Starting Keytruda / considered failed Yervoy
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Starting Keytruda / considered failed Yervoy

› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Starting Keytruda / considered failed Yervoy

  • Post
    • November 20, 2014 at 10:11 pm
    shanemcdonald99
    Participant

    Hi

    I went through the Yervoy routine around the same time as Ginger in August and September.

    I tolerated the yervoy well, but the follow up scans were on the negative side. Sort of bad news / good news type of thing.   Which one do you want first ?

    Tumors in the right lung did not grow, but 2 new ones in left lung and a previous one got larger.

    Tumors on liver shrank some , but the ones on Pancreas doubled in size. The pancreas acted up for a few days and that sent very sharp stabbing pain throughout my abdomen and back. I could not eat for a week either. I just could not digest anything. That calmed down and is better now. That was some brutal pain that Dilaudid would not even touch. It scared me too.

    Bone lesions in spine did not grow and are stable. ( Radiation in January for that)

    New tumors showed up in upper arm and somewhere in my foot ( in the bone )

    So, my oncologist applied immediately for Keytruda as he feels it was not successful. So that is sort of good because the results in trials of both Yervoy and anti pd1 were very good.

    He has 6 people on the Keytruda already and they are tolerating it very well so far as far as side effects.

    Of course I will check back with any results from the Keytruda or side effect issues.

    peace

    Shane

    Ginger , hope you are still doing well !

Viewing 14 reply threads
  • Replies
      • November 21, 2014 at 12:55 am
      arthurjedi007
      Participant

      Hmm. At least you got some good response from Yervoy along with the bad. That is more than I got. My report was everything is growing, new stuff and especially my left shoulder grew like crazy.

      Hopefully Keytruda will be as good for you as some of us have had. My first 2 scans said no new stuff. Some stuff is still growing but the 2nd scan said "only mild growth". Dunno what that means but it sounds good.

      As far as Keytruda side affects they have been super mild for me. The biggest thing I get is fevers. Usually 101 or less but this last dose I got it up to 102.9 before the tylenol finally knocked it down. But everyone is different.

      I even got a flyer from Mayo saying "Is Keytruda the cure for melanoma?". They were claiming in about 25% of us it is eventually the cure. I know it is at least helping me.

      Good luck and may Keytruda be the treatment for you. I know it is for me. I can feel it in my bones 🙂 lol A little joke since pretty much all my tumors started in bones.

      Artie

      • November 21, 2014 at 12:55 am
      arthurjedi007
      Participant

      Hmm. At least you got some good response from Yervoy along with the bad. That is more than I got. My report was everything is growing, new stuff and especially my left shoulder grew like crazy.

      Hopefully Keytruda will be as good for you as some of us have had. My first 2 scans said no new stuff. Some stuff is still growing but the 2nd scan said "only mild growth". Dunno what that means but it sounds good.

      As far as Keytruda side affects they have been super mild for me. The biggest thing I get is fevers. Usually 101 or less but this last dose I got it up to 102.9 before the tylenol finally knocked it down. But everyone is different.

      I even got a flyer from Mayo saying "Is Keytruda the cure for melanoma?". They were claiming in about 25% of us it is eventually the cure. I know it is at least helping me.

      Good luck and may Keytruda be the treatment for you. I know it is for me. I can feel it in my bones 🙂 lol A little joke since pretty much all my tumors started in bones.

      Artie

      • November 21, 2014 at 12:55 am
      arthurjedi007
      Participant

      Hmm. At least you got some good response from Yervoy along with the bad. That is more than I got. My report was everything is growing, new stuff and especially my left shoulder grew like crazy.

      Hopefully Keytruda will be as good for you as some of us have had. My first 2 scans said no new stuff. Some stuff is still growing but the 2nd scan said "only mild growth". Dunno what that means but it sounds good.

      As far as Keytruda side affects they have been super mild for me. The biggest thing I get is fevers. Usually 101 or less but this last dose I got it up to 102.9 before the tylenol finally knocked it down. But everyone is different.

