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Just diagnosed stage 3

Forums General Melanoma Community Just diagnosed stage 3

  • Post
    Momrn5
    Participant
    SLN Positive. Brings me to stage 3. I guess I am in a fight for my life after never being sick a day. I have been reading this site since my biopsy. Have learned a lot about melanoma from all of you but I don’t want to be here. If you get my drift. Appt. next week with surgical onc. to discuss CLND. What is out there for stage 3? Is it ever curable? Or are we always just waiting? Still have to tell the kids. Don’t know if I will be able to keep it together.
Viewing 20 reply threads
  • Replies
      kpcollins31
      Participant

      None of us want to be here, but you came to the right place as there are many people here who can provide great insight and advice. I am stage IIIC myself and am currently doing "watch and wait". There are several climinal trials out there so the important thing is to make sure you are seeing a melanoma specialist. The treatments for melanoma seem to be improving all the time so keep a positive mental attitude (PMA) and hang in there.

      Kevin

      kpcollins31
      Participant

      None of us want to be here, but you came to the right place as there are many people here who can provide great insight and advice. I am stage IIIC myself and am currently doing "watch and wait". There are several climinal trials out there so the important thing is to make sure you are seeing a melanoma specialist. The treatments for melanoma seem to be improving all the time so keep a positive mental attitude (PMA) and hang in there.

      Kevin

      kpcollins31
      Participant

      None of us want to be here, but you came to the right place as there are many people here who can provide great insight and advice. I am stage IIIC myself and am currently doing "watch and wait". There are several climinal trials out there so the important thing is to make sure you are seeing a melanoma specialist. The treatments for melanoma seem to be improving all the time so keep a positive mental attitude (PMA) and hang in there.

      Kevin

      JoshF
      Participant

      Kevin is right…none os us want to be here but the support and information you can get here is invaluable. I'm sorry you have to deal with this….we all know how hard it is. Find a melanoma specialist that has expertise in the field. I believe this is key. I think you you can be "cured" long enough to have a good quslity of life. Treatment of melanoma is improving.Be sure you have a full understanding of your case and what options are. Bounce ideas and suggestions off the fine people you come across on this site. I wish you all the best.

       

      Josh

      JoshF
      Participant

      Kevin is right…none os us want to be here but the support and information you can get here is invaluable. I'm sorry you have to deal with this….we all know how hard it is. Find a melanoma specialist that has expertise in the field. I believe this is key. I think you you can be "cured" long enough to have a good quslity of life. Treatment of melanoma is improving.Be sure you have a full understanding of your case and what options are. Bounce ideas and suggestions off the fine people you come across on this site. I wish you all the best.

       

      Josh

      JoshF
      Participant

      Kevin is right…none os us want to be here but the support and information you can get here is invaluable. I'm sorry you have to deal with this….we all know how hard it is. Find a melanoma specialist that has expertise in the field. I believe this is key. I think you you can be "cured" long enough to have a good quslity of life. Treatment of melanoma is improving.Be sure you have a full understanding of your case and what options are. Bounce ideas and suggestions off the fine people you come across on this site. I wish you all the best.

       

      Josh

      sbrooks90
      Participant

      Hi Momrn5,

      I am a 23 year old who was diagnosed with Stage III in July. I just had my CLND 2 days ago and am at home recovering now. After much research I came to the conclusion that although controversial, the CLND was the best option for me. (You will find the best option for you as the days go by). Believe me… it does get better 🙂

       

      All the Best

      Samuel

      sbrooks90
      Participant

      Hi Momrn5,

      I am a 23 year old who was diagnosed with Stage III in July. I just had my CLND 2 days ago and am at home recovering now. After much research I came to the conclusion that although controversial, the CLND was the best option for me. (You will find the best option for you as the days go by). Believe me… it does get better 🙂

       

