Stanford is an excellent choice for many reasons. In particular, they offer training to physical therapists and athletic trainers to deal specifically with cancer survivors. The Livestrong Foundation program, Livestrong at the Y, gave grants to YMCA's to help with the recovery process after cancer.

If you have the luxury of choosing where you go finding an aftercare program is very important too. The Livestrong Centers of Excellence centers are very good choices. I know of Denver and Ohio State but not many others.

In the beginning, cancer is the easy part of this. Choose wisely based on outcomes and that may continue. Being at an NCCN institution would be my first choice, NCI institution would be my second. I chose a place well connected to MD Anderson and it is now an NCI institution. I clearly see how they could have helped me more, after treatment. The treatment is going to be similar most places but the real value is after treatment.

Ed

SCC Stage IV, BOT, T2N2bM0
Cisplatin/5FU x 3, 40 days radiation
Diagnosis 07/21/03 tx completed 10/08/03
Post Radiation Lower Motor Neuron Syndrome 3/08.
Cervical Spinal Stenosis 01/11
Cervical Myelitis 09/12
Thoracic Paraplegia 10/12
Dysautonomia 11/12
Hospice care 09/12-01/13.
COPD 01/14
Intermittent CHF 6/15
Feeding tube NPO 03/16
VFI 12/2016
ORN 12/2017
Cardiac Event 06/2018
Bilateral VFI 01/2021
Thoracotomy Bilobectomy 01/2022
Bilateral VFI 05/2022
Total Laryngectomy 01/2023