Gibbs Cancer Center & Research Institute - Spartanburg

Ed Roehl

My wife Barbara died recently from small bowel adenocarcinoma (her obituary is online under her full name Barbara Ann Squires-Roehl). Small bowel cancers are rare and adenocarcinoma is by far the deadliest type. She had been misdiagnosed twice (not at Gibbs) until a CT scan found a tumor. The Gibbs surgeon who resected the tumor was unfamiliar with small bowel cancers and hadn’t bothered to look them up before surgery (as we had). We knew this because he did a minimalist resection, taking only one lymph node, was visibly shaken when he gave us the pathology findings, and explicitly told us of his regret two years later when he reinserted her chemotherapy (chemo) port. The Am. Cancer Soc. website said small bowel adenocarcinoma kills 1 in 3. Barb was a highly experienced medical professional (pediatric physical therapist) and chose to be followed by a specialist in small bowel cancer at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston (MDA, #1 cancer center in US) who prescribed her treatment that Gibbs followed. Barbara and I visited MDA several times. Barb underwent the FDA’s “standard of care” chemotherapy (chemo) for 6 months with CT scans every 3 months during and after chemo was completed. She was physically fit, very tough, and naturally optimistic. This allowed her to keep working through chemo. Then 14 months after completing chemo she became jaundiced. Gibbs radiology found several metastases even though her scan 2 months before was reported clear. We questioned Barb’s oncologist at Gibbs about this disparity and all he did was say, “Maybe they missed something” (this problem would recur, ensuring that Barb would die). The MDA specialist put Barb on another standard chemo which her cancer responded to very well. After 15 months and successive reportedly clear scans, Barbara was accepted at MDA for specialized surgery (cytoreduction+HIPEC) that has a 30% cure rate and 3-year average increase in life expectancy. We traveled to MDA. Barb was scanned using MDA’s CT scanner which has 10 times the resolution of Gibbs’ scanner. MDA’s radiology found too much metastatic activity to proceed with the surgery, including some in her lungs (first we heard of). Then they read her most recent Gibbs scan (via Epic) which had been reported clear, and were able to see a lot of the same metastatic activity that was, once again, completely missed by Gibbs’ radiology. Barb died 11 months later.

Kristy Lancaster

Beautiful facility, very quiet and as stress free and possible. Employees are very caring and attentive.

Kimberlyn Kluth

I am very pleased with the care I received. From the time I stepped into the office, all the way to surgery and discharge. Dr. Orr as well as the rest of the staff communicated with me the 5 W's . For me this is a great comfort. Answering my questions along the way. On the plus side, there is good vibes, positive energy, light hearted, in what I felt as a no judgement atmosphere.

Vicki Greene

I was with my aunt she has a terminal cancer the doctor told us Chemo wasn't going work but still trying too convince her too go ahead with it or go hospice and she isn't too the point where she can't take care of herself that doctor had no concern about my aunt just that she had 3 months left which the doctor was trying too convince my aunt too take the chemo that wasn't going help why so you can make sure you got it on paper that you said 3 months not today I got my aunt she doing just fine her number hasn't been called yet God Bless