      All the Best

      Samuel

        Momrn5
        Participant
        Thank you all for replying. It means a lot to me. I know that each and every one of the people on here are fighting your own battle with this disease. My own husband of 12 years fought his battle with Melanoma 25 years ago and won. His melanoma was big and bleeding when he was diagnosed. Though he doesn’t know what stage he was…..he has a large skin graft on his back which I call his battle scar. He has a great positive attitude but mine right now just stinks. I know I have to get my head in the right place. I will go to my appointment armed with some knowledge because of this site and all the people who post. I am being treated at University of Michigan Melanoma Center in Ann Arbor, so have a very knowledgable surgeon and oncologist. Best wishes to all of you.
        Momrn5
        Participant
        Thank you all for replying. It means a lot to me. I know that each and every one of the people on here are fighting your own battle with this disease. My own husband of 12 years fought his battle with Melanoma 25 years ago and won. His melanoma was big and bleeding when he was diagnosed. Though he doesn’t know what stage he was…..he has a large skin graft on his back which I call his battle scar. He has a great positive attitude but mine right now just stinks. I know I have to get my head in the right place. I will go to my appointment armed with some knowledge because of this site and all the people who post. I am being treated at University of Michigan Melanoma Center in Ann Arbor, so have a very knowledgable surgeon and oncologist. Best wishes to all of you.
        Thandster
        Participant
        The CLND will give you a definite stage and then you can look at options. If you’re stage 3a, your options are more limited than if 3b or 3c, but also the prognosis is better so don’t hope for b or c. I am also being seen at the U of M and am Also stage 3. I’ve been very happy there. Feel free to ask any questions if you have them. Good luck and hang in there!;)
        Momrn5
        Participant
        Thank you for your reply, I really appreciate hearing from you. . Dr. Sabel is the person who performed my WLE and SLB. Still have the stitches. Just got the call from him today that the SLB showed 1 to 2% mets. So am hoping that it isn’t in the other nodes. I too believe that he is great at what he does. Have had very little pain after the initial surgery and back to work after having only 3 days off. So are you in a watch and wait mode? or did you have adjuvant therapy? i am thinking about ipi. Wishing you much luck in your journey.
        Thandster
        Participant
        I have chosen the watch and wait path. I am stage 3a and the ipi trial requires 3b or 3c so ipi was not an option and interferon didn’t seem worth it to me. Keep us updated about your CLND or ask any other questions you may have.
        Momrn5
        Participant
        Well, I am hoping for 3a. Going to talk to surgeon tomorrow. He wants to talk to me about the MLST trial. Don’t think I could survive watch and wait to that extent with the anxiety I have now. Leaning towards CLND. Thanks for the reply.
        Thandster
        Participant
        I’ll be curious to hear what he says about it. I know you said only 1 -2% melanoma in slnb, but was that for only 1 lymph node? Did he only take 1? If it were me, with that little Mel, the MLST trial might be worth trying. Not at all trying to tell you what to do, it is such a personal decision. Please let us know how your visit goes. Good luck;)!
        Thandster
        Participant
        I’ll be curious to hear what he says about it. I know you said only 1 -2% melanoma in slnb, but was that for only 1 lymph node? Did he only take 1? If it were me, with that little Mel, the MLST trial might be worth trying. Not at all trying to tell you what to do, it is such a personal decision. Please let us know how your visit goes. Good luck;)!
        Momrn5
        Participant
        Hi Thandster, yes, there was only one node that it was draining to. I considered it, but for a sub set of patients that I could be in, the 20 percent with additional positive nodes, the prognosis and recovery from surgical action is much better when completed before there is a palpable node that pops up. The early CLND has been shown to allow patients to have a better personal outcome. The results of the MLST 1 showed no statistical benefit from CLND, but if you read the full results, it is buried in there that CLND is VERY helpful prognosis wise for the unlucky 20 percent with additional positive nodes. The study doesn’t show significant statistical outcomes overall for CLND vs. wait and watch because it is underpowered. 80% of the people apparently don’t have any other positive nodes, so many are having unnecessary surgery. I get that, but until they find a way to diagnose additional node positivity, it’s the only thing we have. Having my surgery in 10 days. Not looking forward to it.
        Momrn5
        Participant
        These are just my thoughts in relation to me and my particular case. Of course there are so many variables with each persons case it is mind boggling to think about. Wait and watch is also feasible and hopefully after this surgery, I will be in a place to do just that.
        Momrn5
        Participant
        These are just my thoughts in relation to me and my particular case. Of course there are so many variables with each persons case it is mind boggling to think about. Wait and watch is also feasible and hopefully after this surgery, I will be in a place to do just that.
        Momrn5
        Participant
        These are just my thoughts in relation to me and my particular case. Of course there are so many variables with each persons case it is mind boggling to think about. Wait and watch is also feasible and hopefully after this surgery, I will be in a place to do just that.
        Momrn5
        Participant
