Dr. David H. Ilson, MD, PhD

TLDR: DO NOT GO TO DR. ILSON Dr. Ilson doesn't deserve a single star. My father began seeing Dr. Ilson after being diagnosed with esophageal cancer last year. At first, Dr. Ilson had a great and positive attitude when my father's prognosis looked good—but the moment my dad needed more care and Dr. Ilson’s actual expertise, he quite literally abandoned him. Just four months after completing treatment and being declared “cancer-free” post-surgery, my father had to be admitted to the ER. I contacted Dr. Ilson to see if we could get him transferred to MSK. Dr. Ilson initially said he would need to see scans from the ER. We personally collected those scans and brought them to his New Jersey office—where all of my father’s appointments had been held—only to be told that Dr. Ilson doesn’t even have a legitimate office there and doing so was a "total waste of time". Even though it was his staff that told us to bring the scans there. I then offered to bring the records to MSK in New York, and… Dr. Ilson’s response was, “Seriously, what’s the point???” The point is: you are his doctor. You should care enough about your patients to want to understand how someone goes from “cancer-free” to having cancer in their liver, stomach, lungs, and potentially brain within three months. When I found out my dad would need to go into hospice, I called Dr. Ilson for a second opinion. His team had previously emphasized that they were the experts and insisted we run everything by them, as they were the only ones who could determine if nothing more could be done. When I called, Dr. Ilson, he yelled at me and made me feel like I was wasting his time. This is not how you treat someone who just found out their father is going into hospice. It was clear that Dr. Ilson missed something. His cold, defensive reaction confirmed it. There was no reason to be so dismissive. My father was young, and this was my first time navigating a situation like this on my own. DO NOT GO TO DR. ILSON. You will regret it. He is a terrible doctor and an even worse person.

Dr. Ilson doesn't deserve a single star. My father started going to doctor Ilson when he was diagnosed with Esophageal cancer last year. Dr. Ilson had a great and positive attitude when my fathers prognoses was positive, but the second he needed more care / Dr. Ilson's expertise, Dr. Ilson quite literally left him to die. My father had to be admitted to the ER 4 months after his cancer treatments with Dr. Ilson, right after being declared "cancer free" post surgery. I called Dr. Ilson to see if we could get him transferred to MSK, where he first said he would need to see scans from the ER. We personally collected the scans and brought them to his office in NJ where HIS staff told us to go only to find out that Dr. Ilson doesnt have a legitimate office there (even though thats where all my fathers appointments were held) and that he never received the scans. I offered to bring his records to MSK in NYC where Dr. Ilson responded "Seriously, whats the point???". The point is that you… are his doctor. You should care enough about your patients enough to want to see how they went from "cancer free" to having cancer in their liver, stomach, lungs and potentially brain within 3 months. When I found out my dad would need to go into hospice, I called Dr. Ilson for a second opinion, as his team said that they were the experts and that we needed to run everything by them as they are the only people who should determine that nothing more could be done. Dr. Ilson had the worst attitude on the phone, yelling at me and essentially making me feel as though I was wasting his time. This is not how you treat someone who just found out their father was going to go into hospice. Dr. Ilson missed something and his reaction in this situation made it clear. There was no reason to be so defensive and cold. My father was young and I this was my first time navigating this situation on my own. DO NOT GO TO DR. ILSON you will regret it. He is a terrible doctor and an even worse person.

Abrasive, condescending, rude

Very cold personality and terrible at his profession. He shouldn’t be allowed to see patients as I don’t think I have met a worse person to date. MSK is hiding many mistakes from him as he is more concerned with research prestige and traveling. Remember Iyson we all die and your not invincible like you believe. The day will come fast.

This guy is caring and gave me hope and I know my situation is basically terminal. But he told me to fight for this year and then next, and then maybe I will get even luckier. Patients' families telling doctors to not tell the patient himself, is ridiculous as it is unethical. Clinical trials are often not as good as existing treatment, that is why they are trials. This doctor did not get to be the head of a department in this leading hospital because he did not know the literature. Then again, I feel sorry for people with hopeless causes, it certainly hurts and no one knows this better than me. However, do not let these reviews prevent you from going to one of the leading experts in the world. I was actually referred to Dr Ilson from the head of Harvard at Mass General, who told me to stay closer to home and that Dr Ilson is who he would chose if he was in New York

Horrible dr that puts you down.

What a miserable Dr. He gets a kick out of telling dying patients theres no hope at all. What a disgrace & still practicing! There are no words. He does not care whatsoever. Do not use this Dr.

My husband passed away 4 1/2 years ago from esophageal cancer. If it wasn't for my son, my husband would not have been approved for an experimental treatment. My son did everything so he could get get that chance. We knew it was a slim chance, but we tried. Dr. David Ilson said not to even try. I will never forget, however, my son persisted and my husband was approved for the trial study. It did not work...but we were not going to try. The higher ups at Sloan Kettering took my son into a room and told him all hope was gone..however...my son persisted. Thank God! My husband lived at least a year longer. Dr. Ilson told my son that he was stage 4 . My son told this doctor not to say anything to my husband, but he did with all of us in the room. His words were get ready to die.. get your papers in order. In all of my life, I have never encountered a Doctor so cold and uncaring. I told Dr. Ilson quote: "Are you God"? and he laughed. He actually laughed in front of my husband… and son. I called my sister and brother-in-law in Florida and they could not believe it. Through all of the chemotherapy and radiation, and the complications that come from that, Dr. Ilson never came to the ER or to his hospital room to talk to my husband. He was indifferent. A statistic. I have never experienced anything like it. My son is married now and we are expecting a baby boy...a grandson..for Stephen. That was his name. He mattered. Even after four years, I will never forget this doctor until my dying day.

How can a dr not give a patient hope no matter what the diagnosis is. After researching reviews its a pattern. Where is the etiquette. Maybe dr to dr different but not happy leaving the office on a recent visit. Do your homework first.

As a professional research biologist with a life-threatening cancer I was very impressed with Dr Ilson. I suspect that the negative reviews I have read here have a lot to do with poor prognoses. What I liked most about Dr Ilson was direct answers for direct questions and from a perusal of the technical literature that he was a recognized international leader in esophageal cancer research.