Cancer Treatment Centers of America

Anyone have any personal experience with these places? I ask because I've finally reached my tolerance point for their weepy commercials that wreak of bullshit.

In one, we get "Peggy" who had pancreatic cancer. Shockingly, at the first hospital she went to, the doctor had the audacity to tell her "Peggy, you have cancer." Cut to a weepy Peggy, who says it was oh, so hard to hear. "Like he was telling me to go to the store," she blubbers.

In another, the patient claims that her doctor woke her up after surgery, simply said "You've got cancer" then boogied on out of the room.

Both sound like BS to me.

Then, of course, both went to the Cancer Treatment Centers where they were miraculously cured. And, of course, both testimonials include the disclaimer that you shouldn't expect similar results.

After doing some web surfing, I see that CTCoA has been chided for running afoul with its advertising claims before, that insurance companies won't cover most of their treatments (a red flag, IMHO), and on this page — www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=75399 — the quaint little store we see Peggy working in is merely a prop.

So... anyone?

 

It always seemed a bit fishy to me. The gist of the commercials seem to be, "go anywhere else and they'll say, 'oh you have cancer, so what, who cares.' Come to our place and we'll cure you."

It's not like most conventional hospitals don't spend a hell of a lot of resources fighting cancer.

 

My personal experience: Heart patients who go to Houston come back A-OK, while cancer patients come back in a hearse. As they say, YMMV.

 

The American Cancer Society rakes in about half a billion annually, with no linear progress being yielded.

Not only an inefficient charity but an inefficient organization.

 

huh?

 

I'm pretty certain I interviewed one of the founders of this place 20-odd years ago. It offered cutting edge treatments, no doubt, but it had a veneer of snake oil-selling. I'd stick to the City of Hope-type treatment centers in most cities.

 

Didn't see the commercial and have no experience with this facility, but a doctor blowing a cancer patient off is something I've seen.

3-5 minute conversation telling the patient things were terminal, but that the doctor would remain the "primary physician" and would be there the rest of the way coordinating care.

The doctor walked out of the hospital room and never saw or heard from the doctor again. Ignored calls from the family and other medical staff. I did speak with the doctor's assistant several months later, after the assistant returned a call.

The patient died feeling the doctor had abandoned them.

Not saying all doctors are like this, let me be very clear about that. This was one individual.

 

Didn't you know that each hospital/hospital chain is the greatest thing since sliced bread? At least that's what their advertisements say. One hospital chain that is in my area starts its TV commercial with a view of Earth from space and narrows it down to our metro area. The greatest hospital in the world, eh?

 

A cynic would say it's the view a lot of their patients have.

 

I think you can see the Oakwood parking structure from space.

 

Yeah, and it costs $1 every time you enter the structure. What a pain in the ass for me, my family and friends when my wife was there for 2 1/2 weeks. You've got to pay for that nice fountain/grand piano/lobby somehow, though.

 

Yeah, MD Anderson never saves anyone ... people just come there from all over the country for the breakfast tacos and kolaches.