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Pancreatic cancer: How do I decide which hospital is best?
I tried to post but don’t know if it went through. My husband just diagnosed w pancreatic cancer. 59 yrs old. Med oncology Dr in CT hospital says maybe some spread but they need to do pet scan later in week. He says probably can’t operate. But surgeon said he needs to see pet scan before making decision.
We r going to Dana Farber tomorrow in Boston for second opinion. Anyone have experience there? Any promising Clinical trials ?
Also anyone know about PEMF - pulsed electromagnet field therapy ? A friend claims it helped cure his pancreatic cancer. I’m reading there have been a few trials and some success with it.
How about ivermectin? I read there has been success using it as it kills cancer cells.
This is all so new. How do I decide which hospital is best for treatment? I live in ct.
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Although we were assured that all information was shared between two different hospital systems, that proved difficult. This should factor into any decision about where to sign up for chemotherapy.
We were promised that DF would oversee the less experienced Lahey local team. I am under the impression that did not occur after the initial decision to provide the standard Folfirinox although the local, general oncologist said he did confer, I think it must have been brief and inadequate.
Lahey oncologist was not able to see all DF scans. In turn, I had to ask every time for Lahey to send scans to DF.
I got no feedback from DF until preliminary surgery check in. It was clear we had tasked Whipple to DF.
DF scans for surgical assessment found a thrombosis from the port or cancer which delayed surgery a month. Would their better hard/soft ware found it sooner?
It must have to do with hospital compensation.
Also, conversely, when querying Memorial Sloan Kettering on a possible trial, MSK was able to see all Lahey treatments, but nothing from DF. We got some information regarding this trial through personal work/education connections through his DF assistant surgeon—from a similar high status institution—“worked with lead oncologist years ago on this vaccine.” He informed me that spouse was not eligible for trial or vaccine because of Folfirinox —but I see someone else is waiting for individualized vaccine generated in Germany.
Sounds like a good decision going to DFCI as it is an NCI designated center of excellence in cancer treatment and has a noted cancer program with outstanding pancreatic oncologists.
Folfirinox is what I had and I was 55 at the time. I was in otherwise very good physical condition, continued with daily exercise and my work schedule throughout the treatment and tolerated it very well for the 24 months I was on it.
Folfirinox consists of Folinic Acid (FOL) also going by the product name Leucovorin which is a reduced form of Folic acid. It enhances the effects of the three drugs in the cocktail.
F= Fluorouricil (5-FU) which interrupts the DNA cell cycle at a specific point
IRIN= Irinotecan which is another drug interrupting the DNA cell cycle of the malignant cells at a different point in the cycle.
OX=Oxaliplatin is known as an alkylating agent and the drug combines to DNA strands preventing its repair and this interference contributes to cell death.
This multi-cocktail regimen is why it is very effective and still considered the “gold standard” for treatment despite other drugs that have been developed and approved after Folfirinox.
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1 ReactionHi K13,
Hope all is well.
I want you to share this news with your husband to show him the battle of Pancreatic cancer is hard but worth it when you get good news. I’m currently on chemo and have 42 treatments over two years under my belt and have also tolerated treatment very well.
It’s almost to good to be true that my cancerous cells have been reduced so much. My doctor confirmed what radiologist said that there was no discretely measurable mass identified. My doctor also mentioned surgery which he has never did during my two years of treatments.
I will be having a CT scan on April 17th of my chest and abdomen to see if these areas are clean. At this time this is very encouraging and has my head in a different place from where it’s been for two long years. I will still be doing chemo treatments but, have other options in the future.
Praying for your husband and tell him to keep up the good fight.
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4 Reactionsthawk32,
Thus is great news!
Have you been doing comparative CA19-9 testing over this period of time?
I haven’t done any CA19-9. I will have to ask my Oncologist about this when I meet with him in May. Hope all is going well with your husband. 🙏🏻
My general understanding is that CA 19-9 testing is common each chemo cycle, perhaps every other, so maybe monthly.
https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?contenttypeid=167&contentid=ca_19_9
I jut looked at all my test results and don’t know why CA 19-9 testing hasn’t been done. I will definitely request that it be done. I do have bloodwork before every treatment.