One of our other members just got done with SRT treatment in Washington that was a lot cheaper than it was at Colorado where Wendy had hers done.
@LuvinThisPig is her forum name
The cheapest is again WSU, Sara just had it done for Pig
@LuvinThisPig .
Hi Sara! I am sorry about the double diagnosis! Its so frustrating!
I did want to chime in as it seems that cost will be a factor for you, just as it was for Pig and I. I recently drove Pig across country from Oklahoma to Washington to seek SRT treatment at WSU. Even with the travel costs, my overall cost came in far lower than the treatment protocol at CSU. Now, you will need to keep in mind that the SRT protocol at WSU is very different than most.
While WSU is far cheaper than most protocols, there is a certain bit of risk in it as well. Not a risk to the cat, of course, but a bit of a gamble. The difference is that where CSU uses moving MRI technology to adapt the SRT beam to the shape of the kitties pituitary tumor, WSU works in the opposite way. They do use a moving SRT beam, but rather than conforming the beam to the tumor, they look for tumors that conform to their beam. Basically, they use a circular, rotating beam to wrap the tumor. While this sounds like a pretty big gamble, because what if you travel there and Thomas' tumor does not fit the beam, most of these pituitary tumors are more round than anything. At least, in WSU's research. In fact, per Dr. Fidel, there are very few kitties that have proven to not be good candidates. I believe they see more dogs with tumors not conforming to the beam than they do cats. Pig's tumor was even slightly square, but still round enough to make him the perfect candidate.
Furthermore, where places such as CSU do lowered doses of radiation of the course of 3 days, WSU uses a larger dose of radiation over the course of just one day. Not specifically speaking of any particular treatment facility, the basic premise here is that many places do something like 8,000gm x 3 to equal 24,000gm total. However, in the biologic world, 8,000 x 3 is not necessarily equal to 24,000 x 1, with the 24,000 x 1 being the far stronger. In fact, per Dr. Fidel, this is what most oncologists strive for in the human world. Given that the brain can handle 15,000gm of radiation in a single setting, this is the measurement of therapy that WSU has chosen to use. They have found that a singular sitting of a stronger dose is sometimes more effective in cats, especially, than the more fractionated regimes. If you have any questions regarding the protocol specifically, here is the
link to Pig's Dr. explaining precisely how they do it at WSU.
While there is no one on the board, currently, that has treated at WSU other than Pig, I am in contact with 3 other people who have sought treatment there. One about 2 years ago, one about 3 months before Pig, and one precisely a month after Pig. Actually, the one who sought treatment after Pig and I is on the board, but I cannot be sure of her screen name. I followed the lead of the wonderful lady who went there about 2 years ago and while individual results do not necessarily speak to personal success, her kitty is now OTJ and went so only 1.5 years after treatment.
Currently, we have nearly halved Pig's dose of 50uL in only a month following treatment. We have stalled a bit on 26uL and I am working out some diet kinks, but the reduction is undeniable. Granted, results and reduction times will vary and they do come in spits and starts, to half his dose not even 2 months following treatment is a major win!! We still have about a month to go before we are even suppose to see results!
I sincerely hope this helps.
Oh! Costs... I am working on putting together a summary of procedures and prices for his forum in the high dose thread. But, for the moment... I had them run several other tests over the bare minimum for treatment and even with the additional tests, we walked from WSU paying right at 2,000$. Travel cost me a little more than that and supplies ran about $1500. Total cost for a cross country drive and treatment for Pig (plus numerous ancillary tests) came in about 6,500$. Just shy of the treatment cost @ CSU, I believe...
So far I don't know of anyone in North America who has ponied up for pasireotide. The only ones who have used it are in the U.K. As part of RVC research, with the drug donated by Novartis. Worth asking the vet in case prices have come down significantly. If they haven't, the vet may be more willing to have you try cabergoline. We have had one cat here go OTJ on it, and several need reduced doses. However, there is no long term data for it yet. We have heard from RVC (hotbed of the latest research in acromegaly), that coupled with octreotide, it does better. 
If you fly, only certain airlines let you take a cat into the cabin area. Kitty goes under the seat in front of you.
