› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Interferon alpha therapy following questionable diagnosis
- This topic has 18 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 9 years, 6 months ago by Melissag0624.
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- September 4, 2014 at 1:50 pm
Hey guys,
I'm a bit lost and was hoping for some advice. I was diagnosed with a benign spitz naevus at the age of 13 which was surgically removed back then. In 2010 i noticed a small lump on the edge of the scar tissue from the old excision and had it removed. Back then it was identified as excess scar tissue (hyperplastic scar tissue). The following years the lump returned and was removed 3 times (always approx 12 months in between) with identical characterization.
Now in 2014 the last excision was reviewed with more care and identified as a desmoplastic melanoma with slightly increased proliferation no ulceration and no apparent metastasis in the draining sentinels, no circulating S100 in the bloodstream and a clear sonography.
Due to the fact that the tumor was mistaken for hyperplastic scar tissue there was never a clear staging or assessment of invasion depth.
After the last excision the area stayed free of any unusual changes and i entered a regular postoperative screening schedule.
Now to the crucial part: My treating institution scheduled me with a low dose intron-A therapy which is to be continued for 18 months. I am on it for a month now and the side effects are very very very unpleasent.
To my understanding the overall benefit of Interferon for survival was seldomly demonstrated.
Does it make sense to continue the treatment and risk my general good health and healthy mental state (retinal damage/depression/general immunosuppression)? I would suspect that the reoccuring growth was due to the fact that it was never fully removed and always still there right after surgery. Overall malignancy was suspected but not finally clearly demonstrated.
I can not get a definite statment from my responsible institution.. their remark was that they have to recommend it when the staging is not clear.
Best,
Lars
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- September 4, 2014 at 2:20 pm
Have they done any scans?…I did the 30 day HD interferon with some fatigue but it did not work for me so i just finished Yervoy and will have scans on the 23rd..Good luck
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- September 4, 2014 at 2:20 pm
Have they done any scans?…I did the 30 day HD interferon with some fatigue but it did not work for me so i just finished Yervoy and will have scans on the 23rd..Good luck
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- September 4, 2014 at 5:22 pm
Thank you so much..I hope you find the answers you're looking for..
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- September 4, 2014 at 5:22 pm
Thank you so much..I hope you find the answers you're looking for..
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- September 4, 2014 at 5:22 pm
Thank you so much..I hope you find the answers you're looking for..
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- September 4, 2014 at 2:20 pm
Have they done any scans?…I did the 30 day HD interferon with some fatigue but it did not work for me so i just finished Yervoy and will have scans on the 23rd..Good luck
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- September 4, 2014 at 3:16 pm
Helpful info on whether or not to do Interferon:
http://theoncologist.alphamedpress.org/content/10/9/739.full
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- September 4, 2014 at 3:16 pm
Helpful info on whether or not to do Interferon:
http://theoncologist.alphamedpress.org/content/10/9/739.full
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- September 4, 2014 at 3:16 pm
Helpful info on whether or not to do Interferon:
http://theoncologist.alphamedpress.org/content/10/9/739.full
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- September 9, 2014 at 3:54 am
My question to you is can you live with not doing anything? My answer to that question was no and that’s why no matter what my final outcome is I know looking back I did everything possible to beat this. It is miserable but the alternative to me was more miserable. Keep trucking, it won’t last forever. -
- September 9, 2014 at 3:54 am
My question to you is can you live with not doing anything? My answer to that question was no and that’s why no matter what my final outcome is I know looking back I did everything possible to beat this. It is miserable but the alternative to me was more miserable. Keep trucking, it won’t last forever. -
- September 9, 2014 at 3:54 am
My question to you is can you live with not doing anything? My answer to that question was no and that’s why no matter what my final outcome is I know looking back I did everything possible to beat this. It is miserable but the alternative to me was more miserable. Keep trucking, it won’t last forever.
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Tagged: cutaneous melanoma
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