My father has CANCER! HELP!

[jpeyton]

Who are the 10 Best Cancer Specialists?

Lance Armstrong

 

[imported_Lothar]

Metastatic cancer?
Not much you can do there besides surgery/liver transplant, and even that isn't a given he'll survive. Spend as much time as you can with him.

Does he have jaundice?

 

[CycloWizard]

Sorry to hear that. My best friend's dad died recently after about two years of something very similar. :brokenheart:

I would recommend going to a well-recognized hospital in your vicinity. Traveling to the ends of the earth is not necessarily going to get you any better treatment options. If your dad doesn't respond to the typical treatments, then you can look into experimental treatments. However, until the usual stuff is tried, he will not be allowed to participate in clinical trials, so first things first.

 

[Miramonti]

Originally posted by: Cdubneeddeal

Originally posted by: LookingGlass

Originally posted by: jjsole
And take others' advice...chill out. Your dad needs stable positive people around him now, not people who are freaking out or going to freak out. Stay strong, offer your strength to him...you're not the victim of cancer, he is and needs your positive support.

I don't believe this statement to be true. Telling the OP to "Chill out" isn't helping anything. Maybe relax, take a few deep breaths, and explore the options is more like it. Telling someone to chill out is like saying that to someone that is on an anger path ready to kill. Also, the OP is a victim of cancer as it directly affects him as well.

By the way djheather, Great advice all around. I'm sorry to hear about your father. I'm not close to my father so I wouldn't know what it feels like but if it were my mother or my three sisters, my brother in law, or my nephews or nieces, I would be hearbroken. More so if it were my sisters and mother.

If 'chill out' comes across as inappropriate, I'll take that back and use words more aligned with your expression, which is well said.

 

[BoomerD]

As someone who went through this 11 years ago with my mom, the best advice given so far is to take some deep breaths and not freak out. There isn't a dammed thing YOU can do to help except to give your dad your love and support. The docs are the ones that might be able to make the difference.

Cancer of the liver is almost always terminal. Not much they can do except transplant, and since the cancer is metastatic, he may not be considered to be a good candidate.

They can always take out parts of the colon (since it doesn't sound like it's too big) but chances are, they won't be able to stop it.

I don't mean to crush your hopes...this is a terrible thing he's going through. You shouldn't build up TOO many false hopes of some miracle cure. Cancer (especially metastatic cancer) still kills most of its victims, regardless of how much money they throw at the treatment.

Maybe I'm just cynical about it since I lost my F.I.L. to brain cancer in 86, my M.I.L. to unspecified cancer in 91, my mom to colon and liver cancer in 97, 2 VERY good friends to various cancers between 94 and 2000. In every case, they went to very good doctors, went through ALL the testing, all the surgeries, radiation, chemo that was recommended...and all of them died in spite of the treatment.

Remember this, there is always a chance that this can be at least arrested if not cured.

Keep in mind that your DAD is probably going through much worse mental anguish than you are...

Love him, support him, don't let him see you freaking out.

IF the docs say it's terminal, be there for him in whatever way you can. He will understand if you have to work to pay your bills. He won't want you to totally put your life on hold for this. BUT, he won't want you (or other family/friends) to stop visiting because you just don't know what to say.

He's still alive. enjoy whatever time you have left with him.

Best wishes and my deepest condolences.

 

[thepd7]

Originally posted by: Cdubneeddeal

Originally posted by: Slick5150
Yeah, you need to slow WAY down here. There is no "top 10" list of cancer doctors regardless of money. Different doctors specialize in different types of cancer research and treatment. Just talk to the local doctors, meet with some local support groups, and you'll find out quickly what your treatment options are.

Good luck.

Don't mean to cause a debate in this type of thread but I'm sure there are top medical centers in our country that have a huge success rate with cancer.

I have no familiarity with cancer but definitely giving this a bump. Good luck to your father. Hope everything turns out a-okay.

Absolutely. He is kind of right though. There are different specialists, but there are definitely clinics that have much higher success rates overall and you should never just settle for whatever oncologist is around when your life or the life of a loved one is on the line. That took my Mom way too early. After her oncologist gave up she went to a guy from MD Anderson and he gave her another year. If she had gone to him first I am 100% positive should would be cancer free today.


So, my vote is for MD Anderson, however you don't necessarily have to go to houston, you can find doctors all over the US that studied there and are tops in their field.


...read more of the thread. There is a reason you are seeing so many people say MD Anderson, do yourself and your father a favor and check it out.

Also, my Mom looked into going to Mexico and/or Europe for treatment since there are some that aren't in the US yet due to the FDA (they test the crap out of stuff before they approve anything). She decided against it but I don't know whether it would have turned out well or not.

