Help please... GF's dad has stomach cancer.

[NesuD]

Prepare for the worst. My Dad had stomach cancer 13 years ago. He was lucky that they actually found it while scoping his stomach ulcers. Caught it before the symptoms manifested. Removed about 3/4s of his stomach during 2 surgeries and he is still with us. However unless things have changed considerably since then the prognosis is usually pretty bleak if it isn't discovered until after the symptoms show up. They told him that had they not found it early there was a 95% chance that he would die withing a year of the symptoms showing up. I would hope that they have improved on that after this much time but I haven't heard that is the case.

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

Thank you so much for your invaluable answers so far.

I will get in contact with those top 3 centers on Monday and get some first-hand info about his insurance. How did you guys find out those 3 are the top anyway- a medical magazine?

i have a lot of connections in the medical field.
cousins, uncles, friends.

 

[911paramedic]

This. I've met countless dumb doctors.

You dont need to be smart to become a doctor. If you're prepared to work hard and have a good memory almost anyone can become an M.D..

ALWAYS get a second opinion.

I agree 100% with this.

I wouldn't have known how many stupid (ignorant/careless?) doctors I've come across if I wasn't a paramedic. I can usually tell pretty quickly which doctors are treating and which doctors are following a cookbook. It's sad.

People have already said it, get more opinions from a cancer institute, this calls for a specialist. The hospitals that have been recommended are very good IMHO. I hope you find what you are looking for.

 

[disappoint]

You know what they call the guy who graduated last in his class from med school? Doctor.

 

[The-Noid]

http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/rankings/cancer

FYI...

 

[Kreon]

When my dziadziu had cancer went with Dana Farber. They did a lot for him, and it wasn't to far from home (only a couple hours).

Best of luck to you all.

 

[angminas]

This. I've met countless dumb doctors.

You dont need to be smart to become a doctor. If you're prepared to work hard and have a good memory almost anyone can become an M.D..

ALWAYS get a second opinion.

Agreed.

 

[Mo0o]

Dont blow all your money going to every major cancer center. You're in NJ so just go to MSKCC to get a second opinion but prepare for bad news if someone has already said it's inoperable.

Another thing to keep in mind is that a lot of the major cancer centers are well known because they publish a lot of studies and are highly regarded for their research contributions. This doesnt necessarily mean they're also the absolute best in clinical care. If you live near a major academic center (a large university affiliated hospital), you can get essentially the same care as you would at MSKCC, MD Anderson, Fred Hutch etc. at a significantly reduced price (by saving on travel, hotel bills etc) without any impact in your survival, especially if you just get a second opinion from Sloan to establish the general plan.

 

[nanette1985]

Another thing to keep in mind is that a lot of the major cancer centers are well known because they publish a lot of studies and are highly regarded for their research contributions. This doesnt necessarily mean they're also the absolute best in clinical care.

This is important. My father was at the Cleveland Clinic, and they convinced my mother that he should be in a research study. They kept him alive as long as they could, on machines etc, because his kind of cancer kills very quickly and they wanted to study it as long as they could. It was a nightmare.

Keep in mind, research is important, but it's not designed to help the patient. It's for learning so the patients down the road will hopefully get better treatment.

I think research projects aren't as brutal these days (dad died in the 70's) but still, make sure caring for your loved one is the priority.

Best.

 

[James3shin]

Dont blow all your money going to every major cancer center. You're in NJ so just go to MSKCC to get a second opinion but prepare for bad news if someone has already said it's inoperable.

Another thing to keep in mind is that a lot of the major cancer centers are well known because they publish a lot of studies and are highly regarded for their research contributions. This doesnt necessarily mean they're also the absolute best in clinical care. If you live near a major academic center (a large university affiliated hospital), you can get essentially the same care as you would at MSKCC, MD Anderson, Fred Hutch etc. at a significantly reduced price (by saving on travel, hotel bills etc) without any impact in your survival, especially if you just get a second opinion from Sloan to establish the general plan.

I agree with Mo0o 100%. Please go to Memorial Sloan Kettering as soon as possible.