tomlee5073

Adida, it looks like you’re getting a lot of good (although somewhat mixed) advice on how to proceed. It’s a bit of a hike from Michigan, but I highly recommend the Mayo Clinic. Check with the insurance carrier to make sure they’ll cover the second opinion. You don’t need a doctor’s referral to get into Mayo. Go to their website and you’ll find a link to their self-referral page. I filled out the forms on a Thursday night and had a call from Mayo on Friday to set up an appointment – and had one within two weeks.

I happended to like what they told me there – but even if I hadn’t I had the satisfaction and peace of mind of knowing that I’d “gone to the top” for treatment options.

Best wishes for you and your dad.

I started on the G/C combo in January, 2010. My cycle was once a week for two weeks and then a week off. I did that through September when my PET scan showed no tumors. Six weeks later they were evident again. My oncologist (Minnesota Oncology) recommended getting back on the same schedule. I decided to go to Mayo as it’s just 90 miles away from my home. In a nutshell, I was told that my oncologist was right on the mark, that I should go back to St. Paul and I’d be in good hands. I started the G/C combo again last month and will have another scan at the end of April to see what’s happening.

My main side effect is anemia (no hair loss and I’ve gained 20 pounds). I get injections of aranespe and neulasta to build up my blood counts.

Maybe slightly off-topic – but I’ve been getting regular PET scans to determine the effectiveness of chemo on the tumors. Mayo gave me a CAT scan instead. I see on other entries the mention of MRI’s. Is one test more reliable than the others? I haven’t been able to find pertinent info online.