Gamma Knife at Mayo clinic

My last post for the night. A very interesting positive result:

http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=19034335

Locally advanced intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma successfully resected after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization with degradable starch microspheres : Report of a case
Auteur(s) / Author(s)
YONGYOU WU (1 2) ; SAIURA Akio (1) ; YAMAMOTO Junji (1) ; KOGA Rintaro (1) ; ASAHARA Shingo (3) ; KAMEI Akira (3) ; TAKANO Koichi (3) ; IKARI Takaaki (3) ; SEKI Makoto (1) ; YAMAGUCHI Toshiharu (1) ; MUTO Tetsuichiro (1) ;
Affiliation(s) du ou des auteurs / Author(s) Affiliation(s)
(1) Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Cancer Institute Hospital, JAPON
(2) Department of General Surgery 2nd Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, CHINE
(3) Department of Internal Medicine Cancer Institute Hospital, Tokyo, JAPON

R

Registry Study of Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation & Transplant for Cholangiocarcinoma
Patients
This study is currently recruiting patients.
Verified by Washington University School of Medicine September 2006
Sponsored by: Washington University School of Medicine
Information provided by: Washington University School of Medicine
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00301379
Purpose
This is an observational study intended to validate results of a previous study done at the Mayo Clinic.
Patients are treated with combination chemotherapy and radiation and maintained on oral Xeloda until
they can receive liver transplant. A staging laparotomy is performed before chemoradiation in order to
identify patients who will most benefit from the treatment and to improve outcomes.

Lainy, I second that emotion! Great post, Wayne! You are right, cancer is a race against time, we have to take this thing by the lapels and show it who’s running this show!

Patty

Mayo is excellent. They know more about BDC than other ceters because they have a long history with all bile duct problems. They have a liver transplant protocol (Dr. Steven Rosen) that has a projected 80% cure rate if you qualify. Barnes Jewish Hospital/Washington University in St. Louis is also a leader in the transplant protocol. Dr. Andrew Kennedy in Cary NC destroyed my wife’s Klatskin tumor (intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma) with Y-90 microspheres. Brilliant technology with almost no side effects. But you must act quickly. Doubling time on cholangiocarcinoma is 3 to 6 months and it is highly resistant to chemotherapy. By far your best bet is at Mayo and the liver transplant protocol. If they will use the Cyber-knife (gamma knife I believe is used for head and neck tumors) – no difference, all a type of stereotactice radiosurgery (SRS). SRS was invented at Stanford in the late 80’s. If you are on the west coast I would check out UC Davis that does both SRS and the Y-90 microspheres. Do npot go to Sloane Kettering. Despite the fact that it is probably the greatest cancer hospital in the world the top cholangiocarcinoma surgeon there could not do convential surgery on my wife and also did not tell us about tje liver transplant protocol at Mayo, SRS or the Y-90 microsphere treatments that were being successfully implemented at Mayo, with Dr. Kennedy etc. this was really bad and the delay probably allowed my wife’s cancer to metastasize to her peritoneum before Dr. Chapman in St. Louis could get her to transplant. Doctors like Kennedy and Rosen will quickly tell you if their treatments will work. I think the most impiratnt step is to quickly neutralize the main tumor with radiation (SRS or Y-90) and then get into a transplant program. They usually start with 4 or 5 months on chemo and external beam (EGRT) radiation before transplant. I have lobbied with Dr. Chapman to use a more modern radiation approach to neutralize thye tumor and get to tansplant sooner (cancer is a race against time). I believe Mayo moves more quickly to transplant. There are people out there who have been cured with the transplant protocol. The chances are that the cancer will return even if the initial tumor is dtsroyed or removed. The Mayo protocol is more successful although the jury is still out. They sanitize the system with chemo and radiation. Contact me directly 808-753-0290 if you want more information. I have a lot of materials. Wayne Parsons – Honolulu

hello jur777….welcome to the site. Cyberknife radiation differs from Gamma Knife. You may read up on either Cyberknife and Gamma knife by using the google search function. You may also want to seek out additional opinions by forwarding your records to other physicians specializing in Bile Duct Cancer/Cholangiocarcinoma. Please, keep us posted about your upcoming visit.
Sending tons of good wishes your way,
Marion

Hi John and welcome to the best little club in the world that no one wishes to join! My husband is scheduled for cyber knife next week, the 16th for 5 treatments. He had a Whipple surgery 3 years ago and the cancer returned where the duodenum used to be. His cancer was contained int he bile duct valve. I have heard of Gamma but do not know in what cases they used it. With cyber knife the mass must be 6cn or under. I know that someone on this board will be able to answer you better about Gamma but I do know that Mayo in MN is one of the best. Good luck and keep us posted.