PDT

Suzanne,

Unfortunately, we don’t have the answers for this darn cancer and your question highlights exactly the problem with trying to find a cure for this cancer, it seems that no 2 cases are alike and no 2 doctors treat it alike. It is very difficult to make treatment decisions and not feel like it is a guessing game and not have regrets.

The rock star on here is Jeff and people post all the time asking him about his treatments and really it seems like what he has been through is almost like an obstacle course or one of those mazes you have to try and find your way out of or like picking door #1, 2 or 3.

To add to the mix, not sure if you saw it but people are singing the praises of sirspheres and theraspheres, see:

http://www.cholangiocarcinoma.org/punbb/viewtopic.php?id=1318

Patty

Suzanne,

What is your location? My understanding is that PDT is not approved by the FDA so I think it is harder to find here in the U.S. I assume you already saw this article in the Medical Updates section but, if not, here is the outside link:

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-04/uovh-clc041508.php

PDT was never offered as an option by my mother’s doctors but I called the Cancer Treatment Center of America because we are in Chicago and they have a facility in Zion, IL , and they said they do not offer it there, they offer it in Tulsa.

Another member, Mark, sent his Mom’s records to the Univ. of Virginia to see if she was a candidate, see the following post:

http://www.cholangiocarcinoma.org/punbb/viewtopic.php?id=1658

And here Stacie talks about a possible PDT study at MD Anderson:

http://www.cholangiocarcinoma.org/punbb/viewtopic.php?id=559

Patty