Who knows about HIPEC treatments?

gizzyluv
gizzyluv Member Posts: 143

Hey all, it's me....again. I have a question. Has anyone here had the HIPEC procedure done & if so, I would love to hear your input. I don't know if Jason is or isn't a candidate, I know he probably isn't right now, but maybe if the chemo shrinks the tumor enough for it to be removed or partly removed? I know this has been mentioned to me before, I can't remember now who it was, but I do remember whoever mentioned it to me was very happy with the result they got from having the treatment. I found out today that it is offered at The University of Tennessee Medical Center in Memphis, but it's also offered in Atlanta, which even though we live in East Tennessee, Atlanta would be much closer for us than Memphis.....the problem is gonna be the insurance, I'm sure. I hope I can hear some "real life" stories! ((((HUGS)))) to you all! Kris

Comments

  • LivinginNH
    LivinginNH Member Posts: 1,456 Member
     
    Hi Kris,
    I can help you out

     

    Hi Kris,

    I can help you out with HIPEC questions.  Send me a PM....

     

    Cyn

  • abrub
    abrub Member Posts: 2,174 Member
    The Insurance Warrior

    Laurie Johnson Todd, aka "The Insurance Warrior"(http://theinsurancewarrior.com), fights to get insurance companies to pay for HIPEC.  She is a survivor of Appendix Cancer, and had HIPEC herself.  We're on a forum together, and have corresponded extensively.

    I had an alternative to HIPEC, which is non-heated IntraPeritoneal (IP) chemo, given in a series of treatments over several months.  I was treated at Memorial Sloan Kettering.

    HIPEC or IP chemo are the first-line treatments for Appendix Cancer and Mesothelioma.  Its use has been expanded to peritoneal spread of other colorectal cancers.

  • Dyanclark
    Dyanclark Member Posts: 296
    Hipec

    Sent you an email regarding the procedure we met with Dr. at USC and discussed this with him.  Pros & Cons as always

  • Dyanclark
    Dyanclark Member Posts: 296
    Hipec

    Ok Mike is the one who is going to do Hipec.  His name on this site is thxmiker  maybe you can email him he also went to USC.  We are thinking about it just not all that excited about the procedure.

  • BrianH
    BrianH Member Posts: 10 Member
    Had HIPEC

    Had the debulking surgery first.  12 hours long, took a bunch of stuff out and then had the HIPEC treatment.  Had 12 rounds of Chemo after all this.  Rough surgery for most but would do it again if necessary.  They removed 18lbs of cancer from me but two years later no sign of the bad stuff.  So, if your Doctors says that you might benefit from it, find a specialist and let them determine what is necessary.  You might have to travel to find a surgeon.  I had to go up to Washington State, but found a great Doctor.   Insurance was/is an issue.  They determined that the HIPEC was experimental and wouldn't pay.  My Surgeon fights with insurance everyday and I haven't been charged for it yet.  The insurance actually had issue with three different things that happened to me on the operating table, but to date I haven't had to pay up. 

    thanks

  • Maxiecat
    Maxiecat Member Posts: 544 Member
    Iam not sure we are at the

    Iam not sure we are at the point where I have to get the HIPEC yet.   I have 3b signet ring ... But my dr and the surgeon think that they got it all in my resection.   I did have 4 lymph nodes involved... So we really don't know for sure if it will progress.  No peritomeal mets.  I just finished up the 6 months of Folfox....I actually talked to dr Sugarbaker's office in the fall and she said that completion of the 6 months of chemo and the surgery to remove the mass was the first step.Then I needed to wait at least a couple of months before we could consider HIPEC.   Unfortunately, he is the top expert, is close to my home (about 25 mi).... But does not take private insurance.   They have gotten some insurance companies to agree beforehand to pay what he is asking...but it is usually an uphill fight.   There are 3 other DRs with good reputations and a lot of experience up in Baltimore (about 60 miles away).  Distance is just one of the many factors in the choice of a dr... I want to be close enough to home where my DH can visit...not sure that the kids would be allowed in?..and we don't really have any family that is close by that we can leave them with while we travel far away to a place like UCLA or MDA.   I am not willing to compromise onCare...if there are other options that are closer to us then it will just make the process so much easier.

  • gizzyluv
    gizzyluv Member Posts: 143
    Maxiecat said:

    Iam not sure we are at the

    Iam not sure we are at the point where I have to get the HIPEC yet.   I have 3b signet ring ... But my dr and the surgeon think that they got it all in my resection.   I did have 4 lymph nodes involved... So we really don't know for sure if it will progress.  No peritomeal mets.  I just finished up the 6 months of Folfox....I actually talked to dr Sugarbaker's office in the fall and she said that completion of the 6 months of chemo and the surgery to remove the mass was the first step.Then I needed to wait at least a couple of months before we could consider HIPEC.   Unfortunately, he is the top expert, is close to my home (about 25 mi).... But does not take private insurance.   They have gotten some insurance companies to agree beforehand to pay what he is asking...but it is usually an uphill fight.   There are 3 other DRs with good reputations and a lot of experience up in Baltimore (about 60 miles away).  Distance is just one of the many factors in the choice of a dr... I want to be close enough to home where my DH can visit...not sure that the kids would be allowed in?..and we don't really have any family that is close by that we can leave them with while we travel far away to a place like UCLA or MDA.   I am not willing to compromise onCare...if there are other options that are closer to us then it will just make the process so much easier.

    Thanks for the feedbacks!

    Distance isn't really an issue with us, obviously we would like to be close to home but if that's not possible then oh well....insurance on the other hand will probably be a big issue. Jason only has TennCare (medicaid in Tn.) so I'm not sure what they will pay for. They are paying for all of his chemo treatments though. He is just finishing up w/ his first chemo treatment, so "if" Hipec is an option for him, it probably wouldn't be for a few months at least, once we see what the chemo is or isn't doing. Thanks for eveyone's responses, it really helps to hear 'real' stories. ((((HUGS)))) Kris

  • tachilders
    tachilders Member Posts: 313
    gizzyluv said:

    Thanks for the feedbacks!

    Distance isn't really an issue with us, obviously we would like to be close to home but if that's not possible then oh well....insurance on the other hand will probably be a big issue. Jason only has TennCare (medicaid in Tn.) so I'm not sure what they will pay for. They are paying for all of his chemo treatments though. He is just finishing up w/ his first chemo treatment, so "if" Hipec is an option for him, it probably wouldn't be for a few months at least, once we see what the chemo is or isn't doing. Thanks for eveyone's responses, it really helps to hear 'real' stories. ((((HUGS)))) Kris

    How is he doing with his

    How is he doing with his first treatment???