› Forums › General Melanoma Community › First scan results on Vemurafenib
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shellebrownies.
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- October 17, 2011 at 7:13 am
Well I am elated to share this news with you all.
Well I am elated to share this news with you all.
First month scans results on vermurafenib find that my dad has had a complete metabolic response. Only a week ago a lump popped up on his neck and we were all disheartened at the thought that he wasn't responding. It did not come up on the PET and they are putting it down to an inflammed lymphnode due to a cold. His previous liver and spleen mets…..were not visible on scan, the brain is apparently clear as well…although Im not sure whether they had MRI results. I didn't go to the appointment and my dad doesn't ask a lot of questions, but I assume that's clear too (the oncologist said that it was clear – according to the PET). He still has to see the neurosurgeon as a follow up and MRI results go to him.
I am aware that this by no means a cure, but definately the best result we could have expected. The oncologist felt that he could confidently justify taking his findings to the US regarding the use of this drug in patients with a low tumor burden.
I don't know what this means for the future for my dad, but I hope this will encourage others.
I would like to see a combo of IPI and b raf but it's not going to happen for my dad. He is technically on a trial so I suppose we wait and hope that he continues to respond.
Nahmi from Melbourne
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- October 17, 2011 at 3:16 pm
hooray! I was hoping to hear from you. So glad the lump turned out to be nothing. I totally understand how he and all of you were worried it was a sign of the cancer spreading. What great news.
Enjoy the good news.
laurie from maine 🙂
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- October 17, 2011 at 3:16 pm
hooray! I was hoping to hear from you. So glad the lump turned out to be nothing. I totally understand how he and all of you were worried it was a sign of the cancer spreading. What great news.
Enjoy the good news.
laurie from maine 🙂
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- October 17, 2011 at 3:16 pm
hooray! I was hoping to hear from you. So glad the lump turned out to be nothing. I totally understand how he and all of you were worried it was a sign of the cancer spreading. What great news.
Enjoy the good news.
laurie from maine 🙂
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- October 18, 2011 at 8:45 am
Nahmi, thanks for sharing this great news with us. It is a big relief that the inflamed lymph node was probably due to a cold!
As you have said, this is by no means a cure. With this in mind, I just want to emphasise the fact that melanoma is usually able to return unexpectedly. So, I think that it is wise to have an attitude of cautious optimism, while researching further treatment options.
Take care
Frank from Australia
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- October 18, 2011 at 8:45 am
Nahmi, thanks for sharing this great news with us. It is a big relief that the inflamed lymph node was probably due to a cold!
As you have said, this is by no means a cure. With this in mind, I just want to emphasise the fact that melanoma is usually able to return unexpectedly. So, I think that it is wise to have an attitude of cautious optimism, while researching further treatment options.
Take care
Frank from Australia
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- October 18, 2011 at 12:00 pm
Yes, I am quietly cautious after reading a bit on the subject.
What I'm wondering is… if there is no evidence of disease at this point, does that mean the b raf is just inhibiting melanoma's ability to spread but its still there?
When dad was stage 3 we clearly we couldn't see the cancer on scan but it was there as it later spread…how is a complete metabolic response different? I can't seem to find answers on this one.
Sorry bombard with questions Frank, but I suppose by biggest fear is that vermurafenib changes the molecular structure of the melanoma so that when it does comes back it's more resistant to other treatments and aggressive, is this correct?
Has anyone been a complete responder on this drug and still having a durable response?
I feel so relieved he is responding but back in the fear of unknown again.
Thanks for your responses,
Nahmi from Melbourne
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- October 18, 2011 at 12:00 pm
Yes, I am quietly cautious after reading a bit on the subject.
What I'm wondering is… if there is no evidence of disease at this point, does that mean the b raf is just inhibiting melanoma's ability to spread but its still there?
When dad was stage 3 we clearly we couldn't see the cancer on scan but it was there as it later spread…how is a complete metabolic response different? I can't seem to find answers on this one.
Sorry bombard with questions Frank, but I suppose by biggest fear is that vermurafenib changes the molecular structure of the melanoma so that when it does comes back it's more resistant to other treatments and aggressive, is this correct?
