Shady – Grady,
I remember your posts. I did not realize you are Stage IV, I thought you were still Stage III. We are in Virginia and my husband is treated at NIH. Started there as Stage III vaccine trial. They moved him into IL-2 after watching two nodules appear in his lungs. They never did a biopsy, just watched for growth and when they grew they moved quickly. One was the size of a dime the other a quarter. Now looking back we also realize he had a subcutaneous lesion on his right flank. The IL-2 did kill the lung tumors and the subq. He had one left in his lung that had shrunk and after a year it was removed. They examined it and there were no live cells. Then unfortunately July 2009 they found intestinal tumors (3) which they did surgery to remove. Since that date we have had clear scans, but it's been scary.
I did meet a woman who had done the TIL treatment at NIH today. She said she had great first scan results. It sounds like they are improving on the TIL treatment. She said it was easier then going through IL-2.
NIH has been great for us. I have heard IL-2 has a better chance on working on lung mets and sub q's but I don't know, this disease is a mystery. The only advice I can even offer is that as long as you feel you have a good doctor that will move quickly and make good decisions that is all that matters. You never know what's going to work.
Good luck and God Bless!
Rebecca
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