Dr. Lessen has been treating my dad for stage 4 cancer for 3 years. He's kept him alive longer than we expected. He's truly caring and spends time with each patient. Very strategic in assessing ongoing test results. Lots of scans and measurements. Doesn't waste time when treatments don't work. Relentless in trying different drugs and combinations. My dad is really happy with him, which is the most important thing. The office staff seems disorganized, slow and my dad has to wait a long time in the waiting room (1 hr+), but feels its worth it.
I do wish all cancer doctors could find a way to alert chemo patients as to which side effects are life threatening and when to call for help. Diarrhea can be life threatening if you get too dehydrated. A severe nosebleed when you're on blood thinners can leave you weak or worse. Extremely fatigue may be helped with fluids, a blood transfusion, etc. Shivering can be a sign of infection, swelling in one leg can be a symptom of a blood clot (life threatening), as can leg pain or a rash. The point is, the patients have no clue and may not always call the doctor to ask. The patients MUST be warned about which side effects are most dangerous, and must be given a quick cheat sheet for reference. I think doctors don't want to scare their patients or plant scary ideas in their heads, but the point is you could die from something other than the cancer and should know what the risks are. read more