Dr. Carla Cassani

If I could give negative stars for Dr. Cassani, I would. This is going to be long, but there are many issues for Dr. Cassani.
I was diagnosed with a case of Ductal Carcinoma In Situ and referred to Dr. Cassani. First of all, she was incredibly condescending and refused to answer questions about treatment options. She had decided I had 2 options and there was no need to discuss anything further, because she’s the doctor and knows what’s best for me. My 2 options were:
1) A cycstectomy with removal of the lymph node and with chemo and radiation. Mind you, I later learned of all the possible problems that can be caused by removing lymph nodes.
2) A double mastectomy «just like Christina Applegate did»…seriously…that’s what she said. I don’t know about you, but I don’t take my medical advice from the pages of People magazine.
Well, because my sister died of a cancer that only showed up on an MRI, I asked to have an MRI done on both breasts to see if there was any other cancer before deciding on a treatment plan. I didn’t want to go through the cystectomy, chemo & radiation, only to discover in a year that I had another cancer and needed a mastectomy anyway. She refused, stating it was not medically justified. I argued, but she refused.
In addition, I asked her if I were to go with the mastectomy, could I have reconstruction at the time of the surgery (and, btw, she did not tell me ANYTHING about reconstruction options). She literally laughed in my face and, again in a condescending manner, told me that was not possible. I also asked her if I were to have the cystectomy, where the scar would be and how big it would be. She told me I should not be worrying about that. Well, I was and wanted an answer… don’t tell me what I should or should not worry about, it’s my body. By the time I was done with the appointment, I was in tears. I then spoke to the «nurse facilitator» and she told me she would bring the question of the MRI to the tumor board. (Side note: They agreed with me and actually agreed to the test, but I had already changed doctors by then.)
Anyway, a few days after the meeting, I spoke to her nurse and asked to change surgeons. Instead, she convinced me to meet again with Dr. Cassani.
The second meeting was even worse. She was again condescending, although more so. When I asked again about the scar, she said «you know, people who lose a loved one to this horrible disease aren’t usually worried about their scar.» I won’t go into why this was important to me, because it’s not relevant to the attitude of the doctor. Meanwhile, it suffices to say that the experience was absolutely horrible.
In the end, I went to Stanford for my surgery. Before I even had a chance to ask, the surgeon said «of course, with your sister’s history, we’ll want to do an MRI on both breasts to be sure there is no other cancer». Further, she said that the cyst was so small that it was not necessary to remove a lymph node. Lastly, she told me that reconstruction at the same time as the mastectomy WAS possible (and that’s what I ended up doing).
Anyway, the end of the story is that I DID, in fact, have cancer in the second breast. That cancer was SEVEN times the size of the first and invasive (the first was not invasive). It just did not show up in a mammogram (just like my sister’s deadly cancer). If I had stayed with Dr. Cassani, I would still have cancer in me now (assuming I was still alive). I can’t think of anything more important in a doctor is their ability to save a person’s life.

When my endocrinologist told me I needed surgery, she emphatically recommended Dr. Cassani, and now I know why. Dr. Cassani’s personal manner is exceptional. My surgery was highly successful with a tiny incision to boot. I was so nervous about the surgery before meeting Dr. Cassani, but she put both me and my husband completely at ease. She gave complete, sophisticated, non-​condescending answers, in plain English, to all of my questions. I’ve gotten used to Palo Alto Medical Foundation doctors being really good, but I was still blown away by a surgeon having such a perfect combination of skill/​knowledge and warmth/​empathy/​humor. I never thought I’d gush about a surgeon like this, but she is just amazing, and I feel extremely grateful to have found her.