IL2

Biochemo is not done often as an "adjuvant" therapy – I've mostly seen it done here with younger individuals.  Just do a search on here for biochemo.  I'm a bit confused by your subject heading, though, because IL-2 is one of 5 drugs used in biochemo.  IL-2 alone has its own harsh protocol but its use in biochemo is less extreme than when done alone.

Best wishes,

Janner

Biochemo is not done often as an "adjuvant" therapy – I've mostly seen it done here with younger individuals.  Just do a search on here for biochemo.  I'm a bit confused by your subject heading, though, because IL-2 is one of 5 drugs used in biochemo.  IL-2 alone has its own harsh protocol but its use in biochemo is less extreme than when done alone.

Best wishes,

Janner

Biochemo is not done often as an "adjuvant" therapy – I've mostly seen it done here with younger individuals.  Just do a search on here for biochemo.  I'm a bit confused by your subject heading, though, because IL-2 is one of 5 drugs used in biochemo.  IL-2 alone has its own harsh protocol but its use in biochemo is less extreme than when done alone.

Best wishes,

Janner

My daughter is 24 and finished 3 cycles of biochemotherapy about a month ago.  She is stage IIIb with her primary site a mole on her right neck and one lymph node involved.  She wasn't offerred any other treatment ( other than wait and see) as her doctor didn't feel interferon or radiation would be effective.  She was treated at Kaiser in Riverside under Dr. Gailani.  

Biochemoherapy is a pretty gruelling treatment with numerous side effects and you will be continuously monitored for heart function, blood pressure, temperature and daily blood work.  On the first day they will place a central line in your jugular vein.  You will get most of your medications through the central line.  One chemotherapy drug is a pill and interferon is a shot in your abdomen.  IL 2 will be a continuous drip and the other 2 chemotherapy drugs will be given IV on a set schedule.  The interferon is particularly nasty and 2-8 hours after getting it there may be rigors (muscle spasms that cause shaking), fever, flushing, and nausea.  The nurses are aware of all the side effects and will give medication and treatment immediately but still it is not pleasant.  Also the drugs seemed to have an effect on my daughter mentally as well and it took everything she had to get through the 5 days each time.

After you go home you may be nauseous and you will be super fatigued for about 7 days.  Then you will start to feel better and after another week will probably be back to normal.  My daughter took this time to eat and try to gain back the 5-6 pounds she lost each cycle.  They may not tell you, and you may not, but my daughter also started loosing her hair just before she started the second cycle.  She is now mostly bald and wears a wig.  

Her treatment was preventive/adjuvant.  It was a difficult decision but she felt she needed to be as aggressive as possible earlier rather than later.  I would suggest as large a support system as you can gather.  We made sure someone was with her while in the hospital day and night and for the first few days at home.  

My daughter got the results of her post treatment PET scan today and she remains NED.  I hope this information is helpful but, as you say, everyone is different.  In fact each cycle is different for the same person.  I saw from your profile that you are a teacher.  My daughter is a second year teacher and was able to return to work 2 weeks ago.  I wish you all the best as you begin treatment.  You can beat this.

My daughter is 24 and finished 3 cycles of biochemotherapy about a month ago.  She is stage IIIb with her primary site a mole on her right neck and one lymph node involved.  She wasn't offerred any other treatment ( other than wait and see) as her doctor didn't feel interferon or radiation would be effective.  She was treated at Kaiser in Riverside under Dr. Gailani.  

Biochemoherapy is a pretty gruelling treatment with numerous side effects and you will be continuously monitored for heart function, blood pressure, temperature and daily blood work.  On the first day they will place a central line in your jugular vein.  You will get most of your medications through the central line.  One chemotherapy drug is a pill and interferon is a shot in your abdomen.  IL 2 will be a continuous drip and the other 2 chemotherapy drugs will be given IV on a set schedule.  The interferon is particularly nasty and 2-8 hours after getting it there may be rigors (muscle spasms that cause shaking), fever, flushing, and nausea.  The nurses are aware of all the side effects and will give medication and treatment immediately but still it is not pleasant.  Also the drugs seemed to have an effect on my daughter mentally as well and it took everything she had to get through the 5 days each time.

