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Interferon Questions
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Interferon Questions

› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Interferon Questions

  • Post
    • July 10, 2013 at 8:03 am
    Kkincaid239
    Participant
      Hello my name is Kevin, I just turned 19 and have been Diagnosed with stage 3A melanoma. I had a Medium Sized Black freckle below my inner eye which Turned out to be melanoma. I’ve been looking all over the Internet for people around my age and how they dealt with their interferon treatments.

      Hello my name is Kevin, I just turned 19 and have been Diagnosed with stage 3A melanoma. I had a Medium Sized Black freckle below my inner eye which Turned out to be melanoma. I’ve been looking all over the Internet for people around my age and how they dealt with their interferon treatments. I worked part time went to school full time and maintained a fairly vigorous workout schedule before I was diagnosed and went through the three seemingly standard surgeries; melanoma removal, plastic surgery/reconstruction, and lymphnode disection in which they took 54 lymphnodes out of my neck and I’m still recovering from and going to physical therapy for.

      Anyway, I will more than likely start interferon within the next week and I would really appreciate if I could get few hints, tips that would help me, or answer a few questions I have. Such as, were able to return to school, work, and excersizing throughout the course of the treatment. How long did the treatments take during the first month? When did you start feeling the side effects? what side effects effected you the most? IHow did the injections compare? Do the injections hurt? I really appreciate anything you guys tell me. Thanks!

    Viewing 5 reply threads
    • Replies
        • July 10, 2013 at 6:59 pm
        Cooper
        Participant

          You will get through it fine, because you are young, but I would worry about this being the best choice of drugs.  Have you gotten an appt with a specialist?  Interferon is not proven to increase your lifetime of living without melanoma and lots of places stopped prescribing.  Can you get to Sloan Kettering in NYC?

          • July 10, 2013 at 6:59 pm
          Cooper
          Participant

            You will get through it fine, because you are young, but I would worry about this being the best choice of drugs.  Have you gotten an appt with a specialist?  Interferon is not proven to increase your lifetime of living without melanoma and lots of places stopped prescribing.  Can you get to Sloan Kettering in NYC?

            • July 10, 2013 at 6:59 pm
            Cooper
            Participant

              You will get through it fine, because you are young, but I would worry about this being the best choice of drugs.  Have you gotten an appt with a specialist?  Interferon is not proven to increase your lifetime of living without melanoma and lots of places stopped prescribing.  Can you get to Sloan Kettering in NYC?

              • July 10, 2013 at 10:03 pm
              Kkincaid239
              Participant
                Well the choice was either interferon or a double blind trial and we including the local doctors as well as the doctor at Moffitt agreed that the interferon was the best thing to do because getting no treatment would be a poor decision for someone my age.
                  • October 9, 2013 at 7:35 am
                  paperdetective
                  Participant

                    Kevin,

                    Do you have skin melanoma or ocular melanoma (this forum is for ocular melanoma).

                    I ask, because interferon has no effect on ocular melanoma. So it is useless for treating OM.

                    With skin melanoma I do not know how interferioon interacts, but it is possible it would work, since skin melanoma is an entirely different disease than ocular melanoma and spreads mainly via the lymphatic system (in contrast, OM spreads via the hematologic system).

                    Peter L

                    • July 18, 2014 at 3:03 pm
                    Cooper
                    Participant

                      wonder why they removed all of the lymph nodes then?  sounds like you need an expert Kevin!

                      • July 18, 2014 at 3:03 pm
                      Cooper
                      Participant

                        wonder why they removed all of the lymph nodes then?  sounds like you need an expert Kevin!

                        • July 18, 2014 at 3:03 pm
                        Cooper
                        Participant

                          wonder why they removed all of the lymph nodes then?  sounds like you need an expert Kevin!

                          • October 9, 2013 at 7:35 am
                          paperdetective
                          Participant

                            Kevin,

                            Do you have skin melanoma or ocular melanoma (this forum is for ocular melanoma).

                            I ask, because interferon has no effect on ocular melanoma. So it is useless for treating OM.

                            With skin melanoma I do not know how interferioon interacts, but it is possible it would work, since skin melanoma is an entirely different disease than ocular melanoma and spreads mainly via the lymphatic system (in contrast, OM spreads via the hematologic system).

                            Peter L

                            • October 9, 2013 at 7:35 am
                            paperdetective
                            Participant

                              Kevin,

                              Do you have skin melanoma or ocular melanoma (this forum is for ocular melanoma).

                              I ask, because interferon has no effect on ocular melanoma. So it is useless for treating OM.

                              With skin melanoma I do not know how interferioon interacts, but it is possible it would work, since skin melanoma is an entirely different disease than ocular melanoma and spreads mainly via the lymphatic system (in contrast, OM spreads via the hematologic system).

                              Peter L

                            • July 10, 2013 at 10:03 pm
                            Kkincaid239
                            Participant
                              Well the choice was either interferon or a double blind trial and we including the local doctors as well as the doctor at Moffitt agreed that the interferon was the best thing to do because getting no treatment would be a poor decision for someone my age.
                              • July 10, 2013 at 10:03 pm
                              Kkincaid239
                              Participant
                                Well the choice was either interferon or a double blind trial and we including the local doctors as well as the doctor at Moffitt agreed that the interferon was the best thing to do because getting no treatment would be a poor decision for someone my age.
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