Where is the BEST Clinic/Hospital for Stage IV Colon Cancer with liver mets?

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  • pf78248
    pf78248 Member Posts: 209
    #22
    lostit2003 said:

    good advice
    Lots of good advice!!! My husband Randy has his first treatment Monday. Of course starting with folfox locally. It's great to know that if we don't get the results we need we still have other options. I'm in Tennessee. Has anyone had any experience with Vanderbildt?

    Tina

    Vanderbilt
    Tina,

    We don't have personal information about Vanderbilt, but it is highly regarded and is one of 21 National Comprehensive Cancer Centers. I would think your husband could get excellent treatment there. Don't hesitate to go for second opinions or surgery needs. My husband David started treatment locally and then we went to M D Anderson, probably a year later than we should have. But better late than never and he's scheduled for a liver resection there in a few weeks after being told he was inoperative by two surgeons locally. Good luck with your husband's care. I know it is hard but he can do it and it really does get easier with time - for both of you. David was stage 3 when diagnosed in April 2008 and by the end of the year progressed to stage 4. We have great hope and confidence in the course he is now pursuing.

    I do wish you and Randy the very best.
    Priscilla in San Antonio
  • Crow71
    Crow71 Member Posts: 679 Member
    #23
    Heather,
    I see you are in
    Heather,
    I see you are in Ashville NC. I live in Lewisville NC - right outside of Winston-Salem. I am currently being treated at Baptist Hospital - Wake Forest University School Of Medicine. I am very pleased with my treatment, the facility, the nurses, and most of all, the doctors. Wake Forest is recognized as one of the top cancer centers in the country. I have a tremendous amount of faith in my oncologist. I also went to Duke for a second opinion before I began treatment, and they basically confirmed that the proposed course of treatment was what they would do.
    At this point I am not a candidate for surgery, but surgery is the goal. I have "issues" with my peritoneal lining as well as lots of liver mets. Staging the surgeries will be a tough decision. The plan now is to get through as much folfox as I can take and then re-evaluate in the Spring. At that point I will be looking for more opinions and will look at MD Anderson and Sloan and any others that have been recommended. But for now, I am very happy to be at Wake Forest.
    I would be happy to discuss this more with you. Just let me know.
    Stay strong.
    Peace,
    Roger
  • heatherdrnd
    heatherdrnd Member Posts: 6
    #24
    Crow71 said:

    Heather,
    I see you are in
    Heather,
    I see you are in Ashville NC. I live in Lewisville NC - right outside of Winston-Salem. I am currently being treated at Baptist Hospital - Wake Forest University School Of Medicine. I am very pleased with my treatment, the facility, the nurses, and most of all, the doctors. Wake Forest is recognized as one of the top cancer centers in the country. I have a tremendous amount of faith in my oncologist. I also went to Duke for a second opinion before I began treatment, and they basically confirmed that the proposed course of treatment was what they would do.
    At this point I am not a candidate for surgery, but surgery is the goal. I have "issues" with my peritoneal lining as well as lots of liver mets. Staging the surgeries will be a tough decision. The plan now is to get through as much folfox as I can take and then re-evaluate in the Spring. At that point I will be looking for more opinions and will look at MD Anderson and Sloan and any others that have been recommended. But for now, I am very happy to be at Wake Forest.
    I would be happy to discuss this more with you. Just let me know.
    Stay strong.
    Peace,
    Roger

    Thanks!
    Thanks Roger! My brother is actually the one with colon cancer and I will definitely pass on your information to him. He is meeting with Duke on 2/3 to get a second opinion on treatment options. They are saying he is a candidate for surgery but his larger 3 cm tumor is located near the portal vein so they want to shrink it down first. He is also looking into MD Anderson and Sloan. When he called Sloan this morning he was told that since he has already started chemo he needs to complete it first and then call them back??? Who did you meet with at Duke? He is scheduled with Dr. Morse.

    Thanks for the inspiration, and stay strong too!
    Heather
  • 1survivor010
    1survivor010 Member Posts: 8
    #25
    Cancer Treatment Centers
    Although not treated in the USA i can attest to remarkable results from a test trial I was on along with app.900 people world wide in 2008.I was on a drug called Panitumumab along with FOLFOX to shrink the tumors on my liver for 6 months which resulted in a surgery date.I would first need to have a portal vein embolization in order to send more blood to the lobe of the liver to be saved which in turn made that lobe grow larger.A procedure you should discuss with your surgeon.The surgery was a success and after having a combination of radiation and low doses of chemo for 28 days I had successful surgery in May of 2009 to remove the primary colorectal tumor and at the same time had a ileostomy done.I will be going in for a reversal of this procedure in March of 2010,after having been given a cancer free diagnosis.As you can see this has been a three year journey and i was very fortunate to have had many marvelous care givers along the way.I realize this note does not answer your question however i hope this letter gives you hope when surrounded by so much uncertainty.
    Good Luck
  • Patteee
    Patteee Member Posts: 945
    #26
    PPrice said:

    Mayo?
    Hi Heather,
    I am in the same boat as you diagnosis-wise and I'm interested in people's thoughts on this topic.

    Does anyone know anything about the Mayo Clinics? After my initial medical crisis that led to my diagnosis, I was referred to Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville. I have been making some visits down there (about 3 hours from our house) and found the docs to be wonderful, well qualified, and showing a comforting interest in my welfare. We plan to move down there temporarily for radiation soon because we were so impressed with the facility, the docs, and staff.
    Any thoughts on Mayo?
    Prentiss :)

    My resection for stage3 cc
    My resection for stage3 cc was at Mayo in Rochester, MN. I was encouraged by their oncologist to seek out the next step of chemotherapy closer to home (I am about 2 hours north of mayo). That any cancer center would have the same treatment, it is pretty standard for stage3 cc. And he thought it more important that I would be closer to my home, my clinic and my family, etc. He was so so so correct! One year ago I finished chemo- my clinic is less than a mile from my home as is the hospital I was hospitalized at 3 times for chemo related issues.
    I absolutely love, love, love Mayo. Top notch doctors, nurses and staff. I have had 3 surgeries there, love my colorectal surgeon- and have always felt so dang good when I am there.

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