Daughter just diagnosed with Stage 3c melanoma

scaredmom
scaredmom Member Posts: 2
My daughter was just diagnosed with stage 3 melanoma with multiple lymph nodes involved. She is being given a chemo cocktail with 4 drugs including interferon. She is receiving 3 treatments a week every other week for three months. Does anyone have any stories of survival from this stage of Melanoma? Does this sound like the best course of treatment? I am so scared and desperate for some positive information.

Comments

  • proach1015
    proach1015 Member Posts: 1
    Stage III melanoma
    Hi, My prayers are with you. I am a SURVIVOR of 11 years of Stage III melanoma. I had no site of origin and 2 lymph nodes postive. I found mine as a lump under my arm and all lymph nodes were removed. I had a year of interferon- yes- not fun- hard but so worth it. I also was on a 6 year clinical trial.

    You are on the right site. I am a full time volunteer with the American Cancer Society. Call 1 800 227 2354- and you can talk to a REAL person who can help you with lots of your questions. It is run by the ACS and it is open 24/7/365! It never closes.

    I am here to listen if you need an ear. Pam
  • lovingwifedeb
    lovingwifedeb Member Posts: 183
    For More Information
    If you would like more support please try here:
    http://www.melanoma.org/community/mpip-melanoma-patients-information-page

    You will most likely receive more replies at this site if you post your concerns here. If you can try to have more details with what your daughter's melanoma involvement and treatment is you will find the response will be quite detailed.

    I am sorry this has happened to your daughter, I am glad she has you to help her through it.

    Peace to you.

    Deb
    lovingwife to Bob, stage 4 melanoma
  • scaredmom
    scaredmom Member Posts: 2

    For More Information
    If you would like more support please try here:
    http://www.melanoma.org/community/mpip-melanoma-patients-information-page

    You will most likely receive more replies at this site if you post your concerns here. If you can try to have more details with what your daughter's melanoma involvement and treatment is you will find the response will be quite detailed.

    I am sorry this has happened to your daughter, I am glad she has you to help her through it.

    Peace to you.

    Deb
    lovingwife to Bob, stage 4 melanoma

    Deb,

    My daughter had a positive mole removed from her thigh in Jan. 2011. Multiple node biopsies revealed that they were all positive for melanoma. She was diagnosed with stage 3c melanoma. Pet scan revealed no other masses found. She is being given interferon, chemo. and immunotherapy 3 times a week for one week then off for one then 3 more days a week etc. She will do this for 3 months, then take a month off and then start again. She has had 4 rounds of tretment so far. She has a pet scan and more blookdwork scheduled for this week and I am terrified of the results. She has lost a lot of weight and is very ill from the side effects of the drugs. Due to a heart condition cardiologists are telling us that she will not tolerate radiation of any sort. If you or anyone out there has any advice for us I would greatly appreciate any insight into this monstrous disease.
  • Iwearblackforme
    Iwearblackforme Member Posts: 6
    scaredmom said:

    Deb,

    My daughter had a positive mole removed from her thigh in Jan. 2011. Multiple node biopsies revealed that they were all positive for melanoma. She was diagnosed with stage 3c melanoma. Pet scan revealed no other masses found. She is being given interferon, chemo. and immunotherapy 3 times a week for one week then off for one then 3 more days a week etc. She will do this for 3 months, then take a month off and then start again. She has had 4 rounds of tretment so far. She has a pet scan and more blookdwork scheduled for this week and I am terrified of the results. She has lost a lot of weight and is very ill from the side effects of the drugs. Due to a heart condition cardiologists are telling us that she will not tolerate radiation of any sort. If you or anyone out there has any advice for us I would greatly appreciate any insight into this monstrous disease.

