URGENT-Please state best Pancreas Cancer centers&treatme

Anonymous · Guest

My mother in law found out she has pancreas cancer. We live abroad and are looking for the best centers specializing in Pancreas Cancer in which she can be treated in the US. Here we were told there are no treatments.
Also, what are the treatments and trials considered to be successful.

freeio

There are a number of excellent cancer centers here, but I will speak right now only of the one where I have been treated for pancreatic adenocarcinoma, since it is the only one with which I have experience.

I can heartily recomment Kirklin Clinic in Birmingham, Alabama, which is operated by the University of Alabama Birmingham Hospital. Their staff and facilities are excellent.

I hope this helps.
_________________
-------------------------------------------------
whipple procedure, Oct. 21, 2004
28 days of radiation
56 days of Chemo using Xeloda
diagnosed as progressive recurrent pancreatic adenocarcinoma (Stage IV) Jun. 20, 2006
was treated with gemcitabine, oxaliplatin, and tarceva, which all failed.
Cancer blog: http://diehlmartin.com/cancer.html

Anonymous · Guest

Thank you for your prompt reply. First, since we are absolutely ignorant in the field, could you note which additional centers are considered leading in pancreatic cancer in the US?
Also, could you elaborate on your treatment?
Here, outside the US, we were told there is nothing effective to do, and I know that in the US there are...

freeio · Posted: Fri Jan 05, 2007 8:56 am Post subject: Some details for you

There are actually quite a number of excellent cancer centers here. I will name a few which are very well known:

Fred Hutchinson (Seattle, Washington) http://www.fhcrc.org/

M D Anderson (Houston, Texas) http://www.mdanderson.org/

Johns Hopkins (Baltimore, Maryland) http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/

Kirklin Clinic (Birmingham, Alabama) http://www.health.uab.edu/default.aspx?pid=11333

Listing more will not help. These are among the best.

The most basic synopsis of my cancer and the treatment are as follows:

Summer 2004: I felt very low, but had no real symptoms other than being really tired all the time.

September 2004: One morning I noticed that the whites of my eyes had turned yellow. I immediately made an appointment with Dr. Foley, and his first diagnosis is pancreatic cancer. I am yellow because the bile duct is blocked where it passes through the pancreas.

October 21, 2004: Dr. Selwyin Vickers and his team perform a Whipple procedure on me, at UAB Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama. I survive the surgery, and the pathologist says they got most of the cancer. However there is some sign that it may have spread via lymph nodes and nerves..

December 2004 through February 2005: I go through radiation and chemotherapy.

March through May 2005: I go through more chemotherapy.

June 2005: My checkups with Dr. Vickers and Dr. Posey look clean.

January 2006: My checkups with Dr. Vickers and Dr. Posey look clean again.

February 2006: Midsection pain begins. I can no longer lie down without excruciating pain.

March 2006: I spend eight days in UAB Hospital while they treat me for what they think may be pancreatitis. Nothing improves.

June 2006: I am diagnosed with progressive recurrent pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Chemotherapy begins. I continue to get worse.

Summer/Fall 2006: The assumption is that I will not make it to Thanksgiving, or maybe Christmas.

October 2006: The pain vanishes. With the Lord's help, I get off of all pain medication. The pain is still gone.

November 2006: The blood tests show that the CA19-9 tumor marker has fallen from 76 to 30 in six weeks. Dr. Posey, the oncologist examines me, and declares the change in my my condition “highly atypical.” That is doctor-speak for “This is a miracle for which I have no medical explanation.”

December 2006: Things continue to get better, day-by-day, as I regain my strength.

If you want to know more about my treatment, you will need to read through my pancreatic cancer blog at http://diehlmartin.com/cancer.html . The treatment has been going on for two and a half years now, and it has been a tremendous series of trials. Nothing has been easy.
_________________
-------------------------------------------------
whipple procedure, Oct. 21, 2004
28 days of radiation
56 days of Chemo using Xeloda
diagnosed as progressive recurrent pancreatic adenocarcinoma (Stage IV) Jun. 20, 2006
was treated with gemcitabine, oxaliplatin, and tarceva, which all failed.
Cancer blog: http://diehlmartin.com/cancer.html

4VGA · Regular Joined: 31 Jul 2006 Posts: 13

[size=24][/size]CALL PANCAN
PANCREATIC CANCER ACTION NETWORK
RHOLLAND@PANCAN.ORG
THEY HAVE ALL THE INFO YOU NEED

rechargeable · Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2007 1:32 pm Post subject: ACOR PANCREAS-ONC mailing list

You simply must join the pancreatic cancer mailing list on www.acor.org . It is easily the best source of perpetual support and information online. I found this list much later in my father's illness than I would have liked.

Go to www.acor.org and click on the "Mailing Lists" link.

Click on "P" under "Browse Alphabetically";

Click on "PANCREAS-ONC";

Click on "Join or leave the list (or change settings)"; then enter your email address and name and select your subscription preferences.

There is also an excellent list that Johns Hopkins runs, at http://pathology.jhu.edu/n.web?EP=N&FL=PANCREAS_CHAT ... I do not belong to that one, but it seems great. I think you will find either or both to be very supportive.

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