Decision-making: ipi and whole-brain radiation

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Linda

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Linda

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Linda

I will check out your blog, but for now, as for WBR and Yervoy.  This is what my boyfriend has done so far.  Diagnosed march 9th, 2012 (stage 4, no primary) with one large met (3cm) in brain, and another two tiny spots in brain, and mets     ''all throughout lungs'', as well as a very large met of 7cm under skin on pectoral muscle, and a met on the scalp.  

Doctor suggested WBR (im assuming because the largest brain met was too large for gamma knife).  After about his second tor third reatment, (he was to have treatments monday-friday for three weeks i think) he got a really bad headache which his oncologist said to keep a look out for (and he NEVER gets headaches). Well, he got a really bad headache one night, went to E.R., turned out his 3cm met was swelling and bleeing quite a bit.  A craniotomy was suggested since the met was very accessible.  It was done the following day after he had went to the hospital for his headache.  Released from hospital a day after craniotomy, and felt great.  Started Yervoy maybe a week or so later. 

He finished his 4th Yervoy infusion maybe about 2 months ago, and actually just had a birthday on the 15th of this month.  I, as his girlfriend have noticed some short term memory loss from the WBR, but it seems to have gotten a little better over a couple months.  Things like, forgetting where you parked the car the night before.  He kept forgetting we had run out of pepper, but that i already went and bought some, so he bought some pepper forgetting that i already had done the same…As for the Yervoy, he mostly had Fatigue, some occasional stomach aches, nausea, loss of appetite, foods tasted bland and not the same, A rash that itched like crazy and red skin for maybe a week, and a few other minor side effects, but nothing major. 

His mets basically stopped growing once we started Yervoy.  The visible large met under the skin on his pectoral muscle has stayed the same size, no growth, no shrinkage.  And the visible met on the scalp from the WBR is almost flat on his scalp. (It used to portrude from the scalp very noticeably, now it's almost completely flat due to the Radiation).  So all in all, forgetting where the car is parked, and some minor side effects has kept my boyfriend basically stable.  It's been about 6 months since his diagnosis and he's still around, Thank the lord.  All in all i suggest you give Yervoy and WBR a try if those are your options.  Remember everyone is different and not everyone will experience memory loss from WBR, and not everyone will get those nasty side effects from Yervoy.  Like i said, my boyfriend had minimal side effects and it's keeping the mets from growing. 

 God Bless all melanoma warriors and loved ones.

I will check out your blog, but for now, as for WBR and Yervoy.  This is what my boyfriend has done so far.  Diagnosed march 9th, 2012 (stage 4, no primary) with one large met (3cm) in brain, and another two tiny spots in brain, and mets     ''all throughout lungs'', as well as a very large met of 7cm under skin on pectoral muscle, and a met on the scalp.  

Doctor suggested WBR (im assuming because the largest brain met was too large for gamma knife).  After about his second tor third reatment, (he was to have treatments monday-friday for three weeks i think) he got a really bad headache which his oncologist said to keep a look out for (and he NEVER gets headaches). Well, he got a really bad headache one night, went to E.R., turned out his 3cm met was swelling and bleeing quite a bit.  A craniotomy was suggested since the met was very accessible.  It was done the following day after he had went to the hospital for his headache.  Released from hospital a day after craniotomy, and felt great.  Started Yervoy maybe a week or so later. 

He finished his 4th Yervoy infusion maybe about 2 months ago, and actually just had a birthday on the 15th of this month.  I, as his girlfriend have noticed some short term memory loss from the WBR, but it seems to have gotten a little better over a couple months.  Things like, forgetting where you parked the car the night before.  He kept forgetting we had run out of pepper, but that i already went and bought some, so he bought some pepper forgetting that i already had done the same…As for the Yervoy, he mostly had Fatigue, some occasional stomach aches, nausea, loss of appetite, foods tasted bland and not the same, A rash that itched like crazy and red skin for maybe a week, and a few other minor side effects, but nothing major. 

His mets basically stopped growing once we started Yervoy.  The visible large met under the skin on his pectoral muscle has stayed the same size, no growth, no shrinkage.  And the visible met on the scalp from the WBR is almost flat on his scalp. (It used to portrude from the scalp very noticeably, now it's almost completely flat due to the Radiation).  So all in all, forgetting where the car is parked, and some minor side effects has kept my boyfriend basically stable.  It's been about 6 months since his diagnosis and he's still around, Thank the lord.  All in all i suggest you give Yervoy and WBR a try if those are your options.  Remember everyone is different and not everyone will experience memory loss from WBR, and not everyone will get those nasty side effects from Yervoy.  Like i said, my boyfriend had minimal side effects and it's keeping the mets from growing. 

 God Bless all melanoma warriors and loved ones.

I will check out your blog, but for now, as for WBR and Yervoy.  This is what my boyfriend has done so far.  Diagnosed march 9th, 2012 (stage 4, no primary) with one large met (3cm) in brain, and another two tiny spots in brain, and mets     ''all throughout lungs'', as well as a very large met of 7cm under skin on pectoral muscle, and a met on the scalp.  

Doctor suggested WBR (im assuming because the largest brain met was too large for gamma knife).  After about his second tor third reatment, (he was to have treatments monday-friday for three weeks i think) he got a really bad headache which his oncologist said to keep a look out for (and he NEVER gets headaches). Well, he got a really bad headache one night, went to E.R., turned out his 3cm met was swelling and bleeing quite a bit.  A craniotomy was suggested since the met was very accessible.  It was done the following day after he had went to the hospital for his headache.  Released from hospital a day after craniotomy, and felt great.  Started Yervoy maybe a week or so later. 

He finished his 4th Yervoy infusion maybe about 2 months ago, and actually just had a birthday on the 15th of this month.  I, as his girlfriend have noticed some short term memory loss from the WBR, but it seems to have gotten a little better over a couple months.  Things like, forgetting where you parked the car the night before.  He kept forgetting we had run out of pepper, but that i already went and bought some, so he bought some pepper forgetting that i already had done the same…As for the Yervoy, he mostly had Fatigue, some occasional stomach aches, nausea, loss of appetite, foods tasted bland and not the same, A rash that itched like crazy and red skin for maybe a week, and a few other minor side effects, but nothing major. 

His mets basically stopped growing once we started Yervoy.  The visible large met under the skin on his pectoral muscle has stayed the same size, no growth, no shrinkage.  And the visible met on the scalp from the WBR is almost flat on his scalp. (It used to portrude from the scalp very noticeably, now it's almost completely flat due to the Radiation).  So all in all, forgetting where the car is parked, and some minor side effects has kept my boyfriend basically stable.  It's been about 6 months since his diagnosis and he's still around, Thank the lord.  All in all i suggest you give Yervoy and WBR a try if those are your options.  Remember everyone is different and not everyone will experience memory loss from WBR, and not everyone will get those nasty side effects from Yervoy.  Like i said, my boyfriend had minimal side effects and it's keeping the mets from growing. 

 God Bless all melanoma warriors and loved ones.