CancerCompass message board discussion started by George17 on 3/3/2008 http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,21604,0.htm Sat, 30 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT Sat, 30 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss RSS.NET: http://www.rssdotnet.com/ I have prostate cancer and being treated in Tulsa.  I live in Georgia.  I can tell you that, in my opinion, these people and what they are doing is the best.  My wife and I saw an ad on television and told her sister, whose husband has colon cancer, to call them and see if there was any treatment CTCA could do for our brother-in-law.  The doctor in the cancer facility in Athens, Ga., where he was being treated, told him there was nothing else they could do for him since his treatments wasn't working. Essentially telling him to go home and die.  Other cancer facilities in Georgia basically confirmed the Athen doctors conclusion.  Not good news to hear.   My brother-in-law contacted CTCA and they had him go to Tulsa where they ran tests and decided that his treatments should be slightly changed and continue.  That was 2 years ago, he is still here, not dead, and CTCA saved his life.  He is still fighting the cancer, but he is alive doing it.  I found out I had prostate cancer which was a eye opening slap in the face type thing to be told.  You think cancer only happens to "other" people, not you.  Surprise, you aren't immune any more than anyone else.  I got on the internet and searched for days to find out as much as I could about the cancer and the treatment for prostate cancer.  My wife and I called all over Atlanta, then to UCLA, M.D. Anderson, Mayo Clinic and even a place in Canada to find out about the available treatments and side effects of those treatments.  I didn't really like the alternative effects, or possible effects the places I called said may occur with their treatments.  We called CTCA and they asked me a number of questions, the last of which was who was my insurance company, then had me come to Tulsa for a consulation and test to be run.  It was the second best decision I ever made in my life to go there, the first being marrying my wife.  I now have a 97% cure probability and I like that.  These people treat you like you are a person, not a number.  They know you after the first visit and care about you because they know you.  They have the state of the art equipment and are holding to no one to give the best available treatment for whatever your cancer is.  I have met so many people that were told, basically like my brother in law, nothing else can be done, just go home and get your affairs in order.  Those people are still "getting their affairs in order" years after they should be gone. Thank God for CTCA.As far as insurance companies and their "we won't cover the treatment from CTCA" response, I have to ask, "Who made them the decision makers for which doctors or treatment centers will treat my disease"?  I believe the patient should make that decision and if you pay an insurance company to insure you medically, then that is their responsibility, not to determine which doctor or facility should give you treatment.  I'm sure your congressmen and state insurance commissioners would like to know that you are not going to be covered for medical expenses because the insurance company doesn't want to pay for treatment that they sold you coverage for. We are fighting to get a CTCA in Atlanta so that people in the Southeast won't have to travel hundreds of miles to get this facilities treatment.  The Georgia legislators and the cancer providing facilities, even the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, are fighting this.  Why?  It all has to do with money and power, not with the best interest of patients.  The CTCA proposed for Atlanta will be a 50 bed facility.  The other cancer facilities are saying they will take "customers" away from their facilities and treatment.  I don't think I ever heard where these facilities had "squatters rights" on any patient.  There is more than enough cancer patients, and future cancer patients, to go around to fill those facilities beds and recieve their treatment in the patient so chooses.  Anyone whom has not talked to or seen first hand the compassion and the pure want to help of the doctors and staff of a CTCA should take it upon themselves to be, at least, objective enough to do so before condemning CTCA.   The emotional benefit a patient receives from the CTCA people is awesome.  The treatment and research they do is beyond words, in my opinon, and I'm sure the many patients being treated by them feel the same.  As far as a for-profit facitity goes, yes CTCA does make a profit from their treatments.  Little do most people know, a great portion of the profits go back into CTCA cancer research.  Also, they are self funded, meaning they do not have to ask approval of a governing state body for funds to get the latest in techinology, people and equipment, to treat patients, they fund it themselves from their "profits".  Other facilities may be at the mercy of a legislative body for part of their funds.  I personally do not like the government telling me where or who I can be treated by, or how much or what a facility is allowed to treat people. George17 Mon, 03 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT Geo. 17...hope you are/get well and live a long happy life...having been involved as a lay person with different cancers for 22 yrs...there is NO certainty of much of anything, you & your Dr's just aim for the best results under your circumstances...no legitimate Dr nor medical scientist would quote an exact figure of expectation...cause for "5 yrs" you may always have that 1 cell looking for a home...so to speak...good luck... Kenny Bouy Sat, 22 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT