Still figuring out this Germany trip..

[NNKVa]

Hello, thanks for all the response to my post. It really does help to read others post and suggestion. There are several hospital to chose from how do you know which to chose ? I was wondering has anyone attended Helios Hospital Berlin-Buch the head Dr. Stefan Dresal??? How does one know if the price bookhealth quotes is pricey or reasonable ??? Overwhelming..... Im like a few others i read about. Im trying to figure this out on my own and to be honest. i need a book for dummies...LOL..again any direction or advise is sponged up...Thanks for everyone's attention and time..

[tango65]

I believe is less expensive if you deal directly with the hospital and the doctors. This is the link to the office for foreign patients at the TUM in Munich.

mri.tum.de/node/5909

Use the browser Chrome which can translate the page to english.

[NNKVa in reply to tango65]

Thank you, Will check it out!

[GP24]

You husband will probably need several cycles of Lu177 treatment. So this can get expensive.

[NNKVa in reply to GP24]

Yes we expect that . We were just trying to get a base starting point and go from there.

[NNKVa in reply to GP24]

The expense is worth it ! One cant enjoy their monies if not here to do so..

[RyderLake2]

Hello, I went to Homburg, Germany in September, 2019. Because of a a sudden, dramatic remission I never received the Lutetium treatment but did get a Gallium PET scan. There are many more people much more qualified than me to talk about the Lutetium treatment so I am going to limit my comments to expenses, reasons for going to the Universitaets Klinikum de Saarlandes (UKS) in Homburg, Germany and a couple of recommendations.

Why Homburg? First, I had a friend who belongs to the same PCa support group as me who recommended the UKS clinic. Second, I liked the fact it was a big hospital in a small town. A decent hotel was nearby and everything was within walking distance. Third, I liked the fact that UKS offered Lutetium as well as Actinium. Not all German hospitals offer both. Fourth, I liked the fact that they wanted me to remain on Xtandi (enzalutamide). According to Doctor Samer Ezzidin, Xtandi improves the effectiveness of Lutetium. Fifth, unlike the Vision trial in North America there was no requirement for prior chemotherapy. Then, and now, I am chemotherapy naive. Finally, it was cheaper than many hospitals in the bigger German centres. In 2019, the total cost for treatment including two nights in the hospital was 6861 euros or $10,269.37 (CDN). Much of this was refunded back to me.

Now recommendations. There are several companies that look after all the logistics in getting to Germany including translation services. My suggestion is they are not worth the money. All the doctors speak excellent English as do many of the nurses. Another tip is that a Deutsche Bahn Card will save you money on the excellent German train system. For me, the cost to fly to Frankfurt, Germany from Vancouver, BC, Canada for two was $2645.42 (CDN). I used Air Canada out and Lufthansa return. Train travel for two return from Frankfurt to Homburg with the Deutsche Bahn card was 190 euros or $287.24 (CDN). A six day stay at the Hotel Stadt Homburg (including eight breakfasts and six dinners) was 524 euros or $780.68 (CDN). Not exactly five star but more than adequate. The hotel was an easy walk (although uphill) to UKS. These were the biggest expenses. You need to convert Canadian dollars to US dollars.

If my PSA goes above 2.0 (which it hasn't) I fully intend to return to Germany IF Lutetium is not yet available in North America. I was very impressed with the German system and all the folks that I came in contact with. Hope that helps!

[MateoBeach in reply to RyderLake2]

What is UKS please? Thanks for all the details.

[NNKVa in reply to MateoBeach]

Look above first paragraph at the very last sentence. It is initials for the hospital in Homburg Germany.

[NNKVa]

yes, it did thank you for your time.

[NNKVa]

yes, it did thank you for your time.

[lewicki]

Hi, University of Heidelberg developed the program. I chose them after seeing there cost was in the middle. later discovered they are the one that developed the program. I did study the business to do all for you and found them to be quite expensive. Contact the airlines at Lufthansa or find out who is flying from where you live to Frankfort. Hotel Chester in Heidelberg rooms and cost were acceptable. They have a morning breakfast that was very good. I sent you that information about the hospital. Contact the hospital e-mail [e-mail]. They will take you from there. Also, ask them what you need from them for customs to go to Germany .You will need a strong letter from your doctor for customs. Hope this helps. Let me know of anything else.