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Pancreatic Cancer | Last Active: Jul 19, 2023 | Replies (24)
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I understand the difficulty of these decisions.
My sister was assessed and her care directed by Mayo, Rochester with neoadjuvant approach to Whipple. While she insisted on oncology in our hometown due to wanting to be with her cats, I would recommend, unless extenuating circumstances, that a patient move to the center of excellence and remain there in order to take advantage of the better knowledge, equipment and personnel. In the case of Mayo, the town is set up to support patients. A walking distance apartment is possible.
I fully recognize the difficulty and cost of the above approach.
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Adding on to this one, many of the bigger centers are affiliated with some kind of low-cost lodging alternative, like the American Cancer Society's Hope Lodge. The intake coordinator at each center should be able to direct you to a lodging/travel specialist.
As far as the care goes... I totally agree with the comment from @mayoconnectuser1 above. When my dad was offered treatment for his mesothelioma from three different centers, a few people advised him that he could get the same meds at his hometown center, and sleep in his own bed every night without excessive travel. I voted for two other centers of excellence where we had affordable/free short-term lodging, but he declined both. In the end, although you might get the same MEDS at a smaller clinic, you might not get the same CARE, and this really came back to bite him. 🙁
I'm thankful and blessed to "endure" 6 hours on the road (sometimes split with an overnight stay, sometimes all there and back same day) every two weeks in exchange for the care, attention, and expertise I'm getting for my pancreas. Some insurance companies (probably not Medicare) may reimburse some of the travel expenses.