Lung Melanoma

salysue
salysue Member Posts: 2
edited March 2014 in Lung Cancer #1
A family member has just been diagnosed with lung melanoma. Has anyone here experienced this? We have been told that the treatment is chemo, but do not yet know what kind and the duration. Would like to hear from others who have gone through this diagnosis and treatment. Thanks.

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  • soccerfreaks
    soccerfreaks Member Posts: 2,788 Member
    #2
    an old post
    Here is a an old post from this very site, by someone calling herself Carver, back in February of 2007:

    I have stage III melanoma (spread to lymph node alone). I think I can answer your questions in part. Melanoma is particularly resistant to traditional chemo. There are a number of chemo treatments in clinical trials for melanoma. Interferon is an adjuvant treatment (immunotherapy) primarily used for Stage III patients after all cancer is removed. That treatment isn't generally used alone for stage IV patients with active disease. Interleukines (IL2) is FDA approved for Stage IV patients and is given when there is measurable disease that can't be surgically removed. IL 2 is also an immunotherapy. There are a number of other options, many in clinical trial. Some of these are chemo, biochemo, gene therapy, melanoma vaccines (created from the patients melanoma cells). I am including a link to an overview of treatments for Stage IV melanoma. With melanoma, Stage IV is any spread beyond the first major draining lymph node basin. The NCI has a number of clinical trials for melanoma and would be a good place for your friend to call for information. Following is the link with an over view of stage IV melanoma treatments which you can copy into your browser: http://patient.cancerconsultants.com/CancerTreatment_Melanoma.aspx?DocumentId=827

    Please consider that the post is now three years old, so there are likely to be some additional developments in treatment since time of post. The reference to NCI is probably to the National Cancer Institute. Also, I did not check out the link provided, so go there at your own risk.

    For current information about clinical trials, I would suggest www.curetoday.com, which has a section devoted to such information.

    Best wishes to your family member and his/her loved ones.

    Take care,

    Joe

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