Top Treatment Centers?

I would love to have a "Top 10" of treatment facilities for EC. What does everyone think?

I know several top treatment centers for cancer in general. It would be nice to know which ones are best for treating EC.

That's my question as well. We go to MUSC (Medical University of South Carolina) and I believe them to be the best in our state. A friend of my dad's mentioned M.D. Anderson, Sloan Kettering (sp), and the Mayo Clinic. Has anyone every been to Duke University in N.C? They at least had the number of EC cases they treat each year and stuff like that on their website.

Daddy has already had to jump over several obstacles and it's too early to tell how he's going to respond to the chemo. Our drs. view is that even if they shrink that since the cancer has mets. it will be somewhere in the body microscopically so there is no point in removing the mass in the rt. lung. I see what she is saying but I have read about so many Stage IV patients having chemo, raditation and surgery. I would love to know what everybody thinks.

These are top 10 centers in US for cancer in general-you could research them more specifically for EC.

1. Sloan-Kettering: New York   2. MD Anderson: Houston   3. John Hopkins: Baltimore   4. Mayo Clinic: Rochester, MN   5. Dana-Farber: Boston   6. Duke Univ Med Center: Durham   7. Stanford Univ Hospital: Stanford   8. Univ Washington Med Center: Seattle   9. Univ of Chicago: Chicago   10. UCLA: Los Angeles   11. Roswell Park: Buffalo  

Looks like Duke might be a good second option for you to explore in terms of location.

Duke Medical Center was my pick for my treatment.  I wanted the best facilities and after much work on the computer, I found that Duke and Sloan Kettering in NY were tied for the most surgeries done per year and the success rate was just about the same.  Dr Thomas D'Amico was my wonderful surgeon (and not trusting anyone I got three opinions) Dr Brian Czito is my  Radiation Oncologist, and Johanna Bendell is my Oncologist.  I will soon be four years from surgery (and I had lymph node envolvement) with clear CT's and blood work up.  I had the stomach pull up, a J tube for about six weeks and I had surgery first and chemo and radiation after the surgery. I wish you luck.  Remember, EVERY health care provider that I talked to said you must do this at a facility with a surgeon that does a lot of these!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gerri  

Gerri,

Thanks for the advance. I have heard the same thing about going to a center that performs a lot of these types of surgeries. Unfortunately, the dr. says daddy is not eligible for surgery because the cancer has gone through the wall and has mets. to the lung. But it seems to reason that these hospitals that have done the most surgeries must be seeing the most patients with esophageal cancer.

I am so glad to hear that you are doing so well! Take care and I wish you the very best.

 

Maybe the dr's at Duke would see sugery as an option because they do so much of it.  Second opinions are valuable.  My husband had mets to lungs too, but after first round of chemo and radiation, esophageal tumor shrank and the lung mets were gone making the surgery possible, even though the first indication would be that surgery wasn't possible.  I also still recommend tongren.  If it debulked in treatment with mets going away from systemic chemo, it seems you might have more possibilities open to you.  Of course the dr's know more because they can see someone's condition, etc, but you shouldn't give up too easily if you feel up for the fight.

When I had my surgery at Duke, I was in the room next to a gentleman that had Mets to the liver and to a lung on the initial diagnosis.  They gave him chemo and radiation and then did surgery.  He was up walking around when I left so I don't know how he did eventually, however I do know if they can reduce the size of the mets and think they might have a chance of saving his life they will help at Duke.  Good luck.  I know this is such a scary time.  I wish I could do more, but second and third opinions are important.  Please continue to post so that we can know how you are doing.

Gerri 

Thank you for all your help. I will keep you updated!

When I was checking our coverage on Blue Cross, it provided all the leading hospitals for specifically esophageal. we live in Florida, and Moffitt, Duke, and the one in Texas were named. Maybe your insurance company could tell you the top ones in your area. As I recall, Moffitt was 2nd or 3rd only to Sloan Kettering, in the amount of annual EC surgeries. That is where we went, and my husband's care has been wonderful. He is in total remission, (stage 4). They coordinated all his chemo with a local board certified cancer center, and we travel back to Moffitt (in Tampa) for all PET and follow up care. It will continue to be a battle, but we are grateful to have the best care.

Hope this helps........