        Hi Thandster, yes, there was only one node that it was draining to. I considered it, but for a sub set of patients that I could be in, the 20 percent with additional positive nodes, the prognosis and recovery from surgical action is much better when completed before there is a palpable node that pops up. The early CLND has been shown to allow patients to have a better personal outcome. The results of the MLST 1 showed no statistical benefit from CLND, but if you read the full results, it is buried in there that CLND is VERY helpful prognosis wise for the unlucky 20 percent with additional positive nodes. The study doesn’t show significant statistical outcomes overall for CLND vs. wait and watch because it is underpowered. 80% of the people apparently don’t have any other positive nodes, so many are having unnecessary surgery. I get that, but until they find a way to diagnose additional node positivity, it’s the only thing we have. Having my surgery in 10 days. Not looking forward to it.
        Momrn5
        Participant
        Hi Thandster, yes, there was only one node that it was draining to. I considered it, but for a sub set of patients that I could be in, the 20 percent with additional positive nodes, the prognosis and recovery from surgical action is much better when completed before there is a palpable node that pops up. The early CLND has been shown to allow patients to have a better personal outcome. The results of the MLST 1 showed no statistical benefit from CLND, but if you read the full results, it is buried in there that CLND is VERY helpful prognosis wise for the unlucky 20 percent with additional positive nodes. The study doesn’t show significant statistical outcomes overall for CLND vs. wait and watch because it is underpowered. 80% of the people apparently don’t have any other positive nodes, so many are having unnecessary surgery. I get that, but until they find a way to diagnose additional node positivity, it’s the only thing we have. Having my surgery in 10 days. Not looking forward to it.
        Thandster
        Participant
        I’ll be curious to hear what he says about it. I know you said only 1 -2% melanoma in slnb, but was that for only 1 lymph node? Did he only take 1? If it were me, with that little Mel, the MLST trial might be worth trying. Not at all trying to tell you what to do, it is such a personal decision. Please let us know how your visit goes. Good luck;)!
        Momrn5
        Participant
        Well, I am hoping for 3a. Going to talk to surgeon tomorrow. He wants to talk to me about the MLST trial. Don’t think I could survive watch and wait to that extent with the anxiety I have now. Leaning towards CLND. Thanks for the reply.
        Momrn5
        Participant
        Well, I am hoping for 3a. Going to talk to surgeon tomorrow. He wants to talk to me about the MLST trial. Don’t think I could survive watch and wait to that extent with the anxiety I have now. Leaning towards CLND. Thanks for the reply.
        Thandster
        Participant
        I have chosen the watch and wait path. I am stage 3a and the ipi trial requires 3b or 3c so ipi was not an option and interferon didn’t seem worth it to me. Keep us updated about your CLND or ask any other questions you may have.
        Thandster
        Participant
        I have chosen the watch and wait path. I am stage 3a and the ipi trial requires 3b or 3c so ipi was not an option and interferon didn’t seem worth it to me. Keep us updated about your CLND or ask any other questions you may have.
        Momrn5
        Participant
        Thank you for your reply, I really appreciate hearing from you. . Dr. Sabel is the person who performed my WLE and SLB. Still have the stitches. Just got the call from him today that the SLB showed 1 to 2% mets. So am hoping that it isn’t in the other nodes. I too believe that he is great at what he does. Have had very little pain after the initial surgery and back to work after having only 3 days off. So are you in a watch and wait mode? or did you have adjuvant therapy? i am thinking about ipi. Wishing you much luck in your journey.
        Momrn5
        Participant
        Thank you for your reply, I really appreciate hearing from you. . Dr. Sabel is the person who performed my WLE and SLB. Still have the stitches. Just got the call from him today that the SLB showed 1 to 2% mets. So am hoping that it isn’t in the other nodes. I too believe that he is great at what he does. Have had very little pain after the initial surgery and back to work after having only 3 days off. So are you in a watch and wait mode? or did you have adjuvant therapy? i am thinking about ipi. Wishing you much luck in your journey.
        Thandster
        Participant
        The CLND will give you a definite stage and then you can look at options. If you’re stage 3a, your options are more limited than if 3b or 3c, but also the prognosis is better so don’t hope for b or c. I am also being seen at the U of M and am Also stage 3. I’ve been very happy there. Feel free to ask any questions if you have them. Good luck and hang in there!;)
        Thandster
        Participant
        The CLND will give you a definite stage and then you can look at options. If you’re stage 3a, your options are more limited than if 3b or 3c, but also the prognosis is better so don’t hope for b or c. I am also being seen at the U of M and am Also stage 3. I’ve been very happy there. Feel free to ask any questions if you have them. Good luck and hang in there!;)
        Momrn5
        Participant
        Thank you all for replying. It means a lot to me. I know that each and every one of the people on here are fighting your own battle with this disease. My own husband of 12 years fought his battle with Melanoma 25 years ago and won. His melanoma was big and bleeding when he was diagnosed. Though he doesn’t know what stage he was…..he has a large skin graft on his back which I call his battle scar. He has a great positive attitude but mine right now just stinks. I know I have to get my head in the right place. I will go to my appointment armed with some knowledge because of this site and all the people who post. I am being treated at University of Michigan Melanoma Center in Ann Arbor, so have a very knowledgable surgeon and oncologist. Best wishes to all of you.
      sbrooks90
      Participant