    I am a stage IIIB. I found a
    I am a stage IIIB. I found a lump in my groin in Jan of 2011, 15 years after primary mole was removed from my left shin. I optedfor a cancer vaccine trial instead of he interferon chemo. I was told interferon only decrease the risk of recurrence about 10%. I am in a trial at Emory in Atlanta. So not sure where you are but it is a national study. I would check into any studies being done in your area. Mine is considered a cancer vaccine study for MAGE-A3 protein based tumors. I wish you the best and will say a prayer.
  • Zod66
    Zod66 Member Posts: 28
    Another Survivor
    Plenty of us survivors. Only a handful of options for treatment though and your daughters has me curious. If you've read some of our profiles & replies you'll see that those of us who chose Interferon typically had one of a couple of plans; 1) four weeks straight of high dose through an IV and then 6months three times a week of a lower dose through injection or 2) the one month high dose and 11months of the injections. I've not heard of someone stopping and starting like your daughter. Only persons I've known to add radiation to the treatments had tumors in deep areas of the body which it sounds like your daughter doesn't have.
    Also curious about it being a cocktail. During the one month heavy dose infusions I was given a lot of fluids first through the IV then an anti-nausea drug and then the Interferon. The shots were not a cocktail it was 18u of pure Interferon.
    Your daughter will probably not like eating much; food most likely does not taste or even smell like it should. I found cold foods to be best and I fell in love with Propel brand waters; hydration hydration hydration.
    Just for clarity I would like to say that Interferon is a type of chemotherapy but is usually referred to as an Immunotherapy because our bodies produce many kinds of interferon.
    If your daughter is not comfortable with what her doctor is telling her and assuming you have access to other oncologists go get another opinion. But keep in mind it will be just that, an opinion. Unfortunately there is no cure and hopefully her doctor is doing what is right for her.
  • thomasman
    thomasman Member Posts: 20
    diagnosed stage 3c in may
    diagnosed stage 3c in may 2006. still kickin!i went through 3 1/2 years of surgeries and chemos ( did the interferon, but stopped due to recurrance, then IL-2 twice). seemed like i was on the road to ann arbor every other day. the only way i made it this far is by not letting it beat me, one day at a time, and God. i never really knew how powerless i was over things til i was diagnosed, but very glad i got a relationship with God.
  • jessicarhodes
    jessicarhodes Member Posts: 16
    thomasman said:

    diagnosed stage 3c in may
    diagnosed stage 3c in may 2006. still kickin!i went through 3 1/2 years of surgeries and chemos ( did the interferon, but stopped due to recurrance, then IL-2 twice). seemed like i was on the road to ann arbor every other day. the only way i made it this far is by not letting it beat me, one day at a time, and God. i never really knew how powerless i was over things til i was diagnosed, but very glad i got a relationship with God.

    My daughter was diagnosed
    My daughter was diagnosed clarks level 4 melanoma January 2006. Her story is on here. I just had to tell you that her relationship with God has grown so much in the past couple of months. And it has been the key to her heart and understanding in all this. And the powerlessness is the hardest thing to get past. But accepting that will give you all the peace in areas of your life that its needed> KEEP Kicking it!!
  • jessicarhodes
    jessicarhodes Member Posts: 16

    My daughter was diagnosed
    My daughter was diagnosed clarks level 4 melanoma January 2006. Her story is on here. I just had to tell you that her relationship with God has grown so much in the past couple of months. And it has been the key to her heart and understanding in all this. And the powerlessness is the hardest thing to get past. But accepting that will give you all the peace in areas of your life that its needed> KEEP Kicking it!!

    Well if any ones paying
    Well if any ones paying attention. you can tell I have no idea what im doing. Sorry Guys
  • jessicarhodes
    jessicarhodes Member Posts: 16
    thomasman said:

    diagnosed stage 3c in may
    diagnosed stage 3c in may 2006. still kickin!i went through 3 1/2 years of surgeries and chemos ( did the interferon, but stopped due to recurrance, then IL-2 twice). seemed like i was on the road to ann arbor every other day. the only way i made it this far is by not letting it beat me, one day at a time, and God. i never really knew how powerless i was over things til i was diagnosed, but very glad i got a relationship with God.

