Providence Roy and Patricia Disney Family Cancer Center - Burbank

May 2022

The people here are always so warm and helpful. The waiting area is huge and a great design. Sometimes I have had to wait for my appointments, but usually they are pretty punctual. I think when I had to wait that they were just short on staff, so that is understandable. My friend recommended the place to me and my primary care doctor goes here too! A lot of people who work for Disney also go here. It has a great reputation for a good reason. I am glad I found them. The photo I uploaded is of a cool statue outside the entrance.

May 2022

Dr. Grussie is extraordinary in every sense, and I am deeply grateful I chose him and his team for my chemotherapy. He has amazing heart and he puts it deep into his work. I sense he expects no less of his team. Lori, his head nurse, is my godsend. She is as close to being perfect as it gets, and that is very important in the world of medical oncology, no? Upon hearing that my diagnosis would require radiation and chemotherapy, my chin fell to the ground. I felt so darn healthy! Surely, it all had to be a mistake. That aside, I was my mother's caregiver and I witnessed the torture she went through, taking chemotherapy on a weekly basis. I vowed I would never receive chemotherapy. I would, instead, go the holistic route. I did, however, try to keep an open mind, so I met with Dr. Grussie. Upon the initial visit, I was greeted by Lori, who took my blood and got me laughing so hard, I didn't even feel the pinch. Little did I know, she would be my friend and confidant as I made my way through treatment. I am so grateful to her for her compassion and her quick thinking. She has my back through every single step of treatment. She never made me feel like I needed to rush or that her mind was somewhere else. That is huge because, sadly, they have a constant flood of patients. Dr. Grussie initially met with me for well over an hour! He asked me a million questions about myself, my health history, and my personal interests. He really wanted to get to know me and understand how I might proceed through treatment- and if I would be a good candidate. It mattered so much to me that he really took the time to learn about me - all aspects. He retained all that info because he often opened up later conversations with a question about my line of work or my favorite hobbies. Nice. He also withstood a long line of questions coming from me. I grilled him. I hated the idea of getting chemo- and to add insult to injury, my proposed cocktail would include the same horrible stuff that destroyed my mother. I really made up my mind when I walked in that it would be a pleasant debate, and that would be it. On the contrary, I thoughtfully listened to his answers as he made a very compelling argument.He debated some of the information I had before me, quite effectively, but not all of it. Some of my questions about naturopathic treatments were met with interest and encouragement . I was sold when he explained it would be a very low dose infusion to work in concert and enhance the radiation (Low dose is uniformly prescribed with radiation and homeopathic treatments quite successfully, in other countries, who, unlike the US, revere naturopathic treatments in treating cancer). Other doctors would have (and one did, when I was interviewing oncologists) dismissed my questions about naturopathic medications, making me feel small minded and powerless. Dr. Grussie was just the opposite thou. He considered my proposals and did the research if the therapy was unfamiliar. I am glad I kept an open mind about chemotherapy. Dr. Grussie is so attentive. He is actively engaged in the battle to conquer cancer with his patients. He watches his patients like a hawk, changing and tweaking things to make his patients' lives more reasonable, as they walk through one of the biggest challenges of their lives. After my first treatment, I had a very serious allergic reaction - not to the chemo drug, but to a different medication that is part of the standard chemo protocol. It was so scary that I almost decided to call it quits. He did a lot of investigative work into what happened, and found the possible cause. He asked me to try the chemo one more time without that drug, and thank goodness I listened to him. I insisted that I receive no med under this certain category of meds-ZERO under that particular category! He was concerned I would fall apart without this category in my cocktail, but those were my terms and he listed to me. Other doctors would have flat out refused my insistence that we completely leave out a med that is designed to support the patient thr

Jun 2021

My mother has been coming to this cancer center for treatment of her brain cancer. We followed our beloved Neuro oncologist-Dr. Naveed Wagle from USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center to this location. Dr. Wagle is primary stationed at Pacific Neuroscience Institute-Pacific Brain Tumor Center in Santa Monica, however, he works here every Monday. My review is primary regarding the physician vs the center. Although this site is beautiful, tranquil, safe and clean. Dr. Wagle is a known expert in treatment of cancer in the central and peripheral nervous system. He is known to treat metastatic brain tumors as well as neurological complication as result from brain cancer. He is beyond knowledgeable and is extremely experience doctor. He makes my mother feel like her care is important, he is fully present and engage during her examination. He makes her feel secure and safe in her ever declining cognitive impairment. He is very compassionate, competent and provide the most amazing care. My family is forever grateful to him for taking such an excellent care of my mom. We highly recommend him to anyone in this difficult journey of brain cancer! He is beyond Yelp worthy!