I get to listen to all the nurses talk and cackle right outside the curtain. I get to hear about their weekends their family trips and just excited they get when they see each other. It's almost like being in a cheerleaders locker room. It's always freezing cold my mom usually requires 2 or more blankets. Not to mention you adjust lighting and curtains throughout the room to make the Cancer patient as comfy as possible and the nurses totally disregard that. Leave curtains open leave thecompuster screene glaring while patient tries to watch TV. I understand that staff need their freedoms at work but considering you deal with patients who are dying and family members trying to process that. You would want their expirience to be as comfortable as possible. I wish my mom would go somewhere else where it's more quite and they consider what families are dealing with rather than caring on right outside the curtains with their loud stories the laughing and everything else that intrudes on the comfort and rest of the patients"