GIST Support WikiThe University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas is an NCCN cancer center with a sarcoma team.
PHONE: 1-800-392-1611
Here are some links to relevant pages of its website:
Main page: http://www.mdanderson.org/patients_public/
Sarcoma Center page: http://www.mdanderson.org/care_centers/sarcoma/
Sarcoma Specialists page: MD Anderson Sarcoma page
Here are some of the MD Anderson sarcoma specialists who treat numerous GIST patients.
Medical Oncology
Robert Benjamin, M.D.
Shreyaskumar Patel, M.D.
Jonathan Trent, M.D., Ph.D.
Surgical Oncology
Kelly Hunt, M.D.
Raphael Pollock, M.D.
Peter Pisters, M.D.
Integrative Medicine
MD Anderson has several clinicians you can make an appointment with in thier department of Integrative Medicine to discuss nutrition, supplements, etc. Link to webpage.
Experimental Therapeutics
The researchers in this department are not clinicians, but they are active in drug development and clinical trials.
Chris Garrett M.D. - I have accepted a job at MD Anderson, Houston, starting next Spring (2008). My last day at MCC (Moffitt Cancer Center) will be March 28th. Chris Garrett, MD
We are still reeling from the shock of it all. We just got back from MD Anderson and feel so much better that we are in their hands.
We know the feeling exactly. MD Anderson is the BEST, so he's in good hands.
My tumor also ruptured. It tore open when I stumbled on some steps. Two weeks later, one of the top GIST surgeons in the U.S., Raphael Pollock at M.D. Anderson in Houston, opened me up. This is what he wrote in the operative report:
"... it became apparent to us that the tumor had, at some point very recently, necrosed and ruptured with a resulting hemoperitoneum and seeding of his abdomen with tumor cells. It was apparent to us at this point that this patient was likely to recur,regardless of the extent of his resection. Given the fact that he was not curable, we decided to grossly remove all tumor ..."
My surgeon is Raphael Pollock, one of the most experienced GIST surgeons in the nation. I have also heard good things about Kelly Hunt, who's had more GIST experience than probably 97 percent of oncology surgeons in the nation.
For an oncologist experienced in GIST, Dr. Robert Benjamin knew eight years ago that my cancer would not respond to regular chemo, saving me untold, useless suffering, but that an experimental drug was coming (Gleevec) that showed remarkable promise. Also. Dr. Jonathan Trent is working other GIST experts internationally to beat Gleevec resistance.
I now have Dr. Dejka Aruaza (I think. Was Steinert until she got married) I think she is great she is very concerned about all aspects of my health. I would recommend her, if you have a choice.