Is it worth it to relocate for treatment at MD Anderson?!

Discussion Board Forums Hospitals & Physicians Is it worth it to relocate for treatment at MD Anderson?!

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    nikki4470
    Spectator

    My name is Nikki. My father Jim was diagnosed with CC in September of this year at the young age of 57. He was admitted to the hospital (originally Winchester Hospital in Winchester, MA then transferred to Beth Israel in Boston, MA) because of severe stomach pains, weight loss and jaundice. After many days of testing, it was discovered that he had a 4 cm tumor on the upper portion of his bile duct (which extends down). He was scheduled for exploratory surgery on October 16th. October 16th was the worst day of our lives. We patiently waited in the waiting room for what we expected to be a 5 1/2 hour surgery. When the surgeon came out after only a short hour, we knew it was not successful. The surgeon discovered that the tumor had intruded the gallbladder, the bottom of the liver and wrapped itself around the hepatic artery. Because of the involvement of the hepatic artery, it was too risky to remove the tumor. The good news is that it has not metastasized. We have an appointment for a consultantation at Dana Farber in Boston on 11/6. We are lucky to live only 20 minutes from the city. We do not want to start any treatments before we weigh our options. We had contacted both the Mayo Clinic in MO and Barnes-Jewish in IL, but unfortunately he is not currently a candidate for a liver transplant because of the size of the tumor and it’s complexity. We are now looking to take him to the best hospital in the US for treatment in hopes and prayers that the tumor shrinks enough to either have him qualify for a transplant or a resection. I think the best thing we can do at this point is have consultations with both Dana Farber (Dr. Thomas Abrams) and MD Anderson (Dr. Javle) because it won’t hurt to have more than one opinion. I have also read wonderful things about Dr. Kato at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. I would appreciate anyone’s insight on MD Anderson! I have been told that their techology and treatment is sometimes 5 years ahead of other centers. Thank you so much for reading!

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