Need Melanoma Specialist in Norfolk, VA

I too am in Virginia and did not qualify for a UVA trial back in 2006. Unfortunately, they are the only melanoma center in the state. One of the biggest and most important lessons I learned from having melanoma is to make sure you go to a melanoma center and not anywhere else. Many docs say they can treat melanoma and it is just not true unless they are part of a health system that deals exclusively with melanoma. I made that mistake and it almost cost me my life.

So, I found a trial at NYU under Dr Anna Pavlick. Yes, it was a long tripto New York and inconvenient but well worth it. You can also check Johns Hopkins in Maryland. I have a friend who was happy with her experience there.

Wish there was something closer. Please let me know if I can help in any way…wishing you and your husband all the best!

Libby (IIIb, NED 2006)

I too am in Virginia and did not qualify for a UVA trial back in 2006. Unfortunately, they are the only melanoma center in the state. One of the biggest and most important lessons I learned from having melanoma is to make sure you go to a melanoma center and not anywhere else. Many docs say they can treat melanoma and it is just not true unless they are part of a health system that deals exclusively with melanoma. I made that mistake and it almost cost me my life.

So, I found a trial at NYU under Dr Anna Pavlick. Yes, it was a long tripto New York and inconvenient but well worth it. You can also check Johns Hopkins in Maryland. I have a friend who was happy with her experience there.

Wish there was something closer. Please let me know if I can help in any way…wishing you and your husband all the best!

Libby (IIIb, NED 2006)

I too am in Virginia and did not qualify for a UVA trial back in 2006. Unfortunately, they are the only melanoma center in the state. One of the biggest and most important lessons I learned from having melanoma is to make sure you go to a melanoma center and not anywhere else. Many docs say they can treat melanoma and it is just not true unless they are part of a health system that deals exclusively with melanoma. I made that mistake and it almost cost me my life.

So, I found a trial at NYU under Dr Anna Pavlick. Yes, it was a long tripto New York and inconvenient but well worth it. You can also check Johns Hopkins in Maryland. I have a friend who was happy with her experience there.

Wish there was something closer. Please let me know if I can help in any way…wishing you and your husband all the best!

Libby (IIIb, NED 2006)

If UVA caannot meet you eds I was interested in at the time The next two closest locations are at  Duke in NC and at Georgetown Universary's Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center in DC.

If UVA caannot meet you eds I was interested in at the time The next two closest locations are at  Duke in NC and at Georgetown Universary's Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center in DC.

If UVA caannot meet you eds I was interested in at the time The next two closest locations are at  Duke in NC and at Georgetown Universary's Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center in DC.

I assume your husband is stage 3A NED after surgery and you are looking for adjuvant treatment.  If that's the case you are probably finding it is very tough to find a good adjuvant trial.  I assume you are familiar with clinicaltrials.gov and have used the filters on that search engine to see what's out there.  Unfortunately clinicaltrials.gov is not always up to date so sometimes it actually takes getting on the phone or emailing places to see what they currently are offering.  NIH at times has adjuvant trials but I don't know if they have anything right now.  When I was stage IV NED about 8 months ago Moffitt (Tampa) was doing a adjuvant trial for stage IVers.  Not sure if they have any for stage IIIers.  I've been treated at Duke in the past.  They are strong in some areas but melanoma isn't their strongest area in my opinion but you could check with them.  I hear John Hopkins has a wonderful melanoma department you might want to check out.  A lot of times the best and quickest way to find out is to email a nurse or Doctor at the facility you are interested in and make it a 2 or 3 sentence question.  "I am a ____ year male melanoma stage IIIA NED following ________ surgery.  Do you have any clinical trials which I might qualify for?"  My experience is that most Doctors will respond within 24 hours.  The key is to keep it short and sweet. 

As far as Norfolk I do not know of any specialist in that area.  A friend of mine who is Stage IV NED being treated in a trial at UVA also sees Dr. Andrew Poklepovic at VCU in Richmond.  He really likes him and says he could offer your husband NCT01274338 (HD/LD Ipi vs. Interferon).  Getting into the Ipi arm of that trial would be a good option.  If you were randomized into the Interferon arm not so much.

I can provide you some POCs for most of the places above if you are interested in any of them.  Just send me a message.  Good luck.

Brian

I assume your husband is stage 3A NED after surgery and you are looking for adjuvant treatment.  If that's the case you are probably finding it is very tough to find a good adjuvant trial.  I assume you are familiar with clinicaltrials.gov and have used the filters on that search engine to see what's out there.  Unfortunately clinicaltrials.gov is not always up to date so sometimes it actually takes getting on the phone or emailing places to see what they currently are offering.  NIH at times has adjuvant trials but I don't know if they have anything right now.  When I was stage IV NED about 8 months ago Moffitt (Tampa) was doing a adjuvant trial for stage IVers.  Not sure if they have any for stage IIIers.  I've been treated at Duke in the past.  They are strong in some areas but melanoma isn't their strongest area in my opinion but you could check with them.  I hear John Hopkins has a wonderful melanoma department you might want to check out.  A lot of times the best and quickest way to find out is to email a nurse or Doctor at the facility you are interested in and make it a 2 or 3 sentence question.  "I am a ____ year male melanoma stage IIIA NED following ________ surgery.  Do you have any clinical trials which I might qualify for?"  My experience is that most Doctors will respond within 24 hours.  The key is to keep it short and sweet. 

As far as Norfolk I do not know of any specialist in that area.  A friend of mine who is Stage IV NED being treated in a trial at UVA also sees Dr. Andrew Poklepovic at VCU in Richmond.  He really likes him and says he could offer your husband NCT01274338 (HD/LD Ipi vs. Interferon).  Getting into the Ipi arm of that trial would be a good option.  If you were randomized into the Interferon arm not so much.

I can provide you some POCs for most of the places above if you are interested in any of them.  Just send me a message.  Good luck.

Brian

I assume your husband is stage 3A NED after surgery and you are looking for adjuvant treatment.  If that's the case you are probably finding it is very tough to find a good adjuvant trial.  I assume you are familiar with clinicaltrials.gov and have used the filters on that search engine to see what's out there.  Unfortunately clinicaltrials.gov is not always up to date so sometimes it actually takes getting on the phone or emailing places to see what they currently are offering.  NIH at times has adjuvant trials but I don't know if they have anything right now.  When I was stage IV NED about 8 months ago Moffitt (Tampa) was doing a adjuvant trial for stage IVers.  Not sure if they have any for stage IIIers.  I've been treated at Duke in the past.  They are strong in some areas but melanoma isn't their strongest area in my opinion but you could check with them.  I hear John Hopkins has a wonderful melanoma department you might want to check out.  A lot of times the best and quickest way to find out is to email a nurse or Doctor at the facility you are interested in and make it a 2 or 3 sentence question.  "I am a ____ year male melanoma stage IIIA NED following ________ surgery.  Do you have any clinical trials which I might qualify for?"  My experience is that most Doctors will respond within 24 hours.  The key is to keep it short and sweet. 

As far as Norfolk I do not know of any specialist in that area.  A friend of mine who is Stage IV NED being treated in a trial at UVA also sees Dr. Andrew Poklepovic at VCU in Richmond.  He really likes him and says he could offer your husband NCT01274338 (HD/LD Ipi vs. Interferon).  Getting into the Ipi arm of that trial would be a good option.  If you were randomized into the Interferon arm not so much.

I can provide you some POCs for most of the places above if you are interested in any of them.  Just send me a message.  Good luck.

Brian