Brian Johnson was told his type of cancer was so rare, doctors in his home state of Oregon only see about three cases per year.

As if an appendiceal cancer diagnosis for a middle-aged father wasn’t scary enough, learning there were little to no promising local treatment options left Johnson feeling alone.

Then came the hope.

Danyel Johnson, his wife, found a new treatment option in Detroit that specializes in treating metastatic cancers where traditional chemotherapy often falls short.

“When I come here, they understand my type of cancer,” said Brian Johnson, 49. “You feel like they know what they’re doing and they treat me like family.”

The treatment is known as PIPAC -- Pressurized Intraperitoneal Aerosol Chemotherapy. It’s a laparoscopic procedure that delivers aerosolized chemo di

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