Has anyone been a complete responder on this drug and still having a durable response?
I feel so relieved he is responding but back in the fear of unknown again.
Thanks for your responses,
Nahmi from Melbourne
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- October 18, 2011 at 1:22 pm
Nahmi, if there is no evidence of disease at this point it means that scans have been unable to detect any melanoma tumours. However, as melanoma cells have already entered the bloodstream they are still able to form tumours under certain conditions. Vemurafenib (Zelboraf) is inhibiting cell growth by blocking a critical protein molecule called B-RAF. Here is some detailed info about it: http://dermnetnz.org/treatments/vemurafenib.html
I think that a complete metabolic response is just another way to say that a complete response has been achieved and no tumours are visible on scans. Other types of responses are: partial, stable and progression of disease.
I don't think that vermurafenib permanently changes the molecular structure of melanoma. However, what usually happens is that melanoma cells find other pathways to achieve tumour growth if one pathway (such as the BRAF one) has been blocked. As to how aggressive melanoma is when it returns, I am not sure if there is a clear answer.
You asked if anyone been a complete responder on this drug and are still having a durable response? I would think that there could be a small number of people who have had a durable response to Zelboraf. It would be interesting to have a look at the clinical trial data that is available.
Hope this helps.
Frank from Australia
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- October 18, 2011 at 1:22 pm
Nahmi, if there is no evidence of disease at this point it means that scans have been unable to detect any melanoma tumours. However, as melanoma cells have already entered the bloodstream they are still able to form tumours under certain conditions. Vemurafenib (Zelboraf) is inhibiting cell growth by blocking a critical protein molecule called B-RAF. Here is some detailed info about it: http://dermnetnz.org/treatments/vemurafenib.html
I think that a complete metabolic response is just another way to say that a complete response has been achieved and no tumours are visible on scans. Other types of responses are: partial, stable and progression of disease.
I don't think that vermurafenib permanently changes the molecular structure of melanoma. However, what usually happens is that melanoma cells find other pathways to achieve tumour growth if one pathway (such as the BRAF one) has been blocked. As to how aggressive melanoma is when it returns, I am not sure if there is a clear answer.
You asked if anyone been a complete responder on this drug and are still having a durable response? I would think that there could be a small number of people who have had a durable response to Zelboraf. It would be interesting to have a look at the clinical trial data that is available.
Hope this helps.
Frank from Australia
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- October 18, 2011 at 1:22 pm
Nahmi, if there is no evidence of disease at this point it means that scans have been unable to detect any melanoma tumours. However, as melanoma cells have already entered the bloodstream they are still able to form tumours under certain conditions. Vemurafenib (Zelboraf) is inhibiting cell growth by blocking a critical protein molecule called B-RAF. Here is some detailed info about it: http://dermnetnz.org/treatments/vemurafenib.html
I think that a complete metabolic response is just another way to say that a complete response has been achieved and no tumours are visible on scans. Other types of responses are: partial, stable and progression of disease.
I don't think that vermurafenib permanently changes the molecular structure of melanoma. However, what usually happens is that melanoma cells find other pathways to achieve tumour growth if one pathway (such as the BRAF one) has been blocked. As to how aggressive melanoma is when it returns, I am not sure if there is a clear answer.
You asked if anyone been a complete responder on this drug and are still having a durable response? I would think that there could be a small number of people who have had a durable response to Zelboraf. It would be interesting to have a look at the clinical trial data that is available.
Hope this helps.
Frank from Australia
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- October 19, 2011 at 2:42 am
Dick,
That is truly encouraging and I'm really happy for you that you are having a durable response. I hope this continues for years and years. Sorry to hear that you now are battling two cancers. Take care and thanks for your response.
Nahmi from Melbourne
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- October 19, 2011 at 2:42 am
Dick,
That is truly encouraging and I'm really happy for you that you are having a durable response. I hope this continues for years and years. Sorry to hear that you now are battling two cancers. Take care and thanks for your response.
