› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Possibility of stage IV
- This topic has 6 replies, 2 voices, and was last updated 11 years, 7 months ago by
Maureen038.
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- September 25, 2012 at 2:45 pm
My husband has stage IIIb acral melanoma in his left big toe nail. The toe was amputated at end of april and he had one sentinel node with microscopic. His c-kit and BRAF are negative. He had groin dissection in may and everything was negative. He entered a study where he had a 2 out of 3 chance of getting yervoy, but unfortunately got interferon. He went through the month of July with the high dose and started giving himself shots after. His first CT scan a week and half ago showed a 1 cm nodule in his right lung.My husband has stage IIIb acral melanoma in his left big toe nail. The toe was amputated at end of april and he had one sentinel node with microscopic. His c-kit and BRAF are negative. He had groin dissection in may and everything was negative. He entered a study where he had a 2 out of 3 chance of getting yervoy, but unfortunately got interferon. He went through the month of July with the high dose and started giving himself shots after. His first CT scan a week and half ago showed a 1 cm nodule in his right lung. We are scared to death waiting for the results of needle biopsy which should come tomorrow. We are working with Dr. venna(melanoma specialist) at Washington hospital center who is wonderful and a compassionate oncologist in Gaithersburg. We are also asking for a second opinion at John Hopkins. If anyone has any advice, we would so welcome it!! My husband is 55 and is in good health otherwise.
Maureen
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- September 25, 2012 at 4:52 pm
Getting a second opnion never hurts. I don't know much about the melanoma center at Washington Hospital but I am very happy with Johns Hopkins. You'll be seeing either Dr. Scharfmann or Dr. Lipson. I see Dr. Scharfmann and like how laid back he is. Some folks are put off by it, but I find it helpful because if he's calm then it helps me because I can be a "nervous-Nellie". I saw Lipson once when Scharfmann was out of the office so I don't know much about him. The facility in downtown Baltimore is HUGE! If your appointment is at Green Spring Station, which is in the suburbs, it's not as intimidating-looking.
Here's some good information on their melanoma program:
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- September 25, 2012 at 7:40 pm
Lenny,
I really appreciate your advice! It’s been an awful week and we are planning for the worst so we can be prepared. John Hopkins will give us a second opinion after we found out results of biopsy. They did say to remove it right away if it is and so did our oncologist. Our melanoma specialist said to possibly go on Yervoy for a month or two and see if the nodule would shrink and it would take care of other microscopic cells. Then follow up with CT scan. We feel that it should be removed ASAP if it’s melanoma. Thanks again!
Maureen -
- September 25, 2012 at 7:40 pm
Lenny,
I really appreciate your advice! It’s been an awful week and we are planning for the worst so we can be prepared. John Hopkins will give us a second opinion after we found out results of biopsy. They did say to remove it right away if it is and so did our oncologist. Our melanoma specialist said to possibly go on Yervoy for a month or two and see if the nodule would shrink and it would take care of other microscopic cells. Then follow up with CT scan. We feel that it should be removed ASAP if it’s melanoma. Thanks again!
Maureen -
- September 25, 2012 at 7:40 pm
Lenny,
I really appreciate your advice! It’s been an awful week and we are planning for the worst so we can be prepared. John Hopkins will give us a second opinion after we found out results of biopsy. They did say to remove it right away if it is and so did our oncologist. Our melanoma specialist said to possibly go on Yervoy for a month or two and see if the nodule would shrink and it would take care of other microscopic cells. Then follow up with CT scan. We feel that it should be removed ASAP if it’s melanoma. Thanks again!
Maureen
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- September 25, 2012 at 4:52 pm
Getting a second opnion never hurts. I don't know much about the melanoma center at Washington Hospital but I am very happy with Johns Hopkins. You'll be seeing either Dr. Scharfmann or Dr. Lipson. I see Dr. Scharfmann and like how laid back he is. Some folks are put off by it, but I find it helpful because if he's calm then it helps me because I can be a "nervous-Nellie". I saw Lipson once when Scharfmann was out of the office so I don't know much about him. The facility in downtown Baltimore is HUGE! If your appointment is at Green Spring Station, which is in the suburbs, it's not as intimidating-looking.
Here's some good information on their melanoma program:
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- September 25, 2012 at 4:52 pm
Getting a second opnion never hurts. I don't know much about the melanoma center at Washington Hospital but I am very happy with Johns Hopkins. You'll be seeing either Dr. Scharfmann or Dr. Lipson. I see Dr. Scharfmann and like how laid back he is. Some folks are put off by it, but I find it helpful because if he's calm then it helps me because I can be a "nervous-Nellie". I saw Lipson once when Scharfmann was out of the office so I don't know much about him. The facility in downtown Baltimore is HUGE! If your appointment is at Green Spring Station, which is in the suburbs, it's not as intimidating-looking.
Here's some good information on their melanoma program:
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Tagged: acral, cutaneous melanoma
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