Why Choose Fox Chase? »Success Stories »Liver and Bile Duct Cancer

Bile Duct Cancer

On December 25, 2001, while many families were watching football together, Matthew Baxter spent the day in the emergency room watching from his gurney. His symptoms were unusual - he was itchy and jaundiced. Two biopsies later, Matthew learned he had a very uncommon cancer - adenocarcinoma in his bile duct.

Matthew did not let this news get him down. He is a dedicated immigration attorney, who speaks fluent Russian (about 75% of his practice is Russian). Matthew is extremely dedicated to his clients, who are from every continent and represent 84 countries. Upon learning he had bile duct cancer, Matthew was determined to let nothing stand in his way.

"I decided immediately that if I could keep a positive attitude, I could beat this."

"I decided immediately that if I could keep a positive attitude, I could beat this. I also decided that if at all possible, I would continue to work through my treatment. Not only does it get your mind off of treatment, it allows you to continue being a productive person. I think that is very important," said Matthew.

After initial surgery at another Philadelphia hospital, Matthew began to research his options for treatment.

"I was well aware of Fox Chase Cancer Center's national reputation as a leading cancer hospital."

"Before I arrived at Fox Chase, I consulted another oncologist. I really liked him. I told myself it would take someone very impressive to get me to change my mind," said Matthew. "I was well aware of Fox Chase Cancer Center's national reputation as a leading cancer hospital. The place was so impressive that I quickly changed my mind," said Matthew. Six years later, he is glad he did.

"Everybody at Fox Chase was so nice, so caring, and so professional."

By the time Matthew had his first appointment at Fox Chase, he had an entire team assigned to his case. "This included Dr. Neal Meropol, a medical oncologist; Dr. Gary Freedman, a radiation oncologist; Margot Sweed, a nurse practitioner and several other nurses and technicians. Everybody at Fox Chase was so nice, so caring, and so professional," said Matthew.

"Because all they do is cancer, they had people and equipment that other places just don't have."

"The staff explained each treatment option and helped me make decisions. Fox Chase even included a component in my treatment plan that the other doctor had not offered (brachytherapy). That proved to me another great thing about Fox Chase - because all they do is cancer, they had people and equipment that other places just don't have," explained Matthew.

Matthew was pleased with his outpatient treatment and how smoothly it went. He went on to say, "I had chemotherapy from a large, external pump that allowed me go to work and live an almost normal life. Every weekday at 8:00 a.m. I had radiation therapy, where a very friendly team of technicians made sure that everything went just as planned. Then it was off to work."

"I was admitted to the hospital. That was my first experience with the wonderful nurses at Fox Chase."

After his last treatment session, Matthew was planning to celebrate by seeing the Indigo Girls concert. However, as with many diseases, unexpected complications can occur. "Two hours after discharge, I developed a fever. Because I had an infection, I was admitted to the hospital. That was my first experience with the wonderful nurses at Fox Chase," said Matthew.

"The doctors were incredible."

"The doctors were incredible. They monitored my reactions and answered my questions. During a routine follow-up appointment, one in particular predicted that a certain minor complication was likely to occur. (The resident who was with him, doing a rotation through Fox Chase, was astounded because the signs were so subtle!)," said Matthew. He continued, "I was told that the symptoms would be the same as those from my initial cancer diagnosis, so I shouldn't automatically assume the worst. That saved me a ton of worry and stress when those symptoms did show up!"

"Time after time, Fox Chase has had all the resources I need."

The complication required a minor procedure and Matthew wanted his regular doctor to do it. "She wasn't able because of how my surgery had changed my body. Fox Chase's Dr. Haluszka did it easily, and both he and his colleague Dr. Tokar have performed the same procedure several times without any problem. Time after time, Fox Chase has had all the resources I need, without my having to go to a lot of different places," explained Matthew.

"The nurses have shown me why they are so highly regarded. They know exactly what they are doing and genuinely care about every patient."

Since finishing treatment, Matthew has been hospitalized at Fox Chase several times. He said, "The nurses have shown me why they are so highly regarded. They know exactly what they are doing and genuinely care about every patient. I never had to wait long for them to respond to a call."

"I'm glad I chose Fox Chase for my treatment and would highly recommend it to anyone!"

Matthew is still serving his clients from all over the world, but still sees his doctors at Fox Chase for follow-up care. He summed it up, "I could go on and on, but the bottom line is that I'm glad I chose Fox Chase for my treatment and would highly recommend it to anyone!"

Learn more about liver and bile duct cancer treatment at Fox Chase Cancer Center.