      Hi Momrn5,

      I am a 23 year old who was diagnosed with Stage III in July. I just had my CLND 2 days ago and am at home recovering now. After much research I came to the conclusion that although controversial, the CLND was the best option for me. (You will find the best option for you as the days go by). Believe me… it does get better 🙂

       

      All the Best

      Samuel

      SABKLYN
      Participant
      Hi….sorry you’re here but as others have mentioned, it’s really a good lace for information and support. Anyway, I was in the same position in November of 2011. I went to Sloan Kettering and discussed my options with Dr. Coit. We discussed the value of CLND vs “watchful waiting”. There are no right or wrong answers. Both are viable options. In my mind, I wanted to take every possible step and elected to have the surgery. The surgery was fine. I developed a post-op infection which brought me back to Sloan for 9 days but all in all, not terrible. I wore a compression stocking to help mitigate the lymphedema. I am happy to say it is extremely minimal. Afterward, as part of my follow up, I elected to not have interferon (again, no wrong answer here) and instead volunteered for a dendritic cell vaccine trial. I have check-ups every 3 months and scans every 6. So far so good. I can’t speak for anyone but myself, but I go through my scanxiety but other wise compartmentalism this. As for additional options, there are always clinical trials and I think there may be one for IPI as an adjuvant therapy. I would imagine U of M would have clinical trial opportunities and you can always check NCI. Good luck and hang in there. This is a marathon and not a sprint. The landscape is changing quickly and for,the better. Good luck!
      SABKLYN
      Participant
      Hi….sorry you’re here but as others have mentioned, it’s really a good lace for information and support. Anyway, I was in the same position in November of 2011. I went to Sloan Kettering and discussed my options with Dr. Coit. We discussed the value of CLND vs “watchful waiting”. There are no right or wrong answers. Both are viable options. In my mind, I wanted to take every possible step and elected to have the surgery. The surgery was fine. I developed a post-op infection which brought me back to Sloan for 9 days but all in all, not terrible. I wore a compression stocking to help mitigate the lymphedema. I am happy to say it is extremely minimal. Afterward, as part of my follow up, I elected to not have interferon (again, no wrong answer here) and instead volunteered for a dendritic cell vaccine trial. I have check-ups every 3 months and scans every 6. So far so good. I can’t speak for anyone but myself, but I go through my scanxiety but other wise compartmentalism this. As for additional options, there are always clinical trials and I think there may be one for IPI as an adjuvant therapy. I would imagine U of M would have clinical trial opportunities and you can always check NCI. Good luck and hang in there. This is a marathon and not a sprint. The landscape is changing quickly and for,the better. Good luck!
      SABKLYN
      Participant
      Hi….sorry you’re here but as others have mentioned, it’s really a good lace for information and support. Anyway, I was in the same position in November of 2011. I went to Sloan Kettering and discussed my options with Dr. Coit. We discussed the value of CLND vs “watchful waiting”. There are no right or wrong answers. Both are viable options. In my mind, I wanted to take every possible step and elected to have the surgery. The surgery was fine. I developed a post-op infection which brought me back to Sloan for 9 days but all in all, not terrible. I wore a compression stocking to help mitigate the lymphedema. I am happy to say it is extremely minimal. Afterward, as part of my follow up, I elected to not have interferon (again, no wrong answer here) and instead volunteered for a dendritic cell vaccine trial. I have check-ups every 3 months and scans every 6. So far so good. I can’t speak for anyone but myself, but I go through my scanxiety but other wise compartmentalism this. As for additional options, there are always clinical trials and I think there may be one for IPI as an adjuvant therapy. I would imagine U of M would have clinical trial opportunities and you can always check NCI. Good luck and hang in there. This is a marathon and not a sprint. The landscape is changing quickly and for,the better. Good luck!
      SABKLYN
      Participant
      Hi….sorry you’re here but as others have mentioned, it’s really a good lace for information and support. Anyway, I was in the same position in November of 2011. I went to Sloan Kettering and discussed my options with Dr. Coit. We discussed the value of CLND vs “watchful waiting”. There are no right or wrong answers. Both are viable options. In my mind, I wanted to take every possible step and elected to have the surgery. The surgery was fine. I developed a post-op infection which brought me back to Sloan for 9 days but all in all, not terrible. I wore a compression stocking to help mitigate the lymphedema. I am happy to say it is extremely minimal. Afterward, as part of my follow up, I elected to not have interferon (again, no wrong answer here) and instead volunteered for a dendritic cell vaccine trial. I have check-ups every 3 months and scans every 6. So far so good. I can’t speak for anyone but myself, but I go through my scanxiety but other wise compartmentalism this. As for additional options, there are always clinical trials and I think there may be one for IPI as an adjuvant therapy. I would imagine U of M would have clinical trial opportunities and you can always check NCI. Good luck and hang in there. This is a marathon and not a sprint. The landscape is changing quickly and for,the better. Good luck!
      SABKLYN
      Participant
