Cancer Treatment Centers of America

• By Gia
• Posted October 4, 2008 at 12:30 pm
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I am just so curious, you are at one of the most impressive research medical center in the country why are you wanting to change care? I am trying to decide if I need to change to a research center. Gia

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• By bloomer
• Posted October 5, 2008 at 12:41 am
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I talked to them on the phone last spring. I was going to go there, but my numbers started going down so I thought I would just stick with my doctor here. But they were very nice and I think if I ever need to change, I will call them. It sounds like they would do a great job. Good luck and take care.
Claudene

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• By Arna
• Posted October 5, 2008 at 6:42 am
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Dear MrsSumners. I asked the Norwegian Cancer organisation which hospitals are the best in USA and Europe. Here is the list I got, which I believe is quite relevant because these hospitals has shown to the world that they are very good treatment centers for cancer in general in the world. If any of you know of hospitals which are specially good in treating OC, I would be very pleased to know too.

Here is the list I received, and as you can see your hospital MD Anderson is among the very few best:

Mayo Clinic – in Minnesota, Florida og Phoenix.
http://www.mayoclinic.org/about/

MD Anderson Cancer Center – Huston, Texas
http://www.mdanderson.org/

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center – in New York and some departments outside NY
http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/44.cfm

IN EUROPE:

Royal Marsden – London og Surrey, England
http://www.royalmarsden.nhs.uk/rmh

HSK, Dr. Horst Schmidt Klinik GmbH, Wiesbaden, Germany
http://www.hsk-wiesbaden.de/Home/Zentrum_fuer_Innere_Medizin/Onkologischer_ Schwerpunkt_HSK/Onkologischer_Schwerpunkt.htm

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• By jolock2004
• Posted October 5, 2008 at 9:03 am
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I have heard it's very hard to get into the center your talking about. The 1st thing they do is find out if your insurance will pay and if not then they want their money up front before they will even see you. I know of several ladies on another forum who had GREAT insurance and they still wanted 20,000 up front. I guess because so many of their treatments are in the experimental phase that most insurance companies will not pay...hence the money comes from you. Good luck...I think the center you are going to is very good and am also wondering why you would want to change your care. ~~~~Joanne

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• By FavoriteAunt
• Posted October 5, 2008 at 9:29 am
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The 3 that you mention from the US are all exceptional. I live in New York City and know several people who have been treated at Memorial Sloan Kettering and it is a wonderful place. I would definitely go there if my local hospital was not able to treat me and I needed more advanced care.

My oncologist was trained at M.D. Anderson in Texas and he is excellent, and I've have always heard nothing but good about M.D. Anderson.

I don't have personal experience with the Mayo Clinic, but it has always been considered a very fine hospital in every regard.

You cannot go wrong with any of these 3 places - they are well known as being among the best for a very long time.

Good luck.

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• By CarolAnn1
• Posted October 5, 2008 at 10:11 am
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Living in North Central Montana, I was concerned that my local Cancer Center was not doing everything for me that it could. I called the toll free Cancer Treatment Centers of America Number and by chance the one in Tulsa picked up (I guess it rotates areas to determine who answers the toll free number). They were very helpful. I made an appointment, and they sent me tickets--no charge--to fly from Montana to Oklahoma.

They picked me up, provided VERY nice but cheap lodging nearby--$50/night. My appointments were set in a regimen, but after they saw me, they cut a couple of them. I did not need pain management, or treatment. My most helpful appointment was with the gynecological oncologist who summed it all up for me--"you're not cureable, but you are treatable." and told me that the treatment being used on me back home was the best for me right now. They left my file open and I can return any time.

One of the most helpful was the mind-body appointment (it was a meeting with a cousellor who was also a pastor). A kind and gentle man, he gave me advice whose impact is still at work.

When I mentioned that after my appointments I was going to visit my son in Oklahoma City, they tightened the schedule to give me more time with him!

I have good insurance, but I requested to visit with the financial counsellor because I was a little skeptical--they counted my 17-year-old daughter as a caregiver, so flew her for free, even after I explained she wouldn't be staying with me, but would be having her senior pictures taken by her brother in OKC. My actual out-of-pocket expenses were minimal. (around $100)

I would not hesitate to go back to them, and I made some wonderful friends. I don't get a chance to visit with other cancer patients, and this was really a wonderful opportunity to meet with others.

I had a VERY positive experience, however I don't live near a research facility, and have to travel 60 miles to my appointments and treatments. So it may just be your point of reference.

Carol

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• By verlinda
• Posted October 5, 2008 at 5:56 pm
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There can be a conflict with even the best of facilities and the best of doctors. I had some unfortunate oversights and some calloused treatment by my oncology staff immediately during and after surgery and during my second chemo treatment. Rather than being willing to work things out with me, they circled the wagons and told me I was confused, misunderstood, was unwilling to work with them, etc. It was extremely upsetting because my gyn-oncologist has a multi-state reputation for being very kind, understanding and compassionate, and I wasn't getting that reaction once I complained the first time. I was also only 1/3 of the way through chemo.

I finished my chemo regimen with them only because the other major cancer center in my area told me it was best to stay with them until this chemo was finished.

My three-month post-chemo check-up was more of the same.

