MesotheliomaHelp.net
Once again, US News & World Report has released is "Best Hospitals" rankings in the United States. And once again, several hospitals known for offering specialty cancer care for mesothelioma patients have topped the list.
To rank the best cancer hospitals, US News looked for hospitals that are experienced in treating difficult cases, and only included hospitals if at least 254 inpatients in need of high level of expertise in this specialty were treated there in 2008, 2009, and 2010.
The top five ranked cancer hospitals are:
- University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
- Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD
- Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
- Brigham and Women's Cancer Center, Boston, MA
Hospitals were scored in the following 11 categories: reputation with specialists, survival, success in keeping patients safe, patient volume, nurse staffing, nurse magnet hospital, NCI cancer center, transplant accreditation, advanced technologies, patient services and intensivists.
MD Anderson Cancer Center
M.D. Anderson Cancer Center has a mission to eliminate cancer in Texas, the nation, and the world, and is continuously introducing new research and initiatives to improve the lives of cancer patients. According to the hospital's website, "MD Anderson's Thoracic Center cares for more patients with mesothelioma than almost any other center in the United States." In addition, mesothelioma patients at MD Anderson are treated by a specially trained support team of experts in their fields and mesothelioma. The division is comprised of more than 30 medical oncologists, surgeons, radiation oncologists, pulmonologists and pathologists who work together to personalize treatment plans.
According to MD Anderson, this is the sixth year in a row that the US News & World survey ranked the center as the nation's best hospital for cancer care. It is the ninth time in the last 11 years that MD Anderson has been honored with the top ranking.
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) is one of the world's premier cancer centers, with a large, interdisciplinary team of surgical oncologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, pathologists, and nurses who deal exclusively with mesothelioma and other thoracic cancers. MSKCC conducts numerous clinical trials for mesothelioma and continually make strides in the treatment of the deadly disease.
MSKCC scored "very strong" in its reputations with specialists and "much better than expected" in survival. The hospital also received the highest rankings in the advanced technologies and patient services categories.
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Dr. David Sugarbaker, renowned thoracic surgeon of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, MA, is one of the leading authorities on treating mesothelioma and founded the International Mesothelioma Program at Brigham. Managing over 300 mesothelioma consultations per year, the International Mesothelioma Program is the largest program of its kind in the world. The Program has a mission "to offer state-of-the-art treatment to patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma."
Mesothelioma is a serious and rare cancer that occurs in individuals that have been exposed to airborne asbestos fibers. Due to its relative rarity among the general population, it is recommended that mesothelioma be treated at a facility with a team of doctors and surgeons that specialize in the treatment of mesothelioma. Specialists are aware of the latest research and they are able to develop a more informed treatment plan than would a physician who does not specialize in the disease.
