HIPEC -- need everyone's input on the best centers....

[gctbuyer]

To all

My mother has Stage IV colorectal cancer. Chemo for 18mos. Still multiple tumors in her perineum and she is 70.

She is being treated at MD Anderson in Orlando and her oncologist and my parents agree a logical next step is HIPEC.

We want to get a list of the best HIPEC centers in the country -- as you can imagine, there are a lot of places to start. But I wanted to make this general request. Also, if you have any personal color to add, please let us know.

[justsing]

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Wake Forest
George Washington
MSKCC

[Brandon]

My Dad had this done last summer at Roswell Park in Buffalo, NY. His surgeon is Tim Kane, who I think is well known for this procedure. The staff at Roswell were fantastic and the facilities seemed very modern and nice. Its a grueling operation (16 hours in Dad's case), but we think it bought him some additional time. I think there is another poster on this site whose daughter had the same procedure with Dr. Kane.

[sumit22]

I am interested in the responses too because this may be in my wife's future also. We are in the midwest and I dont know of any facility that does it in the midwest.

[gctbuyer]

Strange. Called Dr Paty at Sloan Kettering. His asst told me he does not do HIPEC. Does he refer to this treatment regimen by another name?

[scottg]

I am a patient at sloan and needed hipec.Sloan at this time does ipec,meaning they do the surgery but do not heat the chemo.I have spoken to Dr Paety who is a great surgeon but sloan does not at this time do the heated version.They tell me they will soon be doing it but i opted to go the Wake forest and they did a good job.That was my third surgery and i am doing well.

[scottg]

Dr paty at sloan is a great surgeon but sloan only does ipec,not hipec ,,same surgery but doesnt heat the chemo,Some belive that heating the chemo creates better penetration.Many other places do the hipec inc Wake forest which i used .The surgery went well and i am recovering well

[gctbuyer]

We are visiting with Dr Esquivel at St Agnes. Thanks for all those who posted recommendations. This board is an invaluable community. We are also sending medical records to Wake Forest (Shen) and hopefully MD anderson in TX

He was also recommended to us by a surgical oncologist in Boston and also by those who

[Hannah]

I would try Indiana University Hospital, University of Cincinnati (Dr. Lowy) or Wake Forest. Not the most "famous" cancer centers, but well-known for HIPEC (aka IPEC).

Hannah

[justsing]

I had a friend who glowingly recommended Lowy at UC. I'd forgotten about it until I saw the name.

I had a really, really helpful phone consult with his PA when I was first diagnosed and had I been interested in travelling for my care at that point, I would have felt myself to be in extremely capable and compassionate hands.

[Laura717]

Has anyone heard about Cancer Treatment Centers of America? There is one north of Chicago in Zion. Not sure if they do the HIPAC (not sure what that is myself) but they ar supposed to have the latest and greatest treatment. They do cancer research as well. They treat the whole person not just the cancer. I personally had very good treatment there and feel that I went thru my treatments with less side effects than most.

[weisssoccermom]

I know of a friend's son who is getting treated at CCTA (Zion) and I don't believe that they do HIPEC there. However, her son had his surgery/HIPEC at Wake Forest which is supposed to be the leader in the combination surgery and HIPEC for the abdominal/peritoneal mets. Sounded like a grueling surgery. Dr. Levine is the head and very busy but his associates also do the same surgery. Long time out for initial consult so they took their son in via the ER, got him admitted and I believe surgery was within the week for him.

Good luck with your mom.

[Islandgirl]

HI!

I had cyberknife surgery followed by HIPEC (Heated Interpertineal Chemotherapy). My surgery lasted 11 hours. I was on a vent for just about 12 hours. My surgeon was Doctor Martin Goodman at Tufts Medical Center in Boston. I spent 13 days in the hospital recovering. I came home on IV TPM ( nutrition), lovanox shots twice a day for clotting. I was home three days and spike a really high fever (105). Ambulance took me back to the hospital where they detected a bowel leak. I spend three and 1/2 more weeks in the hospital recovering from that. Came home on TPM for 2 more months with IV antibiotics. I have spent my summer building myself back up and feel pretty good. I want to say I went into this knowing all the risks. Would I do it again?? YES, YES,YES! Going into this surgery I was in horrible pain and was give 6 months to live. I just made it ot 8 months. Now my pain is back and they are trying to firgure out if it is scar tissue from my three surgeries or more peritineal spread. My liver is clean as are my lungs which made me the ideal candidate. My doctor was very honest and never said he could sure me with this. Is is hard?? Yes its brutal. Sorry but it is. They removed the peritoneal seeding, my spleen, my appendix, my reamaining ovary, cerix, uterous, more of of colon. I came out of it with an ostomy. I may have to have it again and I will if they will take me. One thing that is hard after this surgery....Pet scans will light up inflamation so they will no longer be a scan to detect mets. CT's only. I can't say enough about Tufts. Really geat care. They also have apartments for family to stay in for a very reasonable rate. Please feel free to ask me anything.[/size]