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4th round biochemo
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4th round biochemo

› Forums › General Melanoma Community › 4th round biochemo

  • Post
    • February 20, 2013 at 2:26 pm
    thrashter
    Participant

      Have to decide tonight on 4th round. Have (2) un resectable tumors near clavicle and vein. Tumors have not shrunk but have not grown. PET activity has lowered but not gone away. No direct evidence of 4th round extending overall life expectancy. Struggling with decision. Talked to surgeon he is debating doing exploratory surgery to look at where tumors are to see if he can get to them without nicking vein or nerve. Looking to see if any one has had similar experiance and what they did. Thanks

      Have to decide tonight on 4th round. Have (2) un resectable tumors near clavicle and vein. Tumors have not shrunk but have not grown. PET activity has lowered but not gone away. No direct evidence of 4th round extending overall life expectancy. Struggling with decision. Talked to surgeon he is debating doing exploratory surgery to look at where tumors are to see if he can get to them without nicking vein or nerve. Looking to see if any one has had similar experiance and what they did. Thanks

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    • Replies
        • February 20, 2013 at 9:15 pm
        jag
        Participant

          Oofah, I was dumb enought to be talked into 6 rounds of that crap.  90% of my tumors shrank after first 2 rounds on scan, then they stayed the same and stabilized.  My doctor wanted me to have surgery to have the remaining tumor tissue removed as it appeared stable at that time.  I held off as it would have meant removing my whole left lung, got interleukin 2 (4 rounds) and then got a full pneumonectomy.  Thinking back on it, if I had gone after the remaining tumor earlier, I probably would have avoided what was to come (6 more brain surgeries).  Find a surgeon who is very confident that he/she can get it out, and then see  microscopically what the tumors appear to be doing (immune system attack vs responding to chemotherapy).

          (That would be my approach anyway). 

          Best wishes and good luck.

          John

            • February 21, 2013 at 12:33 am
            thrashter
            Participant

              thanks I am leaning the way of surgery instead of 4th round. Think my surgeon will at least open me up and explore still better than the biochemo. Thanks for the reply it all helps

              • February 21, 2013 at 12:33 am
              thrashter
              Participant

                thanks I am leaning the way of surgery instead of 4th round. Think my surgeon will at least open me up and explore still better than the biochemo. Thanks for the reply it all helps

                • February 21, 2013 at 12:33 am
                thrashter
                Participant

                  thanks I am leaning the way of surgery instead of 4th round. Think my surgeon will at least open me up and explore still better than the biochemo. Thanks for the reply it all helps

                • February 20, 2013 at 9:15 pm
                jag
                Participant

                  Oofah, I was dumb enought to be talked into 6 rounds of that crap.  90% of my tumors shrank after first 2 rounds on scan, then they stayed the same and stabilized.  My doctor wanted me to have surgery to have the remaining tumor tissue removed as it appeared stable at that time.  I held off as it would have meant removing my whole left lung, got interleukin 2 (4 rounds) and then got a full pneumonectomy.  Thinking back on it, if I had gone after the remaining tumor earlier, I probably would have avoided what was to come (6 more brain surgeries).  Find a surgeon who is very confident that he/she can get it out, and then see  microscopically what the tumors appear to be doing (immune system attack vs responding to chemotherapy).

                  (That would be my approach anyway). 

                  Best wishes and good luck.

                  John

                  • February 20, 2013 at 9:15 pm
                  jag
                  Participant

                    Oofah, I was dumb enought to be talked into 6 rounds of that crap.  90% of my tumors shrank after first 2 rounds on scan, then they stayed the same and stabilized.  My doctor wanted me to have surgery to have the remaining tumor tissue removed as it appeared stable at that time.  I held off as it would have meant removing my whole left lung, got interleukin 2 (4 rounds) and then got a full pneumonectomy.  Thinking back on it, if I had gone after the remaining tumor earlier, I probably would have avoided what was to come (6 more brain surgeries).  Find a surgeon who is very confident that he/she can get it out, and then see  microscopically what the tumors appear to be doing (immune system attack vs responding to chemotherapy).

                    (That would be my approach anyway). 

                    Best wishes and good luck.

                    John

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