I have posted previously regarding my Dad (age 64), who was recently diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma. His main tumor is 10 cm and it was deemed inoperable. Although I was not at his appointment, the oncologist told him that any treatment would just "buy him time". He is scheduled to have radiofrequency ablation (on the 11th) and radioactive sphere treatment soon after. We are trying to get him into a local cancer center for a 2nd opinion (Moffitt in Tampa, FL), but so far they can't get him in before his scheduled surgery. My Dad and stepmother are insistent that their surgeon is experienced (he is supposedly the 1st to perform the radioactive sphere treatment in FL), but I'm still very nervous. I guess I'm wondering if there is anywhere I can go to find a list of experienced surgeons - specifically for cholangiocarcinoma treatment. Have any of you had treatment in Florida? Also, I would like to contact Sloan-Ketterling and some other well known institutions, however I'm wondering if we can send films, etc. or does he need to travel to the different hospitals to get opinions? All of this is so overwhelming. I am trying to do my best to help him, but I'm not sure where to go from here. Like I said, he's already scheduled for the 11th. One other person from this board contacted me and said that she strongly opposed RFA, since it caused her Dad's tumor to grow. Do any of you have any experience with RFA or radioactive spheres?
Please help! Thank you.