Christine Teal, MD

I went to Dr. Teal at GW Hospital for a third opinion after being diagnosed with Stage 0 breast cancer (or DCIS) in 2010. She has been absolutely wonderful from the start and was willing to try something other doctors were not.
I first went to the breast centers at Virginia Hospital Center, then Johns Hopkins for a second opinion, but did not agree with either center’s assessment that a mastectomy was the only real option for me. When I went to Dr. Teal for a third opinion, she took a look at all my records and scans, and noticed something that other doctors had overlooked, which indicated that not everything showing up in the scans was necessarily DCIS. Thus, she was wiling to give breast-​conservation surgery a try.
After my surgery, we got clear margins — which means that all of the DCIS was successfully removed without a mastectomy. I thank God that I pushed for a less aggressive surgical option and finally found a doctor who was on the same page with me. I know three other women who have gone to Dr. Teal, and they all rave about her. If you want someone who will listen to you and tailor your treatment to get the best outcomes for your health AND your quality of life, go with Dr. Teal!
Another thing I love about her: Her office is also very helpful in setting up «clinics» with all the other doctors you will need to see, (i.e. she brings the radiologist, oncologist, and patient advocate into her office so that you can do 30-​minute intro sessions with each — rather than your having to schedule separate appointments at different dates/​times). She does the same with alternative/​integrative medicine practitioners where she brings in a nutritionist, lymphatic massage professional, and reiki team so that you can meet them back-​to-​back for a free introduction to these alternative remedies. That way you can see if you might like to use them to supplement the traditional medicine techniques in your treatment plan. She also has a foundation that offers financial assistance if you want to pursue integrative medicine but cannot afford it. She is absolutely awesome!

Dr. Teal is the Director of the Breast Care Center at George Washington University Hospital.
I’ve been seeing Dr. Teal for several years. She has taken good care of me. Her dedication to early detection and fighting of breast cancer is inspiring and I have no doubt that she has saved the lives of many local women. I was lucky that my GP referred me to her several years ago. I have heard horror stories from other cancer patients and every time I count my blessings that I ended up with Dr. Teal.