      Hi….sorry you’re here but as others have mentioned, it’s really a good lace for information and support. Anyway, I was in the same position in November of 2011. I went to Sloan Kettering and discussed my options with Dr. Coit. We discussed the value of CLND vs “watchful waiting”. There are no right or wrong answers. Both are viable options. In my mind, I wanted to take every possible step and elected to have the surgery. The surgery was fine. I developed a post-op infection which brought me back to Sloan for 9 days but all in all, not terrible. I wore a compression stocking to help mitigate the lymphedema. I am happy to say it is extremely minimal. Afterward, as part of my follow up, I elected to not have interferon (again, no wrong answer here) and instead volunteered for a dendritic cell vaccine trial. I have check-ups every 3 months and scans every 6. So far so good. I can’t speak for anyone but myself, but I go through my scanxiety but other wise compartmentalism this. As for additional options, there are always clinical trials and I think there may be one for IPI as an adjuvant therapy. I would imagine U of M would have clinical trial opportunities and you can always check NCI. Good luck and hang in there. This is a marathon and not a sprint. The landscape is changing quickly and for,the better. Good luck!
      SABKLYN
      Participant
      Hi….sorry you’re here but as others have mentioned, it’s really a good lace for information and support. Anyway, I was in the same position in November of 2011. I went to Sloan Kettering and discussed my options with Dr. Coit. We discussed the value of CLND vs “watchful waiting”. There are no right or wrong answers. Both are viable options. In my mind, I wanted to take every possible step and elected to have the surgery. The surgery was fine. I developed a post-op infection which brought me back to Sloan for 9 days but all in all, not terrible. I wore a compression stocking to help mitigate the lymphedema. I am happy to say it is extremely minimal. Afterward, as part of my follow up, I elected to not have interferon (again, no wrong answer here) and instead volunteered for a dendritic cell vaccine trial. I have check-ups every 3 months and scans every 6. So far so good. I can’t speak for anyone but myself, but I go through my scanxiety but other wise compartmentalism this. As for additional options, there are always clinical trials and I think there may be one for IPI as an adjuvant therapy. I would imagine U of M would have clinical trial opportunities and you can always check NCI. Good luck and hang in there. This is a marathon and not a sprint. The landscape is changing quickly and for,the better. Good luck!
      SABKLYN
      Participant
      Hi….sorry you’re here but as others have mentioned, it’s really a good lace for information and support. Anyway, I was in the same position in November of 2011. I went to Sloan Kettering and discussed my options with Dr. Coit. We discussed the value of CLND vs “watchful waiting”. There are no right or wrong answers. Both are viable options. In my mind, I wanted to take every possible step and elected to have the surgery. The surgery was fine. I developed a post-op infection which brought me back to Sloan for 9 days but all in all, not terrible. I wore a compression stocking to help mitigate the lymphedema. I am happy to say it is extremely minimal. Afterward, as part of my follow up, I elected to not have interferon (again, no wrong answer here) and instead volunteered for a dendritic cell vaccine trial. I have check-ups every 3 months and scans every 6. So far so good. I can’t speak for anyone but myself, but I go through my scanxiety but other wise compartmentalism this. As for additional options, there are always clinical trials and I think there may be one for IPI as an adjuvant therapy. I would imagine U of M would have clinical trial opportunities and you can always check NCI. Good luck and hang in there. This is a marathon and not a sprint. The landscape is changing quickly and for,the better. Good luck!
      SABKLYN
      Participant
      Hi….sorry you’re here but as others have mentioned, it’s really a good lace for information and support. Anyway, I was in the same position in November of 2011. I went to Sloan Kettering and discussed my options with Dr. Coit. We discussed the value of CLND vs “watchful waiting”. There are no right or wrong answers. Both are viable options. In my mind, I wanted to take every possible step and elected to have the surgery. The surgery was fine. I developed a post-op infection which brought me back to Sloan for 9 days but all in all, not terrible. I wore a compression stocking to help mitigate the lymphedema. I am happy to say it is extremely minimal. Afterward, as part of my follow up, I elected to not have interferon (again, no wrong answer here) and instead volunteered for a dendritic cell vaccine trial. I have check-ups every 3 months and scans every 6. So far so good. I can’t speak for anyone but myself, but I go through my scanxiety but other wise compartmentalism this. As for additional options, there are always clinical trials and I think there may be one for IPI as an adjuvant therapy. I would imagine U of M would have clinical trial opportunities and you can always check NCI. Good luck and hang in there. This is a marathon and not a sprint. The landscape is changing quickly and for,the better. Good luck!
      SABKLYN
      Participant
      Hi….sorry you’re here but as others have mentioned, it’s really a good lace for information and support. Anyway, I was in the same position in November of 2011. I went to Sloan Kettering and discussed my options with Dr. Coit. We discussed the value of CLND vs “watchful waiting”. There are no right or wrong answers. Both are viable options. In my mind, I wanted to take every possible step and elected to have the surgery. The surgery was fine. I developed a post-op infection which brought me back to Sloan for 9 days but all in all, not terrible. I wore a compression stocking to help mitigate the lymphedema. I am happy to say it is extremely minimal. Afterward, as part of my follow up, I elected to not have interferon (again, no wrong answer here) and instead volunteered for a dendritic cell vaccine trial. I have check-ups every 3 months and scans every 6. So far so good. I can’t speak for anyone but myself, but I go through my scanxiety but other wise compartmentalism this. As for additional options, there are always clinical trials and I think there may be one for IPI as an adjuvant therapy. I would imagine U of M would have clinical trial opportunities and you can always check NCI. Good luck and hang in there. This is a marathon and not a sprint. The landscape is changing quickly and for,the better. Good luck!
      washoegal
      Participant

