Hi,
Hi,
I hadnt posted my good news but someone asked me to….I had 50 to 60 cutaneous and sub q mets scattered over my right leg, concentrated around my knee and a few close to my groin before I started Ipi on December 1st. My melanoma was grwoing daily, I could count new lesions, the size of a pencil eraser or a tad smaller every day and the sub q lums were purplish on the skin and underneath were painful lumpy areas the size of a quarter or bigger. I started IPI December 1st and for the next three weeks tumors were still appearing. After the second infusion, while I had some new tumors that appearing still, I noticed one of my smallest mets developed a "crust" and then within a week ir flaked off and underneath the met was almost gone. The news was too good to be true…I waited til my next infusion to show my oncologist. He was pleased but also noted the new melanomas but comforted my by saying that new lesions appearing int he first 12 weeks was "acceptable" per the protocol, meaning it didnt mean that Ipi wasnt working yet, and that the sponser Bristol Myers Squibb wasnt going to toss me out of the trial.
After infusion three major changes to my melanoma lesions started happening. First of all, NO NEW ONES popped up and second, my present melanomas started "reabsorbing". No other ones crusted over and flaked off like the first one. More were reabsorbing by infusion #4 and by the time I went for my PET/CT scan two weeks after my 4th infusion, ALL the melanoma tumors were ALL GONE. I showed the oncologist my leg and he was very impressed. The sub q's were still palpable but smaller and they didnt hurt. My PET/CT showed no new melanoma anywhere, it did show some moderately hypermetabolic activity in my external iliac lymph nodes (in the right nodal basin where my groin lymph dissection was done)……my doctor thought that this reflected inflammation reaction to the Ipi charging up my immune system.
I am currently in the 12 weeks "watch and wait" part of the clinical trial. My symptoms have been increased fatigue, so I rest/sleep more, ie a daily nap when I can manage, some nausea (not daily but when it hits me it really hits me, maybe once a week), some whitening on my skin (noticeable to my doctor and under a blacklight), a rash all over my body after the 14th week, not itchy, and not that noticeable to anyone but me. I think that is about it for side effects. I am very pleased needless to say!!! I asked what the "durable response" is and my oncologist said he could predict that, but he is hoping "forever"!!!!
I am B-Raf negative by the way, and have had melanoma since March 2006. Read my profile if interested for an accounting of all the treatments I have done. Many treatments perhaps delayed re-occurence but Ipi (besides resection where possible) is the only thing that has effectively "worked" to eradicate my melanomas. I hope this gives others HOPE for themselves!
Vermont_Donna, stage 3a
currently stable after 4 infusions of Ipi
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