About Us
We are committed to helping every cancer patient understand their disease and available treatment(s) in their language and at their level of understanding – and remaining a resource for information after they receive a second opinion.
Our Mission
The mission of thesecondopinion is to provide free, comprehensive second opinions to adults in California diagnosed with cancer. Over our 50 year history, we have impacted the lives of thousands of cancer patients and their families, by providing them with clarity, compassion and choice. At the heart of our program are the volunteer efforts of over seventy board-certified physicians from multiple cancer-related specialties. Their diverse experiences in cancer diagnosis and treatment allow us to provide a patient centered and compassionate service not duplicated by any other agency in California.
Our organization is bound by a shared commitment to helping adults diagnosed with cancer understand their disease and treatment options. Our Board of Directors and Staff work together to maintain financial and programmatic transparency. Our volunteer medical specialists, ensure that patients and their families receive the clarity they need to make informed medical decisions, through in-person dialogue. They help cancer patients and families by increasing understanding and alleviating uncertainty.
Our History
Our Founder, Dr. William Lister Rogers (1902 – 1987) known as Lefty to friends and family, was an outstanding basketball player at Stanford and he continued to serve the University throughout his life. He graduated in 1923 and took an M.D. degree from Stanford in 1926. Dr. Rogers served as professor of clinical surgery at Stanford Medical School. He started out as a general surgeon but became interested in the new field of thoracic surgery and was one of the founding members of the American Board of Thoracic Surgery. Rogers was also President of the Stanford Alumni Association and in 1966 he was elected to the Board of Trustees.
Board of Directors
Our Board of Directors is responsible for agency supervision and stewardship. All sit on various governance committees that oversee agency administration to insure fiscal accountability, setting and meeting program and agency benchmarks, and marketing and development efforts.
Officers
Rober Ignoffo
Pharm.D., President
Retired Professor of Pharmacy Emeritus Touro University
Clinical Professor Emeritus University of California San Francisco
Volunteer Panel Physician
Michael Cunningham
Pharm.D., Treasurer
Principal Consultat, Owner RX2020,LLC
Retired Vice President and General Manager
McKesson Specialty Health
Members
Richard Felton, D.D.S.
Cosmetic and Reconstructive Dentist
Private Practice
Howard Kleckner, M.D.
Medical Director
Panel Chair
Medical Oncologist
thesecondopinion
Alice LaRocca
Retired, Project Director
California Pacific Medical Center
Judith A. Luce, M.D.
Medical Oncologist
Volunteer Panel Physician
thesecondopinion
Joseph Mason, M.D.
Medical Oncologist
Panel Chair
thesecondopinion
Gail Wagner, M.D.
Medical Oncologist
Founder, Tiba Foundation
Volunteer Panel Physician
Advisory Board
We are truly grateful to the following leaders in philanthropy who have graciously allowed us to publicly recognize their advisory support for thesecondopinion.
Regan Fulton, M.D.
Deborah Kass, M.D.
Ann Lanzerotti, M.D.
Barry Sherman, M.D.
Carl Thomas, M.D.
Staff and Medical Services Team
Medical Director:
Howard Kleckner, M.D.
Panel Chairs:
Howard Kleckner, M.D.
Peter Gordon, M.D.
Susan Lessin, M.D.
Joseph Mason, M.D.
David Lakes, M.D. (Volunteer Panel Chair)
Managing Director:
Cheri R. Livingston
Director of Programs:
Lori A. Bode
Program Coordinator:
Jeweliet Fuller
Special Thanks to our program volunteers
Michele Brown, Administrative and Joan Venticinque, Information Specialist
Connect with Us
1200 Gough Street
Suite 500
San Francisco, CA 94109
415-775-9956
mail@thesecondopinion.org