      Hi, I am also sorry you joined us.  But here you are.  You're asking is it ever curable?  I'm not sure.  I'm stage 3a and have have No Evidence of Disease (NED)  for 31/2 years.  Am I cured?  Not hardly.  Do I live a normal life?  Absolutely.  Except for the 6 month scans and regular visits to a dermatologist and being very careful in the sun.  I'd say that's a small price to pay.  Now, when I sit in the Oncologist office and I talk with other people I say "I'm lucky, I'm only stage 3".  My how your perspective changes.

      When I was diagnosed there was only wait and watch or Interferon after having a complete CLND.  I didn't like the risk versus reward of Interferon so I chose to wait and watch.  So far, so good.

      Good Luck,

      Mary

      washoegal
      Participant

      Hi, I am also sorry you joined us.  But here you are.  You're asking is it ever curable?  I'm not sure.  I'm stage 3a and have have No Evidence of Disease (NED)  for 31/2 years.  Am I cured?  Not hardly.  Do I live a normal life?  Absolutely.  Except for the 6 month scans and regular visits to a dermatologist and being very careful in the sun.  I'd say that's a small price to pay.  Now, when I sit in the Oncologist office and I talk with other people I say "I'm lucky, I'm only stage 3".  My how your perspective changes.

      When I was diagnosed there was only wait and watch or Interferon after having a complete CLND.  I didn't like the risk versus reward of Interferon so I chose to wait and watch.  So far, so good.

      Good Luck,

      Mary

      washoegal
      Participant

      Hi, I am also sorry you joined us.  But here you are.  You're asking is it ever curable?  I'm not sure.  I'm stage 3a and have have No Evidence of Disease (NED)  for 31/2 years.  Am I cured?  Not hardly.  Do I live a normal life?  Absolutely.  Except for the 6 month scans and regular visits to a dermatologist and being very careful in the sun.  I'd say that's a small price to pay.  Now, when I sit in the Oncologist office and I talk with other people I say "I'm lucky, I'm only stage 3".  My how your perspective changes.

      When I was diagnosed there was only wait and watch or Interferon after having a complete CLND.  I didn't like the risk versus reward of Interferon so I chose to wait and watch.  So far, so good.

      Good Luck,

      Mary

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