How Many going to Cancer Treatment Centers of America?

[hannahw]

also included ability to meet with nutritionists, exercise specialists, psychologists, and much more. I can't imagine this is unique to Kaiser or CTCA.

Probably not unique, but it does seem like CTCA is more integrated than many other cancer centers.

[Sandy gma]

My daughter is now going to CTCA in Tulsa after her local NCI Cancer Center doctors essentially gave up on her and stopped her treatment. That was in August. Yes, it is a "for profit" business. But her treatment is fully covered by her insurance. She is doing amazingly well and we are awaiting her first PET scan late January to see where we stand - the prior onc. has said she was so sick "there was no point in doing a PET scan." She was in bad shape when we got here with a multitude of issues. Not now. Every single issue was addressed and resolved with their integrative approach. This is absolutely the best move we could have made. I have worked in health care as an RN for many years and have never walked into such a soothing, healing environment. I'm sorry there is so much bias against CTCA. We are actually here now, in Tulsa, for her treatment. I spoke with a retired volunteer (there are many) who said his daughter and her husband are both doctors at the big hospital here in Tulsa and they speak of the CTCA (their competitor) with high regard and encouraged him to volunteer here.

Sandy

[JavelinGuy]

I think the main 'problem' with CTCA is they come across as 'salemanish' being mainly interested in profit. It gets in the way of what they have to offer. Have no experience with them but several friends looked into them and were 'put off' enough not to give them a chance. (Nothing to do with what party they backed - purely the CTCA approach.)

[crazymotherof8]

... I have worked in health care as an RN for many years and have never walked into such a soothing, healing environment.

Sandy

Exactly!! Couldn't have said it any better!! Thank you.
Niki

[hssclmom]

We have been going to CTCA in Phoenix for 18 months now. My husband started his treatment with a great onc who unfortunately felt she could no longer treat him after a year. There was nothing more she could do for him so she sent him home with a death sentence. We went to CTCA because we knew Brian wasn't ready to give up his fight - and they had options for him. He had his spleen removed a month after we became patients and started his chemo shortly after that surgery. We love our doctors and feel that they are concerned with us and with Brian's quality of life.

When we started going to CTCA Brian had a tumor in his colon, liver mets, lung mets and lymph nodes in his stomach. After 18 months of treatment the only cancer left in him is in his liver. He is currently being treated with theraspheres directed to the liver. Hopefully soon he will be cancer free!

I can promise you that if we hadn't sought out treatment at CTCA my husband wouldn't be here today.

[hannahw]

It's interesting because advertising is becoming more and more common for hospitals. It's not just CTCA that advertises. The University of Washington Medical Center is actually a title sponsor for some events. A few years ago there was negative press because UWMC sponsored the Seattle Marathon and the advertising gave people the impression that the money raised for the event would go to support the hospital when, in fact, the event is put on by a for-profit company. I don't think it was a deliberate attempt to mislead, but there's definitely more gray area in the way advertising/sponsorship work.

Most of the ads I hear on the radio tend to talk about how a patient was told they had no other options until [insert whichever hospital is being advertised] got involved. And now that patient is doing great. I would think just about every hospital has a story (or stories) like this. Especially for those who live in major metropolitan areas, there are a lot of options. Be an informed consumer, check out your options. Chose what's best for you, don't worry about what other people think.

I ask every doctor my Dad considers seeing to tell us about a situation where the treatment plan didn't work out as hoped for. Every doctor, even the best doctors, have bad outcomes. The responses are interesting, not just in terms of what they say, but also in terms of how they react to being asked to recount a treatment that was not successful. This line of questioning is one of the ways my Dad settled on his GI doctor. We had heard all sorts of amazing things about what this GI could do. But he really won my Dad over when he talked about some of his less successful experiences and how he reacted to them. He's done some mind-boggling stuff for my Dad, including a procedure that made other doctors audibly say things like "I didn't think that was even possible" but what's been most important to my Dad is the trust that was established hearing this doc talk about how he handles it when things don't go according to plan. One of these days my Dad will be at the end of his life and I think it will be this GI that helps us through it, not the onc or any of his other doctors.

[Ktwirls]

People may not realize this but your local hospital is just as much into competing for your business as CTCA is. Most average size and above cities have competing hospital brands in the same community that want you business and advertise for it and push for it. They do this in all aspects of health care from best place to give birth, heart care, emergency care, cancer care etc. In my community there is billboards and signs on buses and flyers in the mail about how great they are and how they are #1 in xyz compared to the other local hospital. Make no doubt it is about the money and it is just not CTCA, they all want your biz and money and your local hospitals do want people who are private insured. And just as someone said a for profit may push treatments that are not necessarily helpful, I also worry about the hospital/dr that don't give all the appropriate treatment and follow ups (that probably being the most common) because of money and insurance issues. So it goes both ways. I don't think we can lump all certain kinds of hospitals as bad. It has to be about individually looking at it for you. How many times have your heard someone likes Dr. xyz and someone else says they didn't like Dr. xyz ?

