Cancer Patient Fights Insurance Company Over Surgery

Cancer Patient Fights Insurance Company Over Surgery
SMITHVILLE, Missouri
Saturday, 11 Aug 2007 17:25 CDT


A Smithville man battling cancer says he's also fighting his insurance
company.

Ed Fenton, 45, claims Coventry Health Care won't pay for a surgery he needs
to stay alive. Fenton has been fighting colon cancer for a year.

"I've had many surgeries. I was in ICU in a coma for 6 weeks. They told my
wife more than once that I might not make it through the night," Fenton said
of his illness. "Now it looks like there's a light at the end of the
tunnel."

Fenton says the surgery, called hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy,
could get rid of the cancer - or at least slow down the aggressive illness.

"This surgery, if I don't have it I'll die. Period. I don't have a choice,"
Fenton said.

Fenton's family said the insurance company's decision is tough for them to
handle, because Fenton has a lot of living left to do.

"He's so strong. He wants to live. He has two children 13 and 17. He wants
to see them graduate from high school. He wants to see them walk down the
aisle," Rhonda Fenton, wife, said.

Fenton's first appeal of their decision was denied, but Coventry said that
they "encourage Mr. Fenton to exercise his additional appeal rights. This
process would involve the review of his request by three independent expert
physicians with appropriate training and experience in the field of medicine
related to Mr. Fenton's diagnosis."

Now the Fentons hope the company reverses their decisions, while making the
public aware of what they call a growing problem.

"I think we really need to start stepping up as Americans and saying 'this
is not OK,'" Rhonda Fenton said. "If you don't think it can happen to you,
you're wrong. It can happen to anyone."

The Fentons borrowed $60,000 from relatives to pay for the surgery, which is
scheduled for later this month.

california_chief wrote:

> Cancer Patient Fights Insurance Company Over Surgery
> SMITHVILLE, Missouri
> Saturday, 11 Aug 2007 17:25 CDT
>
> A Smithville man battling cancer says he's also fighting his insurance
> company.
>
> Ed Fenton, 45, claims Coventry Health Care won't pay for a surgery he needs
> to stay alive. Fenton has been fighting colon cancer for a year.
>
> "I've had many surgeries. I was in ICU in a coma for 6 weeks. They told my
> wife more than once that I might not make it through the night," Fenton said
> of his illness. "Now it looks like there's a light at the end of the
> tunnel."
>
> Fenton says the surgery, called hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy,
> could get rid of the cancer - or at least slow down the aggressive illness.
>
> "This surgery, if I don't have it I'll die. Period. I don't have a choice,"
> Fenton said.
>
> Fenton's family said the insurance company's decision is tough for them to
> handle, because Fenton has a lot of living left to do.
>
> "He's so strong. He wants to live. He has two children 13 and 17. He wants
> to see them graduate from high school. He wants to see them walk down the
> aisle," Rhonda Fenton, wife, said.
>
> Fenton's first appeal of their decision was denied, but Coventry said that
> they "encourage Mr. Fenton to exercise his additional appeal rights. This
> process would involve the review of his request by three independent expert
> physicians with appropriate training and experience in the field of medicine
> related to Mr. Fenton's diagnosis."
>
> Now the Fentons hope the company reverses their decisions, while making the
> public aware of what they call a growing problem.
>
> "I think we really need to start stepping up as Americans and saying 'this
> is not OK,'" Rhonda Fenton said. "If you don't think it can happen to you,
> you're wrong. It can happen to anyone."
>
> The Fentons borrowed $60,000 from relatives to pay for the surgery, which is
> scheduled for later this month.

I feel sorry for this man. He's wasting his money and could die from the
procedure.
J

Intraperitoneal chemotherapy is intended for ovarian cancer patients, resurgery
remove cancerous tissues and it's very toxic; not for the faint of heart. It's
of no benefit to colon cancer patients, once it has spread.

We had a patient on alt.support.cancer. His colon cancer was spreading because
his CEA levels were rising - he knew it was in the omentum - we knew it was in
his liver, but he didn't believe us, at first. He tried to get into a clinical
trial, but there was no (visible) tumor to shrink. He wanted this procedure and
went for an opinion to a hospital, in another State, where they do these
procedures, and came back disappointed that they refused him. He died some 4 or
5 months later - it was in his liver ducts and I conjecture he died of liver
failure. (those were the titles of his last 3 posts) and when he first came to
us, a few years ago, he had told us his liver was cirrhosed, from many years of
drinking, but had reformed himself. He probably would have died from the
procedure. Thank God for some ethical doctors. And a pox on the one that will
be doing the procedure on Fenton.

http://guidance.nice.org.uk/IPG116
Description:

Peritoneal metastases commonly result from the regional spread of
gastrointestinal, gynaecological and other malignancies. Peritoneal
carcinomatosis is an advanced form of cancer associated with short survival and
poor quality of life, which may lead to bowel obstruction, ascites and pain.

This procedure was developed by Paul Sugarbaker at the Washington Cancer
Institute. A laparotomy is performed under general anaesthesia and all gross
tumour is removed along with the involved organs, peritoneum and tissue. The
surgery includes:
· removal of the right hemicolon, spleen, gall bladder, parts of the
stomach, greater omentum and lesser omentum
· stripping of the peritoneum from the pelvis and diaphragm
· stripping of tumour from the surface of the liver
· removal of the uterus and ovaries in women
· removal of the rectum in some cases.
The aim of the surgery is to remove all macroscopic tumour, although residual
tumour is sometimes left behind.

After the organs have been removed, the abdomen is perfused with fluid
containing a chemotherapy agent, heated to between 40 and 48°C. The fluid is
perfused for 60 to 120 minutes and then drained from the abdomen, before the
laparotomy is closed. A further course of systemic or intraperitoneal
chemotherapy may be administered after the surgery.