      I even got a flyer from Mayo saying "Is Keytruda the cure for melanoma?". They were claiming in about 25% of us it is eventually the cure. I know it is at least helping me.

      Good luck and may Keytruda be the treatment for you. I know it is for me. I can feel it in my bones 🙂 lol A little joke since pretty much all my tumors started in bones.

      Artie

      • November 23, 2014 at 5:36 am
      Ginger8888
      Participant

      Happy For the partical response and praying keytruda works…I'm doing great, i have my next scans in Dec to see if it's still working and if not,i'm not sure which path we're taking..Good luck

      • November 23, 2014 at 5:36 am
      Ginger8888
      Participant

      Happy For the partical response and praying keytruda works…I'm doing great, i have my next scans in Dec to see if it's still working and if not,i'm not sure which path we're taking..Good luck

      • November 23, 2014 at 5:36 am
      Ginger8888
      Participant

      Happy For the partical response and praying keytruda works…I'm doing great, i have my next scans in Dec to see if it's still working and if not,i'm not sure which path we're taking..Good luck

      • November 23, 2014 at 3:07 pm
      shanemcdonald99
      Participant

      Thanks

       

      I understand the joke about the bones !  Mine showed up there first !

      I can tell how I am doing overall by how my back feels !   haha

       

      I am glad to hear it is helping you Artie and I am glad the Yervoy was good for you Ginger ! Great news from both of you !

       

      peace to you both

       

      shane

       

      • November 23, 2014 at 3:07 pm
      shanemcdonald99
      Participant

      Thanks

       

      I understand the joke about the bones !  Mine showed up there first !

      I can tell how I am doing overall by how my back feels !   haha

       

      I am glad to hear it is helping you Artie and I am glad the Yervoy was good for you Ginger ! Great news from both of you !

       

      peace to you both

       

      shane

       

      • November 23, 2014 at 3:07 pm
      shanemcdonald99
      Participant

      Thanks

       

      I understand the joke about the bones !  Mine showed up there first !

      I can tell how I am doing overall by how my back feels !   haha

       

      I am glad to hear it is helping you Artie and I am glad the Yervoy was good for you Ginger ! Great news from both of you !

       

      peace to you both

       

      shane

       

      • November 24, 2014 at 9:38 pm
      Jubes
      Participant

      Hi Shane and Ginger,

      I have stage 4 in my lungs, a big lesion 6 cm and three smaller in the nodes. I was coughing all day and night on my dabrafnib and Ipi and I finally was throwing up and not well at all. They changed me to Pembrolizumab  and I have had 4 cycles of it. After the first cycle I immediately felt better, after 3 cycles they did a ct scan and the melanoma in the nodes was not obvious from them and the large mass had not increased in size. In general i just feel great, but I will post my own new topic thread as I am wondering if my lack of concentration has anything to do with the Pembro as I am noticing it is harder to remember things. That is not listed as a side effect, so probably unrelated. (I just turned 58). I hope you guys have the amazing results that i can just feel, even though they will not pet scan me till January 🙂 All the very best

       

      Jubes

      • November 24, 2014 at 9:38 pm
      Jubes
      Participant

      Hi Shane and Ginger,

      I have stage 4 in my lungs, a big lesion 6 cm and three smaller in the nodes. I was coughing all day and night on my dabrafnib and Ipi and I finally was throwing up and not well at all. They changed me to Pembrolizumab  and I have had 4 cycles of it. After the first cycle I immediately felt better, after 3 cycles they did a ct scan and the melanoma in the nodes was not obvious from them and the large mass had not increased in size. In general i just feel great, but I will post my own new topic thread as I am wondering if my lack of concentration has anything to do with the Pembro as I am noticing it is harder to remember things. That is not listed as a side effect, so probably unrelated. (I just turned 58). I hope you guys have the amazing results that i can just feel, even though they will not pet scan me till January 🙂 All the very best

