'Targeted Chemo' Safely Shrinks Liver Tumors

[Steve Bailey]

I'm being treated by the VA for a 2.5 cm tumor. I have cirrosis and hep-c from my time in Viet Nam. (touching enormous amounts of blood and taking a bath in Agent Orange, basically. Unfortunately the VA is short on Doctors so I tried to get referred to Emory but the VA won't refer me there. I don't know what the problem is. I only have medicare part A but not B or I would go to Emory on my own. What does a person have to do to get into one of the IHP trials near Athens or Atlanta,Ga.. My understanding is I really need a liver transplant but first the VA has told me they'll probably send me to Birmingham, Ala. for radiation treatment to kill the tumor then if I can get on a transplant list to a VA in Nashville for a transplant ........ if I make it that long. They discovered the tumor in a Feb. 2009 cat scan, according to my records, but I've been feeling like heck for longer than that. This new type treatment sounds like a "God" send!" My son has spinal-bifda and my daughter has diabetes. They need their dad to be as close as possible, while getting treatment and a few more years! What must I do to qualify?