Northwest Oncology & Hematology

On October 6^th, 2014 I walked into Northwest Oncology and met with Dr. Bruce Bank. He diagnosed with Stage 4 Breast Cancer that metastasized to the bone and stated that there is no known cure for bone cancer, but there is hope to slow it and when I asked him if I was going to die, he told me that he wasn’t preparing me for a casket. In the days that followed i sat down with a friend of a friend who was battling Breast Cancer as well and asked her how do I pick a doctor, her response, «Find someone who is capable of making you believe you are capable of living because you will die with them.» Ultimately I would meet with another oncologist at a top rated hospital to get the second opinion just to put my mind at ease and the treatment method came back as the same.
I decided to stay with Northwest Oncology for treatment because my Oncologist and his staff made me believe that I was capable of living with cancer, which is ultimately what I am doing because there is no known cure. To my Oncologist, I’m not just a number, I am a person and I matter. Most people dread going to the oncologist, I love it because while these people see the worst of the worst, they smile at you, remember your name and they treat you like your human. When things don’t feel right, they take me serious and their goal is to keep you living as long as possible. I can be honest with my Oncologist knowing that he won’t make me feel like it’s nothing. Everything I say is heard and it’s amazing to know that no matter what happens, he’s always got my back.
This being said, a year ago I could barely walk and my family, friends, and employer were afraid of losing me. A year later, I’m walking normally, living in my dream home that I purchased a day before I hit 8 months of diagnosis and LIVING with cancer. Cancer tried to stop me, but thanks to Dr. Bruce Bank and his amazing team, we’ve found the solutions to the problems that have made living with cancer easier.
Lastly, there is also this misconception about where you get treated and that some locations aren’t as good as others. I’m here to put that to rest with Northwest Oncology. While it’s Northwest Oncology, don’t let the name fool you, the Oncologists communicate with multiple hospitals. For example: my Oncologist communicates with Oncologists from Loyola, to Northwestern, to UIC, etc. The Oncologists at Northwest Oncology are constantly looking for new treatments to help their patients. I’ve never seen a group of doctors so motivated to help their patients live than I have here. These Doctors are always going to conferences, learning about new drugs, speaking with companies that create the drugs needed for cancer patients. They are always keeping an eye out for studies that may better assist patients. So please remember that you can’t judge a book simply by it’s name because if you do, you may be missing the best part of what is in the pages.

practice «talks the talk» but doesn’t «walk the walk». enormous let-​down as the promised «we’ll be with you through the entire course of the disease» when told from the beginning would be a terminal progression, completely abandonded during final transitions between agressive treatment/​best-​supportive-​care/​aggressive treatment again. Fails to properly code or update charts, thereby leaving incorrect information for support staff and covering co-​practitioners. Reports incorrect Rx’s and Tx’s to hospital and other providers when immediately, emergently, imperative. Fails to attend scheduled appointments, substituting RN or APN over objections and without notice, nor accomodation. Improper course of 2^nd line treatment, absolutely no pain management support, and misdirected to other specialties obvious disease progression as presented as most obvious and most common paraneoplastic syndromes.
Dealt with both the Alexian Brothers Medical Center campus site 2^nd floor of the «cancer center» and their free-​standing office suite in Rolling Meadows.
Won’t take responsibility nor assist in proper disposal of delivered controlled unused take-​at-​home oral chemo medications.