[BrownBagger]

I agree that the vast majority of hospitals and clinics in the United States are for-profit institutions in one way or another. My local cancer center buys billboard space and (I assume) advertises on TV. What I found off-putting about my experience with CTCOA, and observations since then, is that they are more aggressive about it in a traditional, business-model sense. While some institutions put their profits into research, etc. CTCOA seems to devote a great deal towards marketing, maintaining an aggressive sales staff and making substantial, high-profile contributions to political candidates and causes. And that's fair enough. They're playing the same game and in some ways playing it better than other institutions. Those who invest in the business and take that risk deserve to be rewarded when it is successful, as CTCOA certainly is.

As I said, I'm sure the standard of care is as good as any other cancer treatment center. It's more a question of style. I find the pressure of having Stage 4 cancer to be sufficient; I don't need the additional stress of someone telling me I can maybe do a little better somewhere else, when all they're really trying to do is get me to switch suppliers. I don't have any experience with M.D. Anderson or Dana Farber, but I can't imagine Sloan-Kettering ever doing that--though they certainly have plenty of ways to extract money from my insurance company.

[justin case]

I agree that the vast majority of hospitals and clinics in the United States are for-profit institutions in one way or another. My local cancer center buys billboard space and (I assume) advertises on TV. What I found off-putting about my experience with CTCOA, and observations since then, is that they are more aggressive about it in a traditional, business-model sense. While some institutions put their profits into research, etc. CTCOA seems to devote a great deal towards marketing, maintaining an aggressive sales staff and making substantial, high-profile contributions to political candidates and causes. And that's fair enough. They're playing the same game and in some ways playing it better than other institutions. Those who invest in the business and take that risk deserve to be rewarded when it is successful, as CTCOA certainly is.

As I said, I'm sure the standard of care is as good as any other cancer treatment center. It's more a question of style. I find the pressure of having Stage 4 cancer to be sufficient; I don't need the additional stress of someone telling me I can maybe do a little better somewhere else, when all they're really trying to do is get me to switch suppliers. I don't have any experience with M.D. Anderson or Dana Farber, but I can't imagine Sloan-Kettering ever doing that--though they certainly have plenty of ways to extract money from my insurance company.

OK Eric you pushed my button. By the way, how are you doing? Anyway, every other commercial in Houston tells you just how close you are to a MDA facility. They must have an awful lot of damn business, because I could never even get an appointment, no one would call back. To listen to what they boast, you must use them, because everyone in America thinks they are the best, except thier employees, who can't wait for a better opportunity. Yes, I never went to MDA, but most of my medical team, had a brief stay there. My current oncologist studied in Chicago, and I really like the way she uses her medical achievements. On my last visit, she offered to write the prescription for my high blood pressure, to avoid having to spend money with my Gp
Anyway, I don't like big business and hospitals, at least, not when it comes to my body.
Regards,
Michael

[BrownBagger]

I'm doing great, thanks, Michael. Got another "routine" scan coming up at the end of the month, but so far, the scanxiety isn't too bad. Plenty of other things to worry about (and I do).

[dixiecups]

hi,
i am a patient at ctca and i cannot say enough about them. from the moment you walk in the door you feel at peace and and all your anxieties fade. i was dx. with stage 4 cc march of last year, i started treatment in early april and after 6 months of chemo. i am ned. from the doorman to the janitor everyone has a smile on their face. people who you may have met once actually remember you if they meet you in the hall. you have a team approach and everyone takes their time to listen to your concern . you are never rushed b/c they have another appt. i just can't say enough about them. i am so happy that i was treated there and now will be followed closely by my team.
kathy

[Redsolocup]

Thanks Niki, and others as well that posted. I agree, I wouldn't care if I was going to a jewish, christian, republican, democratic, or even Muslim hospital, as long as they can fix me!

As far as CTCA being for profit, it appears so, but I don't know for sure, but I also don't necessarily care if they make a few dollars off of my circumstance, as long as they do their best to fix me. I can see how others may feel differently, but in my case, I have a deductible to meet, and all other charges go to the insurance company. I am certain the insurance company will care how much is being charged, which is why a few of my friends and family and myself wonder how they afford paying for your flight in and back for each treatment. sounds expensive.

Each time I convince myself to do to the chemo, the next half of day I convince myself to not. this was a very good presentation on Stage 2 and what additional factors to consider. And, I can not remember where I read sometimes having Lynch is actually bad to do chemo with, but they do mention that in this presentation. warning, it is an hour long. I am out of time, I will make my decision tomorrow.

stage 2 decision

http://vimeo.com/15157338

[crazymotherof8]

Good Luck Red Solo Cup! You are facing a tough decision but you have to do what is best for you.

As far as insurance, our insurance has not had any problem paying and if they do deny some portions CTCA always writes it off. At first I was waiting for the other shoe to drop as I thought they cannot be for real, but 2 years later the other shoe has stayed in the closet just where it belongs!! LOL!!

Niki

[Annb]

Yes, thank you, Niki.
Ann

[DanInMN]

Sorry to revive this thread, but there was a recent article from Reuters about CTCA that some might find useful. This talks solely about how CTCA choose their patients and how they choose the data they report. It says nothing about quality of care.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/ ... L820130306