       

      Jubes

      • November 24, 2014 at 9:38 pm
      Jubes
      Participant

      Hi Shane and Ginger,

      I have stage 4 in my lungs, a big lesion 6 cm and three smaller in the nodes. I was coughing all day and night on my dabrafnib and Ipi and I finally was throwing up and not well at all. They changed me to Pembrolizumab  and I have had 4 cycles of it. After the first cycle I immediately felt better, after 3 cycles they did a ct scan and the melanoma in the nodes was not obvious from them and the large mass had not increased in size. In general i just feel great, but I will post my own new topic thread as I am wondering if my lack of concentration has anything to do with the Pembro as I am noticing it is harder to remember things. That is not listed as a side effect, so probably unrelated. (I just turned 58). I hope you guys have the amazing results that i can just feel, even though they will not pet scan me till January 🙂 All the very best

       

      Jubes

        • December 10, 2014 at 11:18 pm
        Ginger8888
        Participant

        Thank you, i will know more next week!! I hope your new meds are working for you..I have some short term memory problems with either the interferon or yervoy, i'm not sure which as i did one after the other…Best of luck to ya..

        • December 10, 2014 at 11:18 pm
        Ginger8888
        Participant

        Thank you, i will know more next week!! I hope your new meds are working for you..I have some short term memory problems with either the interferon or yervoy, i'm not sure which as i did one after the other…Best of luck to ya..

        • December 10, 2014 at 11:18 pm
        Ginger8888
        Participant

        Thank you, i will know more next week!! I hope your new meds are working for you..I have some short term memory problems with either the interferon or yervoy, i'm not sure which as i did one after the other…Best of luck to ya..

      • November 24, 2014 at 10:11 pm
      sgrain
      Participant

      Good luck Shane.  I hope it works for you.  I have small nodules in left lung and just got the results from my scan after being on Keytruda for 3 months and unfortunately, nodules have grown and 2 nodes lit up in chest.  I am now looking at other trials.  I have heard good things about Keytruda and it's definitely worth trying.  Absolutely no side effects for me.  Will be following your posts.

      • November 24, 2014 at 10:11 pm
      sgrain
      Participant

      Good luck Shane.  I hope it works for you.  I have small nodules in left lung and just got the results from my scan after being on Keytruda for 3 months and unfortunately, nodules have grown and 2 nodes lit up in chest.  I am now looking at other trials.  I have heard good things about Keytruda and it's definitely worth trying.  Absolutely no side effects for me.  Will be following your posts.

      • November 24, 2014 at 10:11 pm
      sgrain
      Participant

      Good luck Shane.  I hope it works for you.  I have small nodules in left lung and just got the results from my scan after being on Keytruda for 3 months and unfortunately, nodules have grown and 2 nodes lit up in chest.  I am now looking at other trials.  I have heard good things about Keytruda and it's definitely worth trying.  Absolutely no side effects for me.  Will be following your posts.

        • December 1, 2014 at 7:47 pm
        shanemcdonald99
        Participant

        hi

        Sorry to hear that. Hope next one will work for you !

        What kind of symptoms do you get with the lung ?

         

        I get some chest pain but I cant tell where its coming from !

         

        Do you get any pain with your lung mets ?

         

        thanks

         

        Shane

        • December 1, 2014 at 7:47 pm
        shanemcdonald99
        Participant

        hi

        Sorry to hear that. Hope next one will work for you !

        What kind of symptoms do you get with the lung ?

         

        I get some chest pain but I cant tell where its coming from !

         

        Do you get any pain with your lung mets ?

         

        thanks

         

        Shane

        • December 1, 2014 at 7:47 pm
        shanemcdonald99
        Participant

        hi

        Sorry to hear that. Hope next one will work for you !

        What kind of symptoms do you get with the lung ?

         

        I get some chest pain but I cant tell where its coming from !

         

        Do you get any pain with your lung mets ?

         

        thanks

         

        Shane

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