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Thread: Stephenson Cancer Center

  1. #1

    Default Stephenson Cancer Center

    Not sure where to put this, so here goes...

    Just read where they got another $20 million donation from the Stephenson family to continue to grow and research cures and treatments for cancer. While the goals are huge, the impact on OKC (and specifically the Health Sciences Center) are also huge. That area is booming, and brimming with potential. Not sure how to fully harness that potential, though.

    Growing the prestige of the Cancer Center even further (it is already an NIH Designated Cancer Center) is not a bad place to start.

  2. #2

    Default Re: Stephenson Cancer Center

    I have thought we should have a better know cancer center with all that goes on over there. I know a couple who has had to travel down to Houston for their consultations and treatments because there was not a center here in OKC that could handle the treatment or type of cancer I believe.

  3. #3

    Default Re: Stephenson Cancer Center

    Quote Originally Posted by PaddyShack View Post
    I have thought we should have a better know cancer center with all that goes on over there. I know a couple who has had to travel down to Houston for their consultations and treatments because there was not a center here in OKC that could handle the treatment or type of cancer I believe.
    To be fair, M.D. Anderson is in a league of its own, in terms of cancer treatment. There is a reason that couple didn't go to Dallas, either. It is 2 or 3 steps above anything in the entire region.

    This donation won't get Stephenson there, but it will help make it even better for the state and region.

  4. #4

    Default Re: Stephenson Cancer Center

    Stephenson is the top cancer center in Oklahoma, and they are actively enrolling for many clinical trials.
    MD Anderson, Cedars Sinai, and Sloan Kettering are in a separate stratosphere. Stephenson docs refer patients to Anderson or the others if they have a trial that fits. Jonny D is correct. It's like going to Mayo if you have a rare disease.

  5. Default Re: Stephenson Cancer Center

    When I was first diagnosed with stage 3 cancer of the head and neck, I first sought treatment at MD Anderson.

    MD Anderson was very upfront that they'd love to treat me - BUT - they also acknowledged that the treatments given are very standardized and I could receive the EXACT same treatment in OKC at Stephenson Cancer Center and that emotionally I would probably do better because I'd get to go home each day during treatment and treatment was daily for 8-10 weeks.

    They told me they would be best suited in my case to provide a second opinion for confirmation.

    I did my treatment at Stephenson Cancer Center. All day long doses of chemo on several occasions (Cisplatin) and daily 20-minute radiations to my head and neck. The facility and staff at Stephenson are top notch. I continued to work and simply stopped in in the morning for radiation and every couple of weeks for chemo (minus a couple of weeks I was simply to sick/weak to work).

    Highly recommend their facility - and no - you don't have to go out of state to get the exact same quality and care for many if not most cancer treatments.

    *Had a relative that was getting treatment at MD Anderson and was told they needed to amputate her arm. She sought a second opinion in OKC and it was determined NO AMPUTATION was necessary. over 10 years later and her arm is great.

  6. #6

    Default Re: Stephenson Cancer Center

    Quote Originally Posted by BBatesokc View Post
    When I was first diagnosed with stage 3 cancer of the head and neck, I first sought treatment at MD Anderson.

    MD Anderson was very upfront that they'd love to treat me - BUT - they also acknowledged that the treatments given are very standardized and I could receive the EXACT same treatment in OKC at Stephenson Cancer Center and that emotionally I would probably do better because I'd get to go home each day during treatment and treatment was daily for 8-10 weeks.

    They told me they would be best suited in my case to provide a second opinion for confirmation.

    I did my treatment at Stephenson Cancer Center. All day long doses of chemo on several occasions (Cisplatin) and daily 20-minute radiations to my head and neck. The facility and staff at Stephenson are top notch. I continued to work and simply stopped in in the morning for radiation and every couple of weeks for chemo (minus a couple of weeks I was simply to sick/weak to work).

    Highly recommend their facility - and no - you don't have to go out of state to get the exact same quality and care for many if not most cancer treatments.

    *Had a relative that was getting treatment at MD Anderson and was told they needed to amputate her arm. She sought a second opinion in OKC and it was determined NO AMPUTATION was necessary. over 10 years later and her arm is great.
    I have had a couple close family members with difficult cancer diagnoses and had a similar experience. After a treatment plan was settled on at Stephenson, I asked the oncologist whether we should go to MD Anderson and she said we definitely should if that's what we would be most comfortable doing, but cautioned that they would likely not provide any additional benefit in this case because the standard of care was well agreed upon. We did ultimately seek a second opinion and they said Stephenson was doing exactly what they would do.

    MD Anderson (and others like Mayo) are very advanced in certain types of rare or difficult cancers because that's where the researchers who are developing new treatments are based--and they are very good researchers with access to a lot of resources. But for most cancers, you're going to get the exact same treatment at Stephenson that you would at MD Anderson or Mayo.

    One side note: I did have a major complaint about Stephenson's care coordination processes, but they immediately sent a patient advocate to speak with me and it was resolved promptly.

  7. Default Re: Stephenson Cancer Center

    Quote Originally Posted by king183 View Post
    ...One side note: I did have a major complaint about Stephenson's care coordination processes, but they immediately sent a patient advocate to speak with me and it was resolved promptly.
    I had an issue or two come up myself. And those too were quickly addressed. One thing I tell others with cancer that I mentor (I mentor 3-6 head and neck patients a year), is that you MUST take charge of your own treatment because it's only you that ultimately has to live with it (literally and figuratively).

    Had an issue one morning when i showed up for my radiation. I was probably on my 5th week and they had rotated out the techs I'd been used to for the entirety of my treatment. At 5 weeks, a head and neck radiation patient is feeling their worst, and most are on feeding tubes at this point. I explained to the person in charge that these unexpected changes negatively impact the patient experience and cause unneeded stress. He agreed and the next day my original team of techs was back! They are very receptive to patient input.

  8. #8

    Default Re: Stephenson Cancer Center

    Quote Originally Posted by BBatesokc View Post
    I had an issue or two come up myself. And those too were quickly addressed. One thing I tell others with cancer that I mentor (I mentor 3-6 head and neck patients a year), is that you MUST take charge of your own treatment because it's only you that ultimately has to live with it (literally and figuratively).Had an issue one morning when i showed up for my radiation. I was probably on my 5th week and they had rotated out the techs I'd been used to for the entirety of my treatment. At 5 weeks, a head and neck radiation patient is feeling their worst, and most are on feeding tubes at this point. I explained to the person in charge that these unexpected changes negatively impact the patient experience and cause unneeded stress. He agreed and the next day my original team of techs was back! They are very receptive to patient input.
    Glad you had a good experience and the treatments went well. Are you OK now? Impressed you would take the time to work with cancer patients too.

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