 

[Googer]

Originally posted by: thepd7

Originally posted by: Cdubneeddeal

Originally posted by: Slick5150
Yeah, you need to slow WAY down here. There is no "top 10" list of cancer doctors regardless of money. Different doctors specialize in different types of cancer research and treatment. Just talk to the local doctors, meet with some local support groups, and you'll find out quickly what your treatment options are.

Good luck.

Don't mean to cause a debate in this type of thread but I'm sure there are top medical centers in our country that have a huge success rate with cancer.

I have no familiarity with cancer but definitely giving this a bump. Good luck to your father. Hope everything turns out a-okay.

Absolutely. He is kind of right though. There are different specialists, but there are definitely clinics that have much higher success rates overall and you should never just settle for whatever oncologist is around when your life or the life of a loved one is on the line. That took my Mom way too early. After her oncologist gave up she went to a guy from MD Anderson and he gave her another year. If she had gone to him first I am 100% positive should would be cancer free today.


So, my vote is for MD Anderson, however you don't necessarily have to go to houston, you can find doctors all over the US that studied there and are tops in their field.


...read more of the thread. There is a reason you are seeing so many people say MD Anderson, do yourself and your father a favor and check it out.

Also, my Mom looked into going to Mexico and/or Europe for treatment since there are some that aren't in the US yet due to the FDA (they test the crap out of stuff before they approve anything). She decided against it but I don't know whether it would have turned out well or not.

Great. Thank you thepd7!

I have been holding out from mentioning MD Anderson. We have heard many great things about their clinic and are considering it as our number 1 or 2 treatment center. Japan, Mexico, and Europe are not too out of the question. A short hop from MD Anderson in TX to Mexico would take part of a day, definitely worth considering as this is something I have done in the past when the FDA hadn't yet approved a drug.

 

[Mo0o]

Slow down. Liver and Colon cancer among the ones with the lowest survivability rates. Colon is around 10% and liver is 6% for 5 year survival rate. So you have several things to think about. Do you want to spend those 5 years running to every corner of the world giving your father every possible kind of treatment with endless hospital stays? Even with the best doctors and the most experimental procedures, the outlook for metastatic colon / liver cancer is very very poor. Sometimes it better to just go through the treatments you can find locally or at 1 specialized center and focus on palliative care. 3-4 years of quality time with your loved one is better than 5 years of repeatedly crushed hopes and endless travel. At least in my opinion and it's something you should give serious thought to.

Getting to the best cancer centers isn't aproblem , but im not sure if you can reach teh top cancer specialists since i would imagine they have pretty full schedule as it is.

 

[dudeman007]

City of Hope
Duarte, California.

My dad had hairy cell leukemia and went there and did great. They have great cancer treatments over there and are on the forefront of a lot of research. I can't speak highly enough of this place http://www.cityofhope.org/home.htm

Just for the record though, wherever you go you may find it hard to get into some of the top tier hospitals easily. With so many people after the top doctors it can be tough to find the right treatment. Your best bet is to try and see if you have any hookups with friends or family, and most of all stay calm!

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: Googer
We're looking for Names of Doctors with great success and knowledge in this area, the top .1%. Travel to Europe, Japan, or India is not too out of the question.

You watch too many movies.

but GL

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: jjsole
And take others' advice...chill out. Your dad needs stable positive people around him now, not people who are freaking out or going to freak out. Stay strong, offer your strength to him...you're not the victim of cancer, he is and needs your positive support.

:thumbsup:

 

[moshquerade]

How old is your dad? What prognosis did the doc who diagnosed him give him... months... years... or haven't you all pressed the doctors for an answer?

Please don't tell Googer to calm down. At this time he has the right to scream dismay from the mountaintops.

Googer, be there for your Dad, as I'm sure you will be. Hug him, kiss him, tell him you love him like you never have before. Listen to him and let him calm you. He will.

I hope you can get him into the best treatment center closest to you asap. God bless.

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: djheater


~edit
BTW - the whole "staying positive" stuff is not proven. cancer is a bitch, it kills and maims, staying "positive" doesn't change that. Digging in, doing the work, persevering, and being extremely lucky is what helps cancer victims in my opinion. Attitude has little to do with it. Feel free to be royally pissed off, and don't be surprised if your father is.

I agree. but positive is always better than despair. pissed-off is just as good, sometimes. Any doctor will tell you that going into surgery (serious or routine) with a a pessimistic attitude will greatly reduce your chances of recovery...or worse--survival. It is amazing, and unexplainable, the power the mind has over personal health.

Be strong and rational with your father. Take time to absorb this horrible diagnosis and reflect on the things that are important to you and your family at this moment. Do what you can to help him out, but do it in a rational manner. There are no top .1% cancer surgeons in the world who will cure anything with money. The best care you can seek is formed by an orchestra of opinions and suggestions, not by one wizard.

