intrahepatic vs extrahepatic

I was diagnosed with intrahepatic as well. I was stage 4 at diagnosis and the tumor had become massive and involved most of my liver. Resection was not possible. A stent was put in and this helped relieve some symptoms including pain. I have a wonderful surgical oncologist and oncology team at OHSU in Portland, Oregon. I am just a few days from completing palliative radiation. I have already gone through 8 weeks of chemo. More chemo is scheduled. Maintaining your healthiest weight possible is critical. I hope the best for all of you!!

Lana,
Who are you #21 with at UCSF?
Marions

Lana,
Ok. You are very stressed right now. It is difficult. YOU ARE DOING THE BEST YOU CAN! That will not take the worry away (and everyone knows I am the biggest worrier), and it will not take the stress away. But it is important to point out. This disease has no right or wrong solution. It is understandable why you went to Dr. Canady and why you want another opinion. You WILL find the right solution for you and your family. I have so much faith in all of us. I think people come in and out of our lives for a reason. Maybe Dr. Canady is the one to help, maybe he isnt. Maybe he is there as a stepping stone to make you look for someone different, or maybe he is the one who will give you what you need. But everyone we talk to about this disease, every perspective we get from them, every ounce of information is important. There are many centers that deal with this cancer, Dr. Canady and UCSF are not the only ones.

Best of luck making your decision. You will make the right one for you. Just get as many opinions as possible and choose the one you are most comforable with.

KRis

I am cross-referencing this summary on this thread since in involves Dr. Canady.

FYI: I cannot comment on the acuracy of the following summary, but I thought I would post it on here since there’s an ongoing discussion regarding Dr. Canady. The comments provided below were found at the following website: http://www.aana.com/resources.aspx?ucNavMenu_TSMenuTargetID=54&ucNavMenu_TSMenuTargetType=4&ucNavMenu_TSMenuID=6&id=2324

I will try and provide the actual case soon.

Canady v Providence Hospital
The case of Canady v Providence Hospital, 942 F. Supp. 11 (D.C., 1996) is a collection of the legal remedies that are often used to attack the denial or restriction of privileges. Jerome Canady, MD, a surgeon, met with the representatives of a hospital in the District of Columbia, indicating that he wanted to perform vascular and thoracic surgery, as well as general surgery. Over the next few months, Dr Canady met with a number of physicians associated with the hospital, discussing various types of procedures that he wished to perform but, when viewed in retrospect, not necessarily being guaranteed that he would be allowed to do so. He finally received a letter from the president of the hospital informing him of his provisional appointment to the staff, but the letter was silent as to privileges. When Dr Canady inquired what his privileges were, the president of the hospital responded verbally that as far as she knew he had been granted everything he applied for. However, the president of the hospital was not the person authorized to grant privileges.

Not long after Dr Canady began operating at the new hospital, things went rapidly downhill. Four months after he began performing operations at the hospital he was sent a letter stating that the hospital would not schedule a patient for thoracic surgery if Dr Canady was the private primary surgeon. As a result of problems he was having with the hospital, he reviewed his credentials file and discovered, for the first time, that he had not been given thoracic or vascular privileges.

Consequently, Dr Canady retained a lawyer and brought suit against the hospital. This resulted in a settlement in which both sides appeared to save face. The suit was withdrawn, Dr Canady’s privileges were reinstated, and Dr Canady agreed to furnish a written second opinion for certain cases. However, it turned out that this did not resolve the matter. Misunderstandings continued about Dr Canady’s compliance, and Dr Canady did not get satisfactory answers to questions about his privileges. Matters continued largely unresolved until winter when there was another incident in which another staff physician questioned Dr Canady’s competence. A proceeding for “corrective action” was instituted, and the process ultimately resulted in the suspension of Dr Canady’s privileges. Dr Canady’s suit is a catalog of legal theories that a practitioner can use to challenge the actions of a hospital in denying privileges.

Legal remedies
The first legal theory is a claim that the action of the hospital is a violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act: “Every contract…or conspiracy in restraint of trade…is declared to be illegal.” (15 USC

Lana,
hoping so much for you Dad to be finding some relief and hopefully a cure but, what struck me is your comment: “and he knows that he will die very soon anyway.” Is his intention to take “any ‘ risk, or would he possibly like to consult with other surgeons in order to have a comparison in re: to risk vs. outcome.
Marions

Lana,
Of course some of your family is scared. It is natural. I was scared, my parents were scared and my friends were scared when I had surgery. Things can go wrong, but more likely they will go right. Only very skilled doctors attempt this, so your dad will be in good hands. Sometimes people have to chose between two very scary options. You and your family are doing what you feel is the best. Nobody that loves you and knows you and your dad will blame you. From what you write, your dad is reaching out with both hands, fighting for a way to improve his life, get better and have more time with his family. People will respect that and not look for blame.

I pray that everything works out and that your dad finds some relief. Keep up your strength and know that everyone is doing the best they can and that includes YOU. People fear for your dad because they love him not because they think this is the wrong choice. And deep down you and your dad know that if it is possible to have surgery, that is usually the best course of action for this cancer. Stay strong.

Kris