› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Crohn’s Disease & Melanoma
- This topic has 10 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 10 years, 4 months ago by
ErikaHouston2.
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- October 16, 2010 at 1:58 am
I was just recently diagnosed with Crohn's disease. Curious if anyone else here has experience with both melanoma and crohn's or IBD? My melanoma was early (Stage I, .65MM), but the treatments for the Crohn's disease do concern me since they are all immune system suppressing (steroids, Humira, Remicade, etc).
I was just recently diagnosed with Crohn's disease. Curious if anyone else here has experience with both melanoma and crohn's or IBD? My melanoma was early (Stage I, .65MM), but the treatments for the Crohn's disease do concern me since they are all immune system suppressing (steroids, Humira, Remicade, etc).
Some of you may recall MD Anderson running a bunch of tests as they were concerned that my two severe GI bleeds (hospitalized/transfused) were somehow melanoma related. While Crohn's is not a peach, I'll take this diagnosis over melanoma metastisis any day. It was very nice to have MD Anderson tell me they wouldn't treat me for this :-).
My Crohn's GI specialist is aware of my melanoma history and the complications for treatment of the Crohn's. She has started me on a mild steroid – Entocort.
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- October 16, 2010 at 3:46 pm
I do not have Crohn's disease but I do have a little bit of history on this subject. My best friend's daughter Suzie suffered from Crohn's from age 17 until 40, it had not been easy. Not many months after I was diagnosed in 2008, her dermatologist discovered that a growth on her shoulder tested positive for melanoma. As it turned out after her SNB, her stage was II, we celebrated in that it would not be necessary for her to go on any drugs. Her oncologist/melanoma specialist wanted to simply avoid that, he did advise her that should she decided on interferon, he would remove himself from the case as he had just lost a young patient with Crohn's..the interferon had conflicted. So the decision, was wait and see, hopefully at stage II nothing would happen.
Suzie had been followed yearly by a top dermatologist, the growth had been removed several times over the years coming back negative, one year they decided to just wait and see..and, of course, the next year it tested positive for melanoma. Go figure. Anyways, Suzie was fair of skin, and had irregularly used tanning salons (her mother's worry)..but some of the doctors believed the melanoma might have been brought on by REMICADE, the miracle drug for Crohn's but one of the side effects..:may cause cancer"..so just keep an eye on that one.
As I said, we were relieved that she was only stage II and no drugs were necessary, unfortunately, two months after this, Suzie was accidently killed while riding an all-terrain vehicle. Life is strange eh. Val
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- October 16, 2010 at 3:46 pm
I do not have Crohn's disease but I do have a little bit of history on this subject. My best friend's daughter Suzie suffered from Crohn's from age 17 until 40, it had not been easy. Not many months after I was diagnosed in 2008, her dermatologist discovered that a growth on her shoulder tested positive for melanoma. As it turned out after her SNB, her stage was II, we celebrated in that it would not be necessary for her to go on any drugs. Her oncologist/melanoma specialist wanted to simply avoid that, he did advise her that should she decided on interferon, he would remove himself from the case as he had just lost a young patient with Crohn's..the interferon had conflicted. So the decision, was wait and see, hopefully at stage II nothing would happen.
Suzie had been followed yearly by a top dermatologist, the growth had been removed several times over the years coming back negative, one year they decided to just wait and see..and, of course, the next year it tested positive for melanoma. Go figure. Anyways, Suzie was fair of skin, and had irregularly used tanning salons (her mother's worry)..but some of the doctors believed the melanoma might have been brought on by REMICADE, the miracle drug for Crohn's but one of the side effects..:may cause cancer"..so just keep an eye on that one.
As I said, we were relieved that she was only stage II and no drugs were necessary, unfortunately, two months after this, Suzie was accidently killed while riding an all-terrain vehicle. Life is strange eh. Val
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- October 20, 2010 at 9:17 pm
My friend Linda has an RA which is also an autoimmune disorder…we both have stage 4 melanoma. I am NED. The immunotherapy they do for me they can not do for her because she has an autoimmune disease…she is going thru some hard core chemo using YM-155 and another drug…she is going through a rough time. She is also having stomach/ intestinal problems…don't know if it's melanoma related/chemo or if something else is going on
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- October 20, 2010 at 9:17 pm
My friend Linda has an RA which is also an autoimmune disorder…we both have stage 4 melanoma. I am NED. The immunotherapy they do for me they can not do for her because she has an autoimmune disease…she is going thru some hard core chemo using YM-155 and another drug…she is going through a rough time. She is also having stomach/ intestinal problems…don't know if it's melanoma related/chemo or if something else is going on
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- March 5, 2012 at 6:46 pm
I too have MM and Crohn's Disease. Not often you find someone with both afflictions. My original MM was in 2000 and the newest insitu in 2012. I was diagnosed with CD in 2004, having one bowel resection and taking Pentasa and occasionally prednisone or Entocort. What is the latest with your situation as this post is somewhat old?
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- May 20, 2014 at 3:45 am
Hi Lori, I am so sorry I am just responding to this. I actually had googled the two words (crohn's/ melanoma) and this post came up and I realized that my account is linked to an old email address that I no longer use! I am doing great. I have had no new activity related to melanoma since my original primary in 2008. I did have to move onto more aggressive drugs for the Crohn's. I have been on Imuran for 3.5 years and it has successfully but my Crohn's in remission. It's not ideal to have a supressed immune system but I think it is better than the next step of drugs (i.e. Remicade, Cimzia, etc.). I am at peace with it because I needed to live my life and stay out of the hospital and this drug appears to have done that. How have you done? What are you taking these days for your Crohn's?
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- May 20, 2014 at 3:45 am
Hi Lori, I am so sorry I am just responding to this. I actually had googled the two words (crohn's/ melanoma) and this post came up and I realized that my account is linked to an old email address that I no longer use! I am doing great. I have had no new activity related to melanoma since my original primary in 2008. I did have to move onto more aggressive drugs for the Crohn's. I have been on Imuran for 3.5 years and it has successfully but my Crohn's in remission. It's not ideal to have a supressed immune system but I think it is better than the next step of drugs (i.e. Remicade, Cimzia, etc.). I am at peace with it because I needed to live my life and stay out of the hospital and this drug appears to have done that. How have you done? What are you taking these days for your Crohn's?
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- May 20, 2014 at 3:45 am
Hi Lori, I am so sorry I am just responding to this. I actually had googled the two words (crohn's/ melanoma) and this post came up and I realized that my account is linked to an old email address that I no longer use! I am doing great. I have had no new activity related to melanoma since my original primary in 2008. I did have to move onto more aggressive drugs for the Crohn's. I have been on Imuran for 3.5 years and it has successfully but my Crohn's in remission. It's not ideal to have a supressed immune system but I think it is better than the next step of drugs (i.e. Remicade, Cimzia, etc.). I am at peace with it because I needed to live my life and stay out of the hospital and this drug appears to have done that. How have you done? What are you taking these days for your Crohn's?
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- March 5, 2012 at 6:46 pm
I too have MM and Crohn's Disease. Not often you find someone with both afflictions. My original MM was in 2000 and the newest insitu in 2012. I was diagnosed with CD in 2004, having one bowel resection and taking Pentasa and occasionally prednisone or Entocort. What is the latest with your situation as this post is somewhat old?
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- March 5, 2012 at 6:46 pm
I too have MM and Crohn's Disease. Not often you find someone with both afflictions. My original MM was in 2000 and the newest insitu in 2012. I was diagnosed with CD in 2004, having one bowel resection and taking Pentasa and occasionally prednisone or Entocort. What is the latest with your situation as this post is somewhat old?
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