After you go home you may be nauseous and you will be super fatigued for about 7 days.  Then you will start to feel better and after another week will probably be back to normal.  My daughter took this time to eat and try to gain back the 5-6 pounds she lost each cycle.  They may not tell you, and you may not, but my daughter also started loosing her hair just before she started the second cycle.  She is now mostly bald and wears a wig.  

Her treatment was preventive/adjuvant.  It was a difficult decision but she felt she needed to be as aggressive as possible earlier rather than later.  I would suggest as large a support system as you can gather.  We made sure someone was with her while in the hospital day and night and for the first few days at home.  

My daughter got the results of her post treatment PET scan today and she remains NED.  I hope this information is helpful but, as you say, everyone is different.  In fact each cycle is different for the same person.  I saw from your profile that you are a teacher.  My daughter is a second year teacher and was able to return to work 2 weeks ago.  I wish you all the best as you begin treatment.  You can beat this.

My daughter is 24 and finished 3 cycles of biochemotherapy about a month ago.  She is stage IIIb with her primary site a mole on her right neck and one lymph node involved.  She wasn't offerred any other treatment ( other than wait and see) as her doctor didn't feel interferon or radiation would be effective.  She was treated at Kaiser in Riverside under Dr. Gailani.  

Biochemoherapy is a pretty gruelling treatment with numerous side effects and you will be continuously monitored for heart function, blood pressure, temperature and daily blood work.  On the first day they will place a central line in your jugular vein.  You will get most of your medications through the central line.  One chemotherapy drug is a pill and interferon is a shot in your abdomen.  IL 2 will be a continuous drip and the other 2 chemotherapy drugs will be given IV on a set schedule.  The interferon is particularly nasty and 2-8 hours after getting it there may be rigors (muscle spasms that cause shaking), fever, flushing, and nausea.  The nurses are aware of all the side effects and will give medication and treatment immediately but still it is not pleasant.  Also the drugs seemed to have an effect on my daughter mentally as well and it took everything she had to get through the 5 days each time.

After you go home you may be nauseous and you will be super fatigued for about 7 days.  Then you will start to feel better and after another week will probably be back to normal.  My daughter took this time to eat and try to gain back the 5-6 pounds she lost each cycle.  They may not tell you, and you may not, but my daughter also started loosing her hair just before she started the second cycle.  She is now mostly bald and wears a wig.  

Her treatment was preventive/adjuvant.  It was a difficult decision but she felt she needed to be as aggressive as possible earlier rather than later.  I would suggest as large a support system as you can gather.  We made sure someone was with her while in the hospital day and night and for the first few days at home.  

My daughter got the results of her post treatment PET scan today and she remains NED.  I hope this information is helpful but, as you say, everyone is different.  In fact each cycle is different for the same person.  I saw from your profile that you are a teacher.  My daughter is a second year teacher and was able to return to work 2 weeks ago.  I wish you all the best as you begin treatment.  You can beat this.

Biochemo is a really old treatment that a lot of places stopped using,  good places like Moffitt and Sloan Kettering stopped offering it..  It is grueling and I regret we chose it because we recurred shortly after.. There are so many new things now, we are lucky. Do your homework and check out IPI, PD1 and the BRAF drug Zelborah. 

Biochemo is a really old treatment that a lot of places stopped using,  good places like Moffitt and Sloan Kettering stopped offering it..  It is grueling and I regret we chose it because we recurred shortly after.. There are so many new things now, we are lucky. Do your homework and check out IPI, PD1 and the BRAF drug Zelborah. 

Biochemo is a really old treatment that a lot of places stopped using,  good places like Moffitt and Sloan Kettering stopped offering it..  It is grueling and I regret we chose it because we recurred shortly after.. There are so many new things now, we are lucky. Do your homework and check out IPI, PD1 and the BRAF drug Zelborah. 

