[quote=EmilyE]Should I consider whats closest to us because they are all great hospitals or if one was better than the other. I guess theres not answer for that. [/quote]
That's a very personal question, and the answer is different for everyone. There may be insurance issues, or travel-incurred costs that you just can't handle.

If you go by the US News rankings, the two specialty hospitals for cancer -- M.D. Anderson and Sloan-Kettering -- are, not surprisingly, the top two for cancer treatment. Hopkins is #3 (and is #1 for ENT), and Duke is #9.

I recall an OCFer a couple of years ago whose husband was treated at Wake and was very satisfied. Search on "Wake Forest" (in quotes) in the search box at the upper right of each forum page to find her posts.

But geography should not dictate where your mom gets care. Several years ago, one OCFer who lived in California moved temporarily to New York City for treatment at Sloan-Kettering. In the last month or so, davidcpa helped a woman in Florida to be seen at the top cancer center in that state (where he was treated), even though it's several hours from her home, because she could get more advanced treatment there than was available closer to her.