If you were choosing a cancer center in the northwest

lmchils57
lmchils57 Member Posts: 59
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
If you were choosing a cancer center in the Northwest where would it be and what can you tell me about the ones in the Northwest? We live in Idaho and I am jsut wondering in case we feel we need to go somewhere else. I do not know about any of this really and not sure just where to get information. So looking for input, so far when I have asked questions everyone has been so helpful so I was hoping that you coule help me on this. We are not quite ready to take the steps to go anywhere else as we really like my sons' oncologist and I know he is really comfortable with him. Since he just started this step may be premature but I like to get all the information I can so that if we have to make a decision it is an educated and informative decision.

Just looking for answers
Linda

Comments

  • pf78248
    pf78248 Member Posts: 209
    #2
    Cancer Center in NW
    I believe the Fred Hutchinson Hospital at the University of Washington in Seattle is part of the NIH list of comprehensive cancer centers. I am not sure if anyone on this board has been there, but I know it has a steller reputation. These centers, like M D Anderson where my husband David is being treated, have a total team approach to treatment so you get to meet with oncologists, surgeons, radiologists, and any other type of doctor you need to see all at one center. We've found that we wish we'd gone to one of the major centers early in the cancer journey, even though we certainly adore and feel confident in David's oncologist. He can give chemo and great advice, but he can't cure cancer with chemo alone, so other options (and there are many) need to be explored. Never give up hope - there is always something else that can be done!

    And you can always go for a second opinion, too. Good luck and to you and your son. I wish you and your family the very best.

    Priscilla
  • pf78248
    pf78248 Member Posts: 209
    #3
    Cancer Center in NW
    I believe the Fred Hutchinson Hospital at the University of Washington in Seattle is part of the NIH list of comprehensive cancer centers. I am not sure if anyone on this board has been there, but I know it has a steller reputation. These centers, like M D Anderson where my husband David is being treated, have a total team approach to treatment so you get to meet with oncologists, surgeons, radiologists, and any other type of doctor you need to see all at one center. We've found that we wish we'd gone to one of the major centers early in the cancer journey, even though we certainly adore and feel confident in David's oncologist. He can give chemo and great advice, but he can't cure cancer with chemo alone, so other options (and there are many) need to be explored. Never give up hope - there is always something else that can be done!

    And you can always go for a second opinion, too. Good luck and to you and your son. I wish you and your family the very best.

    Priscilla
  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #4
    pf78248 said:

    Cancer Center in NW
    I believe the Fred Hutchinson Hospital at the University of Washington in Seattle is part of the NIH list of comprehensive cancer centers. I am not sure if anyone on this board has been there, but I know it has a steller reputation. These centers, like M D Anderson where my husband David is being treated, have a total team approach to treatment so you get to meet with oncologists, surgeons, radiologists, and any other type of doctor you need to see all at one center. We've found that we wish we'd gone to one of the major centers early in the cancer journey, even though we certainly adore and feel confident in David's oncologist. He can give chemo and great advice, but he can't cure cancer with chemo alone, so other options (and there are many) need to be explored. Never give up hope - there is always something else that can be done!

    And you can always go for a second opinion, too. Good luck and to you and your son. I wish you and your family the very best.

    Priscilla

    Yup, my best friend was treated there....
    And my sister was treated in a related facility in Bellevue for anal cancer...and her oncologist worked very closely with my gastric oncological surgeon (world reknown).

    Good luck!

    Hugs, Kathi
  • scouty
    scouty Member Posts: 1,965 Member
    #5
    Cancer Treatment Center of America
    in Seattle. My friend Mark (Limey) from here went to the one outside Chicago as a last resort and loved it. He said it was BY FAR the best and most through treatment he had gotten in his 5 year fight.

    There are 5 in the US now; Philly, Tulsa, and outside of Phoenix are the others.

    I know that if I need it, they will be the first place I check out. I think a few folks insurance companies didn't cover them there (private vs public).

    Check it out, you won't find another center in the US that treats the whole person like they do.

    Lisa P.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #6
    scouty said:

    Cancer Treatment Center of America
    in Seattle. My friend Mark (Limey) from here went to the one outside Chicago as a last resort and loved it. He said it was BY FAR the best and most through treatment he had gotten in his 5 year fight.

    There are 5 in the US now; Philly, Tulsa, and outside of Phoenix are the others.

    I know that if I need it, they will be the first place I check out. I think a few folks insurance companies didn't cover them there (private vs public).

    Check it out, you won't find another center in the US that treats the whole person like they do.

    Lisa P.