Honestly though...we've become frightened over a lot of cutting-edge medical care and research in this country over the last 6 years. Get angry if you must...and get angry that we aren't doing more to fund the kind of research that should be funded.

 

[winr]

My Friend in Friendswood, Texas just recovered from cancer of the spleen.
He had his spleen removed, the Doctors say He is looking good.

He had cancer ten years ago for something else and was in bad shape, He survived that.
We never gave and neither did he.

I am an optomist always, if stuff doesnt work out then I accept..but..I never give up.

If I fell out of an airplane I would be flapping my arms all the say down, lol.

Best wishes to your Dad and your Family Googer, I would be thrashing around too if one of my Family was ill.

 

[NoShangriLa]

I'm sorry for what you are & your family is going through, but it seems as if the best thing for now is to be there for your family because the cancer is spreading (very hard to fight once it is on the move)

<-- My dad died from cancer.

At the present my brother inlaw father (recent retired general surgeon, that is not a smoker, and his daughter is a radiologist) is fighting lung cancer, and he can't control his emotion due to the drugs that that he is taking combining with his knowledge of cancer.

I wish the best for you & your family.

 

[Xstatic1]

here's another vote for MD Anderson in TX. :thumbsup:

prayer said for u & ur family.

 

[ranmaniac]

MD Anderson in Houston, TX

 

[NoShangriLa]

Originally posted by: moshquerade
How old is your dad? What prognosis did the doc who diagnosed him give him... months... years... or haven't you all pressed the doctors for an answer?

Please don't tell Googer to calm down. At this time he has the right to scream dismay from the mountaintops.

Googer, be there for your Dad, as I'm sure you will be. Hug him, kiss him, tell him you love him like you never have before. Listen to him and let him calm you. He will.

I hope you can get him into the best treatment center closest to you asap. God bless.

I don't know the practice for the US, but presently here in Canada it is common for the doctor to give the patient 3-6 months even if they know that the patient may live for 10 years. Because, it prepare the patient family for the wost and will be happy if the patient make it longer than 6 months.

 

[Casawi]

Tonights prayer will be for you. I wish you the best of luck.

 

[hypn0tik]

I wish your dad the best.

 

[SeaSerpent]

My buddy had a tumor removed from his liver and heart about two months ago. The doctor is very confident that he is cancer free now. He had been battling this for about five years.

He was going to St. Peters in Olympia WA, they almost killed him there because they were treating him for the wrong type of cancer. He ended up switching to Swedish Medical center in Seattle. Within a month they found the error in treatment, basically saving his life.

Good luck to you and your family, and just remember all is not lost.

 

[Googer]

Originally posted by: hypn0tik
I wish your dad the best.

Thank you.

 

[Googer]

Originally posted by: moshquerade
How old is your dad? What prognosis did the doc who diagnosed him give him... months... years... or haven't you all pressed the doctors for an answer?

Please don't tell Googer to calm down. At this time he has the right to scream dismay from the mountaintops.

Googer, be there for your Dad, as I'm sure you will be. Hug him, kiss him, tell him you love him like you never have before. Listen to him and let him calm you. He will.

I hope you can get him into the best treatment center closest to you asap. God bless.

Mid 50's. He was almost retired, but decided he wanted to keep going.

 

[Googer]

Originally posted by: zinfamous

Originally posted by: djheater


~edit
BTW - the whole "staying positive" stuff is not proven. cancer is a bitch, it kills and maims, staying "positive" doesn't change that. Digging in, doing the work, persevering, and being extremely lucky is what helps cancer victims in my opinion. Attitude has little to do with it. Feel free to be royally pissed off, and don't be surprised if your father is.

I agree. but positive is always better than despair. pissed-off is just as good, sometimes. Any doctor will tell you that going into surgery (serious or routine) with a a pessimistic attitude will greatly reduce your chances of recovery...or worse--survival. It is amazing, and unexplainable, the power the mind has over personal health.

Be strong and rational with your father. Take time to absorb this horrible diagnosis and reflect on the things that are important to you and your family at this moment. Do what you can to help him out, but do it in a rational manner. There are no top .1% cancer surgeons in the world who will cure anything with money. The best care you can seek is formed by an orchestra of opinions and suggestions, not by one wizard.

Honestly though...we've become frightened over a lot of cutting-edge medical care and research in this country over the last 6 years. Get angry if you must...and get angry that we aren't doing more to fund the kind of research that should be funded.

MOTIVATED is the word.

 

[Googer]

Originally posted by: zinfamous

Originally posted by: Googer
We're looking for Names of Doctors with great success and knowledge in this area, the top .1%. Travel to Europe, Japan, or India is not too out of the question.

You watch too many movies.

but GL

Havent seen a movie in 5 years and at most 7-10 in the last 10 years.