Mayo vs Canada BC Cancer Center

Hi @advocate1000, I am familiar with both Canadian cancer care and Mayo Clinic. BC Cancer is an excellent cancer network. It is possible you would receive the same treatment in Canada as you would at Mayo Clinic.

Having said that, Mayo Clinic is a top-ranked cancer center world-wide. See these lists
Best hospitals in oncology https://www.newsweek.com/rankings/worlds-best-specialized-hospitals-2024/oncology
Best smart hospitals https://www.newsweek.com/rankings/worlds-best-smart-hospitals-2024

I think you are also right to weight things like:
- burden of travel
- health of the cancer patient
- rarity of the cancer type; Mayo may have more specialized care for rare or complex cancers
- logitics for family and family caregivers
- wait times vs logistics and burden of travel

You may have several options available to you. For example, getting an evaluation at Mayo Clinic, but having chemotherapy, immunotherapy or radiation administered close to home (if available in BC). This could reduce your travel burden, but give you assurance that you're getting the same treatment as you would at Mayo Clinic.

If wait times are an issue at home, you could opt for short-term stay in Rochester.

Contactng Mayo Clinic to learn more about your options, is easy and costs nothing. It may confirm that your options in BC are good or that traveling to Mayo is worth it. To request a consult, start here: http://mayocl.in/1mtmR63

May I ask, what type of cancer?

Not familiar with cancer care at either institution but have been a patient at Mayo for a much needed complete diagnostic. I was impressed with the thoroughness and speed with which my condition was handled. My family has had an experience with cancer care in Canada vs MD Anderson, an exceptional cancer facility in Houston Texas. The American experience was head and shoulders superior to what my family member experienced in Canada. Same patient and reoccurrence of same cancer. The kindness and empathy, the focus on overall health, the speed of treatment and having access to the very latest techniques and knowledge set MD Anderson apart from a horrible experience in Canada. I am unable to compare Mayo with MD Anderson but I would rank both well above any cancer treatment you could get in MB. For cancer treatment the devil is in the details, ie facilitating a tolerable treatment that is both effective and does not compromise your long term health and reduce likelihood of recurrence. If you can afford treatment at a specialized American cancer clinic I would highly recommend doing it.

Waow interesting to know !
I think the molecule and treatments are the same - Canada and us but maybe MD Anderson or Maya have different clinical trials ? So for a stage 4 I would do RESEARCH 100% !!!!!

Quite literally at any stage of cancer progression!

Thank you for the info. We made a decision to not go to Mayo. Mom too weary now to travel. It would have been a different story had we caught it earlier-but the Canadian system failed her miserably. We are now “in” the BC Cancer Society system and scheduled for chemo. Advanced endometrial and spread to lungs during 3 month wait. We are told they will attempt to “cancer control” and increasing her comfort level - swelling in uterus from liquid that interferes her with eating or drinking/shortness of breath/fatigue. It’s 2-3 weeks between initial appointment/care strategy to chemo appointment. I will continue posting as a resource for others in Canada should anyone be facing the same struggle. But Yes, wish I had known to take her to Mayo 9 months ago when symptoms began.

I am very sorry to hear that these are her circumstances.

I wish you and her the very best.

For yourself, do not hesitate to push for additional testing if you have any symptoms at all (or better yet, head to a better system if you are ignored back home).

Please know that you are welcome to join the conversations in the Gynecologic Cancers support group here on Mayo Clinic Connect https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/gynecologic-cancer/

Regardless of where you get care, fellow patients and caregivers are at the ready to support you and your family through the journey.

Wishing your Mom the best - and you as well.

I’m sorry that the healthcare system failed her - we need world class patient care. My loved one was also a victim of what I consider poor care with no sense of urgency. Some health care providers seem to forget that the patient is their customer and should be the #1 priority.
Prayers and hugs!