Dr. Swati Sikaria, MD

At TMMC, the nursing and medical staff outside of the Oncology department truly demonstrated kindness and empathy, which was very reassuring during a challenging time. Unfortunately, my experience with Dr. Sikaria was quite different. Several reviews indicate that she tends to come across as rude and lacks compassion. It makes me wonder if she was more empathetic early in her career. During our consultation, Dr. Sikaria made a rather alarming statement suggesting that if we didn't follow her recommended treatment, the patient would not survive. She conveyed this message in a tone that felt condescending, which was concerning given the situation's urgency. We felt compelled to follow her advice, trusting that her expertise would lead to the best approach to treat the cancer, particularly with the increased dosage she suggested. However, there seemed to be little acknowledgment of the potential side effects associated with the treatment. Concerns such as Chemotherapy Toxicity, nerve… issues, nutritional deficiencies, weight loss/malnutrition, and urinary/bladder complications were not addressed. Throughout the treatment, the patient endured significant weight loss while on the higher dosage, but observation from Dr. Sikaria was lacking. Despite facing serious complications from side effects, Dr. Sikaria and other physicians in the Oncology department, including Dr. Jessica Siak, maintained a demeanor that felt dismissive. It was disheartening to have to request more empathy from them during visits. Unfortunately, each appointment ended with their recommendation for immediate discharge and hospice care, which is intended for patients nearing the end of life—a situation I never wanted to consider. In hindsight, I wish I had researched Dr. Sikaria before starting treatment. Based on my experience, I cannot recommend the Oncology department at TMMC, as the connection with Cedars Sinai does not seem to enhance the quality of care. I hope my feedback will encourage improvements in how patients are treated in the future, focusing on compassion and thorough communication.

Dr. Sikaria is extremely knowledgeable, professional, personable; genuinely caring about her patients. I feel fortunate to have been assigned to her at the start of my cancer journey.

She is highly intelligent, caring, thoughtful, explains everything and makes a patient feel as if they are the most important person in the world. I truly like and respect her.

Dr. Sikaria is a brilliant doctor. She has guided my through my blood cancer diagnosis and made me feel cared for and helped. I highly recommend her.

Dr. Sikaria is very knowledgeable and personable. She always puts the patient's needs first.

I have been seeing Dr. Sikaria for my breast cancer and she is extremely caring, thoughtful, kind, and thorough. She offered me a clinical trial for a new breast cancer therapy. I feel lucky to have found her.