I am stage iv and have completed (3) rounds of biochemo at Kaiser Riverside. Like the other reply I too am under Gailani and was told interferon or radiation do not have much success. I have just gotten the word i am N.E.D i have to decide on a 4th treatment next week. It is tough i was sick the wwhole time in the hospital. I was the only person i think to have gained weight while in hte hospital. No hair loss. I was able to go back to work the secong day after going home. I worked for about 6hours a day. The second week after started feeling normal and got taste buds back. Then back in to hospital. Very tough but doable. Good luck with your decision

I am stage iv and have completed (3) rounds of biochemo at Kaiser Riverside. Like the other reply I too am under Gailani and was told interferon or radiation do not have much success. I have just gotten the word i am N.E.D i have to decide on a 4th treatment next week. It is tough i was sick the wwhole time in the hospital. I was the only person i think to have gained weight while in hte hospital. No hair loss. I was able to go back to work the secong day after going home. I worked for about 6hours a day. The second week after started feeling normal and got taste buds back. Then back in to hospital. Very tough but doable. Good luck with your decision

I am stage iv and have completed (3) rounds of biochemo at Kaiser Riverside. Like the other reply I too am under Gailani and was told interferon or radiation do not have much success. I have just gotten the word i am N.E.D i have to decide on a 4th treatment next week. It is tough i was sick the wwhole time in the hospital. I was the only person i think to have gained weight while in hte hospital. No hair loss. I was able to go back to work the secong day after going home. I worked for about 6hours a day. The second week after started feeling normal and got taste buds back. Then back in to hospital. Very tough but doable. Good luck with your decision

i agree with your decision from the given chooses.  I went thru six weeks of IL-2 and would likely not be here except for it. 

I have long pushed for the idea that some adjuvant treatment (possibly at a lower level than for one with active tumors) for NED people.  Glad to see trials going on in this area.  Do you know if they are using the full strengh treatments or a reduced level?

I do recommend having someone stay with the one undergoing Biochem and/or IL-2.  The other thing to know is that BioChem is not JUST BioChem.  Biochem can be made up of various dosages of divverent treatments, not all BioChem is the same.  (All tend to be rough, but doable.)

i agree with your decision from the given chooses.  I went thru six weeks of IL-2 and would likely not be here except for it. 

I have long pushed for the idea that some adjuvant treatment (possibly at a lower level than for one with active tumors) for NED people.  Glad to see trials going on in this area.  Do you know if they are using the full strengh treatments or a reduced level?

I do recommend having someone stay with the one undergoing Biochem and/or IL-2.  The other thing to know is that BioChem is not JUST BioChem.  Biochem can be made up of various dosages of divverent treatments, not all BioChem is the same.  (All tend to be rough, but doable.)

i agree with your decision from the given chooses.  I went thru six weeks of IL-2 and would likely not be here except for it. 

I have long pushed for the idea that some adjuvant treatment (possibly at a lower level than for one with active tumors) for NED people.  Glad to see trials going on in this area.  Do you know if they are using the full strengh treatments or a reduced level?

I do recommend having someone stay with the one undergoing Biochem and/or IL-2.  The other thing to know is that BioChem is not JUST BioChem.  Biochem can be made up of various dosages of divverent treatments, not all BioChem is the same.  (All tend to be rough, but doable.)

I don't have experience with biochemo but do have one suggestion you may want to check into.  I recall reading that there are trials out there that are trialing Stage III patients with no evidence of disease and giving them ipilibumab.  If I were in your shoes I think I'd be looking into that as an option. 

Good luck in making these difficult decisions.

Troy

I don't have experience with biochemo but do have one suggestion you may want to check into.  I recall reading that there are trials out there that are trialing Stage III patients with no evidence of disease and giving them ipilibumab.  If I were in your shoes I think I'd be looking into that as an option. 

Good luck in making these difficult decisions.

Troy

I don't have experience with biochemo but do have one suggestion you may want to check into.  I recall reading that there are trials out there that are trialing Stage III patients with no evidence of disease and giving them ipilibumab.  If I were in your shoes I think I'd be looking into that as an option. 

Good luck in making these difficult decisions.

Troy