How about those commercials?

[KatieB]

Can anyone give me the lowdown on Cancer Treatment Centers of America? The commercials are great and the facility and treatment options are made to sound very hopeful and encouraging. My Dad is doing well where he is at and with his Onc. But you never know? I asked them to mail me some info. Just wondering if anyone has gone there or is going there and is it really the "wonderful miraculous place it makes itself out to be.?

[Guest tcandy214]

katie i was thinking the same thing if i ever need to go in for surgery or whaterver but im in ny i might ask for info also your reading my mind i know someone wrote about that place i dont know where but they sais everything tesst and suites ar all close cheap rooom rate very nice and upbeat type of place

[KatieB]

It all looks very good and promising and the atmosphere seems perfect (i.e. too good to be true?) But maybe not! I asked for info and will continue to do research. Hopefully we will never need it since I am hoping very much for my dad to stay stable and maybe even in remission one of these days! Here is the site www.cancercenter.com and when you e-mail them, they write back right away. Hopefully we will be able to hear from someone who has actually been there.

[Ry]

On the "old" board someone went there and posted a message about it but I cannot remember who. Maybe they will see your post and answer. I do remember them saying they liked it but the course of treament was very close to what their other cancer center was going to do.

[Guest Fay A.]

The Cancer Treatment Centers of America were the subject of a lawsuit in the late 1990s-early 2000. The courts found the defendents guilty of misleading the public as to their success rates. I can't remember all of the details, but the information was once available on the internet. Having said that, I have known a few people over the years who had their care at one of the Cancer Treatment Centers of America locations, and they were very happy with it.

[cathy]

The other night I fell asleep in front of my tv. I woke up only for a moment when the commercial came on. That was the first time i had seen it. It was just strange how I woke up right when it started I jotted down the info and fell right back asleep......so needless to say I'm also going to do alittle research.......cathy

[Guest Ruach]

I saw their commercials.

I saw a raving mention of them in a well-written, motivating book about living with cancer (as opposed to pessimistic views of the condition).

I called them.

Here's what I found.

• 
  [*:36oflfec]They were helpful on the initial call, but seemed hasty to end the call.
  [*:36oflfec]They weren't as optimistic sounding on the phone as in their marketting, and actually tried to discourage me from having my mother go.
  [*:36oflfec]They will pay to fly a patient to their facility (patient pays for local accomodations if an out-patient) -- I suspect they seek to minimize flying people who won't become patients, or who ultimately won't be able to financially afford their care.
  [*:36oflfec]They agreed to a phone consult with my mother while I was visiting with her. Not only was the contact of mine not available, but none of their phone operators were available (I got Voice-Mail), to which I never received a return call.

Although my contact their profusely appologized and offered, again, to help however he could, their actions have lowered my perception of them as the perfect and compasionate cancer-care provider my mother appeared to lack elsewhere.

This all said -- I'm going to call them, again, to give them one last chance as a "2nd opinion" for my mother's Cancer case, which recently changed from Adenocarcenoma w/brain mets. to also include bone cancer.