Newly Diagnosed Stage 3

Hey Karina-I’m stage 3b -had a macronode (nice and fat with melanoma. At the time, I had a 2year old and my wife was pregnant with our 2nd. Doc said interferon was only option (this was 2013). I was devastated-I was 39. Cut to the scene 2018-took my final PET and doctor said I am completely clear and I don’t ever have to come back. There is hope-I’m living proof. I just did surgery and nothing else. I ate healthy, drank kombucha, worked out daily and prayed. You will get through this!

Here is an article with charts showing the improved progression free survival stats from Checkmate 238.  Everyone in the trial had a minimum of 1mm disease burden in their node to qualify which is considerable.  Hopefully, your low disease burden will result in even better results.

Susanne

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1709030

I am sorry for what you are dealing with, but there is indeed hope.  Here is a primer of basic melanoma care that may help you as you plan your next steps:

https://chaoticallypreciselifeloveandmelanoma.blogspot.com/2017/08/melanoma-intel-primer-for-current.html  

I wish you my best.  Celeste

HI Karina – my husband was diagnosed with Stage IV melanoma in 2012.  Still here….still battling.  I hope your pet scan comes back with excellent results. Take care.

Ann

Hello Karina,

I am sorry you have to join us here but you will find support, help and understanding from these great people.  My husband in 2010 was diagnosed with Stage III Melanoma.  He had four surgeries over almost 3 years.  Then he had a unresectable tumor at the Cervical spine C1 – C2 area and mets in his lungs and liver.  He had advanced to Stage IV.  He went on a clinical trial (of which there were not many then) of Yervoy (Ipilimaub) 10 mg/kg and GMCSF (daily self injections for 14 days and 7 off) In a year and a half he was cancer free and has remained that way for over 6 years.  If you want to read more about his journey check out his profile.

All the best to you.  Make sure you see a melanoma specialist.  You have many more options for treatment now than what was available in 2011.

Judy loving wife of Gene ( NED for over 6 years)  NED No evidence of disease.

Hi Karina, I’m sorry for all you’re going through right now – the scan stress is considerable, too. I am also recently diagnosed stage 3a in September and also feel blindsided and scared for my two young kids (4&6 years). I don’t have advice since this is new to me as well, except that I have found reading posts here very helpful and have also joined a local support group I found through my cancer/melanoma center. Talking with others who understand some of the emotions because they have experienced them and gotten through them themselves has been helpful and grounding and hopeful to me. The melanoma primer link posted above is also very helpful; I’ve discovered the field is changing rapidly and up to date info is really different from older info. Take care, kelly

Hi Karina,

Things are scary for you right now because of all the uncertainty and the newness of your diagnosis.  All this just represents a change in routine in one's life. And, changes to one's comfortable routine are scary. What are these changes? They will mostly consist of doctor visits and scans that will lessen in frequency over the years. In the meantime, life goes on as usual. Even though it doesn't seem that way at the moment, it will for you, too.

I was diagnosed Stage IIIB back in 2010. Had an unknown primary, which means there was no mole found, so I was Stage III from the get-go. Melanoma was found in one lymph node. I don't recall what my exact mitotic rate was, other than the word "high" was included in one of the reports. Yeah, melanoma can be that much of a sneaky son of a b*tch.

I am coming up on 8 years cancer free next month. 

Early on in my diagnosis, visits to my oncologist would stress me out a lot and my blood pressure would be through the roof. I recall him looking me straight in the eye during one of these early visits and telling me, "You are in remission and it's my job to make sure you stay there. Your job is to go about enjoying your daily life." That was a reality check for me. 

As one other individual pointed out, you have a low disease burden. That is a very good thing. But waiting for a PET/CT scan and then waiting for the results even with that information in hand can be stressful. Hang in there. 

Hugs to you.