    That comment was to you? I
    That comment was to you? I dont think I did it right.
  • jessicarhodes
    jessicarhodes Member Posts: 16
    scaredmom said:

    Deb,

    My daughter had a positive mole removed from her thigh in Jan. 2011. Multiple node biopsies revealed that they were all positive for melanoma. She was diagnosed with stage 3c melanoma. Pet scan revealed no other masses found. She is being given interferon, chemo. and immunotherapy 3 times a week for one week then off for one then 3 more days a week etc. She will do this for 3 months, then take a month off and then start again. She has had 4 rounds of tretment so far. She has a pet scan and more blookdwork scheduled for this week and I am terrified of the results. She has lost a lot of weight and is very ill from the side effects of the drugs. Due to a heart condition cardiologists are telling us that she will not tolerate radiation of any sort. If you or anyone out there has any advice for us I would greatly appreciate any insight into this monstrous disease.

    MY daughter had a positive
    MY daughter had a positive test from a mole on her neck in January 2006. SHE has been fighting for 5 yrs 4 months AND 4 days. It was a clarks level 4 melanoma. Best advice I have is to never miss a scan. Make sure she is getting the best medical treatment available. I would look up her dr. and see his success rate. Just to feel better. Never let your guard down be very dillegent. Melanoma is not curable but it is treatable.and she can have a long beautiful life. but she has to remember she will always have melanoma so work it in and make it a part of her life as not to forget. I wish you all the best and know exactly how you feel.
  • boot2aboot
    boot2aboot Member Posts: 2
    bochemotherapy
    another 3c'r here...4.8 extracapsular tumor, 7 pos nodes...your daughter is on biochemotherapy-wicked but i think effective...can i ask where she is getting treatment? i will be starting this next week if pet scan tells docs i am still 3c...
  • menang
    menang Member Posts: 35

    bochemotherapy
    another 3c'r here...4.8 extracapsular tumor, 7 pos nodes...your daughter is on biochemotherapy-wicked but i think effective...can i ask where she is getting treatment? i will be starting this next week if pet scan tells docs i am still 3c...

    Stage III, NED for 2 1/2 years
    My husband had a 2.2mm ulcerated nodular melanoma with 3 positive nodes and is doing well after a month of high dose interferon and a year of maintenance shots. Keep the faith, educate yourself, and like fellow MPIPer Deb said, go to the melanoma patients information page. There are alot of survivors out there even at stage IV.

    Best Wishes!
  • faithL2125
    faithL2125 Member Posts: 1
    I'm sorry to hear about your daughter- have faith :)

    I m so sorry to here about your daughter first of all. 

    My brother actually, one year older than I am. 31 was diagnosed with stage 3 as well. They did a nuclear vlast and his whole side of his neck lit up. They are removing all lymph nodes on the left side.. and treating hI'm with inmunotherapy.. luckily the pet scan oddly: didn't show up anywhere else? 

    However there is hope, I work in a Hospital and I have my degrees but sometimes we just need to sit back and realize that it can't be that complex, that's when I came across a dr. Burzynski. ( the DVD documentary from a scientific stand point is unbelievable. This doctor actually has spent his lifes work staring at the most aggressive cancer. anaplastic Astrocytoma- short terms: he believes that immunotherapy is a good thing, however there are so many ( to many cells in ones body to be able - to attack the specific genes) basically: Two catagoeiss of genes that allow cancer to grow::

    Oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes 

    Has cancer- higher level of oncogenes 

    Higher level of suppessoe genes switched off 

    Goal is: tell the body to switch back on the supressor genes and turn of the oxogenxes 

    Which is brilliant and the doctor has cured ( even stage 4 brain tumors)  Problem is many of them can only target a single gene Antineoplastons work on close to one hundred different genes --this doctor and the doctimarby shows that he i fact has hope, because he has uncovered an actual cure. but the documenarh is called " what's scarier than cancer? The cure. " FDA even with so much evidentiary support people testfying they credited the doct and saw the results but wouldn't PASS it through FDA. The doctor still uses it and so many do. The problem is- it's to cheap ? Not as much as chemo is  ringk in!