Cancer Treatment Centers of America???

[driveby]

Most have seen their ads on tv offering hope for severe cancer patients. Frankie's family is looking into them to see if they can help. Has anyone on here had any experience with this facility? I don't want to see his family taken advantage of. Thanks, Jerry.

[Deltaquack]

I've heard of a few people going there. My personal top 3 choices would be MD Anderson, Mayo Clinic, Oschner's.

[jacksbuddy]

I've heard of a few people going there. My personal top 3 choices would be MD Anderson, Mayo Clinic, Oschner's.

+1, only I'd probably put Oshners ahead of Mayo just because of proxcimity. And by the way, please let your friend know that we are praying for him. Good luck.

[Bourbon]

More prayers on the way. Don't know if the family has looked into it, but Mary Bird Perkins here in Baton Rouge is doing a lot of great things with cancer treatment.

[quack fiend]

Honestly, they all do the same things at every cancer center. MDA is considered the leader nationwide.

[southernmallard]

Honestly, they all do the same things at every cancer center. MDA is considered the leader nationwide.

You're right. Most follow the same protocol, whether you're at MD Anderson or University in Jxn, they follow the same checklist. IMO, MD Anderson is the place to be when you get the more strange types. They are definitely top notch.

[eldorado]

Sloan Kettering and Dana Farber are two more that I would look into.

[eldorado]

Honestly, they all do the same things at every cancer center. MDA is considered the leader nationwide.

Not necessarily, they all follow (or at least should follow) NCCN guidelines...but some hospitals use a minimalistic approach while others hit cancer with the hammer or Thor.

[ransco33]

I would say the West Clinic in Memphis would be a good place to check into also. I know they have some top notch facilities and know a few people that have been treated there.

[Duck$$$]

MDAnderson. Mom and Dad both patients there. Leadervin treatment and research.

[duckshooter.76]

After watching several close family members suffer and die from different types of cancers I have come to the conclusion through personal experience and research that the conventional radiation and chemotherapy only end up buying you little time and making you to sick to have any kind of life in the process of treatment.I would contact a cancer specialist that used natural and holistic type treatments if it was my close family member or myself from now on.I know of a 92 yr old lady that was diagnosed over 15 or 16 yrs ago w/ cancer of the throat.She chose this method a couple years ago,but from the beginning only had one radiation treatment.One was enough for her to start looking for other cures.Her cancer never changed for better or worse after deciding to stop w/ conventional treatments for many years,but now w/ alternative treatments the tumor has been shrinking.My cousin was diagnosed 10 years ago w/ colon cancer.He refused radiation and chemo from the start and is still here.My Aunt died last year from stomach cancer.She did take the chemo on a regular basis.She lasted 2 years after being diagnosed while in early stages.Same thing w/ 3 Grandparents,a couple distant cousins and countless other people I knew fom my community and church.They all took conventional treatments and it did no good.They sure were sick as hell the whole time too.These are only my expereinces and your mileage may vary.I pray for you and your family that you will find he right treatment and this person will be cured and live many more years.

[Deltaquack]

The reason you go to certain places like MD Anderson is because the world renowned doctors are going to be at the top notch places and have the reputable support staff to work with. They are able to get their hands on drugs that most places have never heard of......it's the whole team approach that matters from oncologist to interventional radiologist to surgeon. Just like with every other profession....all surgeons are definitely not of the same quality.

[Bonehead]

The reason you go to certain places like MD Anderson is because the world renowned doctors are going to be at the top notch places and have the reputable support staff to work with. They are able to get their hands on drugs that most places have never heard of......it's the whole team approach that matters from oncologist to interventional radiologist to surgeon. Just like with every other profession....all surgeons are definitely not of the same quality.

Yep

[Seymore]

The reason you go to certain places like MD Anderson is because the world renowned doctors are going to be at the top notch places and have the reputable support staff to work with. They are able to get their hands on drugs that most places have never heard of......it's the whole team approach that matters from oncologist to interventional radiologist to surgeon. Just like with every other profession....all surgeons are definitely not of the same quality.

Yep

To add to this these are by and large teaching hospitals where studies and research is going on. Places like this are developing the procedures and techniques that will become standard practice in the years to come. An interesting aside, a friend of the family had a child with cancer and attempted to go to St. Jude. They were told they couldn't at that time because they were not conducting any studies at the current time dealing with the type cancer the child had. The cancer was a type that 20 years ago was a death sentence but now is very curable with a greater than 90 % survival rate. Mostly due to the work at St. Jude. It was explained to them that St. Jude could do the most good for everybody by working toward developing cures for these diseases that they can then send to all the hospitals. Working through the FDA is a long and expensive process. The studies and procedures take years to complete and have to go through peer review and have and adequate sample size to make the numbers mean something.

[BAY KINGFISHER]

DS 76 no disrepect here but you really cant paint cancer with such a broad stroke. There are many types of cancers and a patients prognosis is usually determined by the kind of cancer, how far along the cancer is, where the cancer is located within the body, how old the patient is and any other underlying health issues they may have. Even as advanced as our med. has become some cancers are still a death wish with only an absolute miracle occuring to save the afflicted person. Personally, if I had the need for a cancer center I would look into M.D.A.