Diagnosed with cancer? Here’s how to find a doctor in your neighborhood

My mother was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and lives in the Los Angeles area. I was wondering if your publication had ever created or published any lists of top doctors in the area? She’s looking for a doctor but isn’t sure where to start.

-- M.S.

It’s important that your mother choose a doctor who will accept her form of health insurance as well as be someone who is competent and has a bedside manner she feels comfortable with. That’s a tall order -- especially when someone is sick and in a hurry to find a doctor. Fortunately, the National Cancer Institute has a wonderful website with information on how to find a doctor to treat cancer. Go to www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Therapy/doctor-facility.

This website will explain the different credentials of doctors who treat cancer. It also has a list of NCI-designated cancer centers. Those centers can provide a list of their own specialists. The site also has a list of questions you can ask when interviewing a doctor and selecting a hospital. The American Society of Clinical Oncology also has a member database that can be searched by name, institution, location and type of board certification. That site is www.cancer.net/portal/site/patient .

Don’t forget to try the old-fashioned method: ask around. Your mother should ask her primary-care doctor if he or she has a recommendation or a list of a few doctors for her to meet and interview. Once she has chosen a doctor or has narrowed down the list to a few names, she should check the doctor’s background and any history of disciplinary measures at the Medical Board of California. Go to www.medbd.ca.gov and click on “Check Your Doctor� on the left side of the page.

-- Shari Roan

For other Ask Us columns, go to www.latimes.com/askhealth.