One of my friends whose husband is a PA told me it was the phrasing I used. Evidently, because I grew up with several relatives in medical professions, I used terminlogy patients don't normally use, and it sounded as though I'd been researching and was using some of the phrasing used in lawsuits. That seemed a little far-fetched to me, but I typed out the questions I had before my next post-chemo check-up and asked to see my oncologist rather than the nurse practitioner. I had my friend check out the questions and rephrase them to be as nonthreatening as I could make them.

At her advice, I took 2 copies to the visit, gave one to the receptionist at check-in and asked that the doctor be given these to review to save him time before I saw him. I kept the other, so we could review my list together.

We amiably went through an entire page of questions in less than 15 minutes, it led to genetic testing, (I hadn't been able to get anyone there to consider my family history of cancer up to that point--both parents, sister died of ovca at age of 59, 5 paternal aunts and uncles w. multiple breast and ovarian cancers), we learned I am BRCA1 positive, and there was a complete turn-around in the attitude toward me. I'd been unable to get any cooperation in more vigilant screening. Now I can.

Mrs. Sumners,
I'm telling this long tale to say there can be a turn-around if the staff seems (or is!) unsympathetic, if that is your issue with MD Anderson. It may also be you need to find a place where you feel more comfortable. Even though I get along better with my oncologist at this point, I won't go through another hospitalization or chemo there. I'll either go to the other major cancer center or drive 2+ hours to Vanderbilt.

I think some of the issues I faced are generic to arrogant people you find in any profession. I'm a teacher and have had to bite my tongue at the comments some of my fellow teachers have made during parent conferences.

Anyway, see if you're not comfortable with the "emotional" side of treatment, ask who their patient advocate is and discuss your issues with her/him.

Incidentally, the last time I went to my oncologist, there were signs all over the place about how they wanted to meet our needs, to tell them if anything upset us or we needed anything. Maybe I was'nt the only one....

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• By MrsSumners
• Posted October 5, 2008 at 11:17 pm
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Hi Bloomer.
Yes, they are very kind and compassionate. Although I am sure they are thorough, I could not help but get the impression that they were very "ambitious" in wanting me to come to their facility. I was inquiring about their care and it went all too fast for me. I am going to address my issues with MD Anderson. In the future if I feel at a stand still, then I may go forward in my looking for other care. Thank you for your response and keep your eye on the prize!

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• By MrsSumners
• Posted October 5, 2008 at 11:24 pm
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Hi Gia,
I am not sure what your situation is but a research center is very comforting in the beginning of our journey. I have found, although I am most grateful to have my care from MD Anderson, that once you are past the urgent care that is needed, that the attentativeness is not availble to my individual situation. They have shown of late to address MY issues anyway, as though I am overreacting and believe me, the less I have to be tended to, the better in my book! I am quite on the money as to what is going on with my body. I would love not to have an issue or to feel the need to call the doctor's office :) As I said, not sure what your situation is.
Keep smiling!

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• By MrsSumners
• Posted October 6, 2008 at 10:57 am
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CarolAnn1- you are a wealth of information! I too heard from the Tulsa location once I inquired online. She was wonderful and offered everything you mentioned you received. I was skeptical and asked about their generosity and she explained that was minimal expense to them. Although I will most likely stay with MDA, if I qualify for second opinion, I would like to hear what they have to say. I hope you are doing well.

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• By MrsSumners
• Posted October 6, 2008 at 10:59 am
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Thank you Arna for taking the time to obtain and share your research! You all have made me feel so much better. God Bless You and be well.

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• By suzy1
• Posted October 6, 2008 at 3:25 pm
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I just returned from a few days at MD Anderson (first time there). I don't LOVE the Dr as at one point she told me to, "get to the question" (I can tend to get a bit long winded sometimes BUT I was a bit offended). I do think she is a very competent dr. however, I need someone who is a bit more positive and caring. BUT...here is what I found out... My ca 125 has been on the rise for over a year, but my ct scans were supposedly clear so dr thought it was fine to wait on the chemo. I was going to a cancer center but one whose radiologists work out of a regular hospital I decided to go to MDA for more info and had my ct scans sent there.They told me that in June the ct showed cancer (not caught here) and when asked if she would have started me on chemo then her reply was "yes". She told me this happens alot. I had patients tell me that they had actually seen their ct scans from their hometown (hometown anywhere) hospitals (meaning non cancer centers) next to the ones from MDA and there was a huge diference. The Dr told me that the drs there at MD are only looking for cancer whereby when read at a regular hospital, they are looking at everything else as well. I found out that I have tons of cancer, that my lymph nodes are involved as well as my liver! I am pissed. Here is the lesson I learned from this! I will never have another ct scan done at anyplace other than a cancer center (a huge cancer center who only deals with cancer at the hospital where the scans are read) where the radiologists look for cancer all day long. I thought a ct scan was a ct scan but there are major differences in technology. They even adminster the contrast differently at MDA (I think they must use more of it or something as that "hot " feeling was almost everywhere in my body, then they also add a bit of the barium rectally! Not as bad as it sounds.

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• By TvlBeach
• Posted October 6, 2008 at 9:58 pm
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I have heard wonderful things about the NIH, National Institute of Health. Go to their website and check on the Clinical Trials (especially for BRAC1). I just finished a clinical trial at my Cancer Center in NJ. The care and attention is very good when you do a Clinical Trial. The NIH also pays transportation and lodging (hear say). Hope this helps some of the women out there!

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