Nahmi from Melbourne
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- October 19, 2011 at 2:42 am
Dick,
That is truly encouraging and I'm really happy for you that you are having a durable response. I hope this continues for years and years. Sorry to hear that you now are battling two cancers. Take care and thanks for your response.
Nahmi from Melbourne
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- October 19, 2011 at 11:20 am
Nahmi,
While I cannot think of the person's name, there is someone on here who has been on vemurafenib for 19 months and is still a responder, so it is possible. However, the median time the drug usually works is about 8 months before the melanoma finds alternate pathways. (At least, this is what my doctor told us, and he has run several trials with it)
On another melanoma website, the question was posed about whether the melanoma would grow back more aggressively after treatment with vemurafenib. Dr. Keith Flaherty, who is the head of the melanoma center at Mass General Hospital in Boston (whose department has run countless trials with vemurafenib before it was FDA approved in August) said that usually the melanoma would grow back at approximately the same rate that it did before taking the vemurafenib, that there did not seem to be an increase in the speed at which the disease would come back.
Hope this helps.
Michelle, wife of Don
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- October 19, 2011 at 11:20 am
Nahmi,
While I cannot think of the person's name, there is someone on here who has been on vemurafenib for 19 months and is still a responder, so it is possible. However, the median time the drug usually works is about 8 months before the melanoma finds alternate pathways. (At least, this is what my doctor told us, and he has run several trials with it)
On another melanoma website, the question was posed about whether the melanoma would grow back more aggressively after treatment with vemurafenib. Dr. Keith Flaherty, who is the head of the melanoma center at Mass General Hospital in Boston (whose department has run countless trials with vemurafenib before it was FDA approved in August) said that usually the melanoma would grow back at approximately the same rate that it did before taking the vemurafenib, that there did not seem to be an increase in the speed at which the disease would come back.
Hope this helps.
Michelle, wife of Don
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- October 19, 2011 at 11:22 am
Ha, I didn't read down the list far enough: I see Dick has already spoken up for himself!
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- October 19, 2011 at 11:22 am
Ha, I didn't read down the list far enough: I see Dick has already spoken up for himself!
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- October 19, 2011 at 11:22 am
Ha, I didn't read down the list far enough: I see Dick has already spoken up for himself!
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- October 19, 2011 at 11:20 am
Nahmi,
While I cannot think of the person's name, there is someone on here who has been on vemurafenib for 19 months and is still a responder, so it is possible. However, the median time the drug usually works is about 8 months before the melanoma finds alternate pathways. (At least, this is what my doctor told us, and he has run several trials with it)
On another melanoma website, the question was posed about whether the melanoma would grow back more aggressively after treatment with vemurafenib. Dr. Keith Flaherty, who is the head of the melanoma center at Mass General Hospital in Boston (whose department has run countless trials with vemurafenib before it was FDA approved in August) said that usually the melanoma would grow back at approximately the same rate that it did before taking the vemurafenib, that there did not seem to be an increase in the speed at which the disease would come back.
Hope this helps.
Michelle, wife of Don
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- October 18, 2011 at 12:00 pm
Yes, I am quietly cautious after reading a bit on the subject.
What I'm wondering is… if there is no evidence of disease at this point, does that mean the b raf is just inhibiting melanoma's ability to spread but its still there?
When dad was stage 3 we clearly we couldn't see the cancer on scan but it was there as it later spread…how is a complete metabolic response different? I can't seem to find answers on this one.
Sorry bombard with questions Frank, but I suppose by biggest fear is that vermurafenib changes the molecular structure of the melanoma so that when it does comes back it's more resistant to other treatments and aggressive, is this correct?
Has anyone been a complete responder on this drug and still having a durable response?
I feel so relieved he is responding but back in the fear of unknown again.
Thanks for your responses,
Nahmi from Melbourne
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- October 18, 2011 at 8:45 am
Nahmi, thanks for sharing this great news with us. It is a big relief that the inflamed lymph node was probably due to a cold!
As you have said, this is by no means a cure. With this in mind, I just want to emphasise the fact that melanoma is usually able to return unexpectedly. So, I think that it is wise to have an attitude of cautious optimism, while researching further treatment options.
Take care
Frank from Australia
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