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #7
    pf78248 said:

    Cancer Center in NW
    I believe the Fred Hutchinson Hospital at the University of Washington in Seattle is part of the NIH list of comprehensive cancer centers. I am not sure if anyone on this board has been there, but I know it has a steller reputation. These centers, like M D Anderson where my husband David is being treated, have a total team approach to treatment so you get to meet with oncologists, surgeons, radiologists, and any other type of doctor you need to see all at one center. We've found that we wish we'd gone to one of the major centers early in the cancer journey, even though we certainly adore and feel confident in David's oncologist. He can give chemo and great advice, but he can't cure cancer with chemo alone, so other options (and there are many) need to be explored. Never give up hope - there is always something else that can be done!

    And you can always go for a second opinion, too. Good luck and to you and your son. I wish you and your family the very best.

    Priscilla

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • scouty
    scouty Member Posts: 1,965 Member
    #8
    unknown said:

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator

    I'd take that as a great sign!!!
    Graci (my middle name is Grace),

    That tells me that they felt that you could get just as good of treatment at other places. I'll speculate and guess that you've had successful surgery for your cancer with maybe some mop up chemo and you are either stage 1 or 2.

    It doesn't bother me at all when a business tells me I can get the same results closer to my home and possibly cheaper. I kind of wish more would.

    Lisa P.
  • zenmonk
    zenmonk Member Posts: 198
    #9
    UW
    Hutchinson or UW is excellent. However I am a little biased towards Harrison Hospital. I spent plenty of days there and my oncologist is awesome. My surgery was a little tricky so they referred me to UW. The oncology ward at Harrison is awesome. They got me to where I am now. All Clear.
  • Idamama
    Idamama Member Posts: 6
    #10
    I also live in Idaho. My
    I also live in Idaho. My onc sent me to University of California San Francisco. They are one of the best I have been told.
  • SueRelays
    SueRelays Member Posts: 485
    #11
    I've heard AMAZING things
    I've heard AMAZING things about Fred H in Seattle. I live in Oregon and had most of my work done at St Vincents, but then with my liver resection OHSU....which is suppoed to be the best in Oregon.
  • HollyID
    HollyID Member Posts: 946 Member
    #12
    I live in SE Idaho...
    I go to a set of oncs in Rexburg. They've worked at The Huntsman Center in SLC and they worked at the University of Utah. They are both very good oncs and have noticed that many people come from other states just to go to these guys.

    If you live closer to SLC, it might be easier to go there at The Huntsman Center. Idaho is a pretty big state, so I guess it just depends on where you live. :)

    Good luck and great hope!
  • emrose
    emrose Member Posts: 136
    #13
    SueRelays said:

    I've heard AMAZING things
    I've heard AMAZING things about Fred H in Seattle. I live in Oregon and had most of my work done at St Vincents, but then with my liver resection OHSU....which is suppoed to be the best in Oregon.

    Oregon
    My husband had his colon resection at St. Vincents and will be having his lung resection there nex week! Our oncologist is at nw cancer specialist right across from St. Vincents. It's been a good experience but we are seeking several opinions regaurding what to do after surgery, including ohsu and CTCA (as well as some more alternative approaches) Maybe we'll check out Fred H too!
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #14
    HollyID said:

    I live in SE Idaho...
    I go to a set of oncs in Rexburg. They've worked at The Huntsman Center in SLC and they worked at the University of Utah. They are both very good oncs and have noticed that many people come from other states just to go to these guys.

    If you live closer to SLC, it might be easier to go there at The Huntsman Center. Idaho is a pretty big state, so I guess it just depends on where you live. :)

    Good luck and great hope!

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • lmchils57
    lmchils57 Member Posts: 59
    #15
    Thank you everyone
    Thank you everyone, I appreciate your responding. We are in Centeral Idaho so it is a toss up as to whether Seattle is closer or the place in Rexburg. The advantage to us for Seattle is we have plenty of family over there to stay with whether Scott has to be there for any duration or whether he just has to go over and have them consult with is onc here. We really like his onc here and he is quite open to us exploring other routes if we feel the need. If they do decide a liver resection is possible it is likely he will have it up in Spokane as there is a highly recommended surgeon there for that. I am getting a ahead of myself on all of this as he just started the chemo and avastin, so it will be almost 24 wks before we know what we really have facing us on the road up ahead. But this is typical for me I always like to know what the options are so that when we have them to face we can deal with them.
    He did really well with his first chemo treament, he is almost his old self the last couple of days and that is so nice to see. He had a little nausea and was pretty tired for about 4 days, the only other side affect of either the chemo or the cancer in general that he has noticed is that he is just not as strong as he was before, he tried lifting his 5 yr old son the other day and it took more energy then it did before. He did not like that at all, but he is back to eating so maybe some of that stregnth will return gradually or maybe it won't.

    More optomistic than before-
    Linda

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