Radiation pros and cons

Hi.

Big area for research

https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?term=pembrolizumab+radiation+melanoma&Search=Search

if you go to advanced search and in put your country/ state you could see what is going in your area.

trial 8 looks interesting….

some of the trials have criteria that includes prior dosing with keytruda. Gut feeling is follow melanoma expert advice- if Keytruda works for you might not even need radio.

Good Luck

Deb

Hi.

Big area for research

https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?term=pembrolizumab+radiation+melanoma&Search=Search

if you go to advanced search and in put your country/ state you could see what is going in your area.

trial 8 looks interesting….

some of the trials have criteria that includes prior dosing with keytruda. Gut feeling is follow melanoma expert advice- if Keytruda works for you might not even need radio.

Good Luck

Deb

Hi.

Big area for research

https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?term=pembrolizumab+radiation+melanoma&Search=Search

if you go to advanced search and in put your country/ state you could see what is going in your area.

trial 8 looks interesting….

some of the trials have criteria that includes prior dosing with keytruda. Gut feeling is follow melanoma expert advice- if Keytruda works for you might not even need radio.

Good Luck

Deb

Hi Linda, 

Sorry that you are dealing with all this. Keytruda certainly sounds like a good treatment plan for you. And while radiation alone has not been found particularly beneficial for melanoma…when it is COMBINED with immunotherapy (like keytruda) the combination can provide results better than either treatment alone.  Here is a post containing a new article discussing that very thing, with additional studies linked within:

http://chaoticallypreciselifeloveandmelanoma.blogspot.com/2016/10/one-more-timebetter-responses-when.html 

Occasionally, radiation is not an option because of the proximity to vital organs and vessles that cannot tolerate the effects of radiation. I don't know if that is a pertinent consideration in your case….but I would certainly talk to my melanoma specialist about the possibility of doing both!

I wish you my best. Celeste

Hi Linda, 

Sorry that you are dealing with all this. Keytruda certainly sounds like a good treatment plan for you. And while radiation alone has not been found particularly beneficial for melanoma…when it is COMBINED with immunotherapy (like keytruda) the combination can provide results better than either treatment alone.  Here is a post containing a new article discussing that very thing, with additional studies linked within:

http://chaoticallypreciselifeloveandmelanoma.blogspot.com/2016/10/one-more-timebetter-responses-when.html 

Occasionally, radiation is not an option because of the proximity to vital organs and vessles that cannot tolerate the effects of radiation. I don't know if that is a pertinent consideration in your case….but I would certainly talk to my melanoma specialist about the possibility of doing both!

I wish you my best. Celeste

Hi Linda, 

Sorry that you are dealing with all this. Keytruda certainly sounds like a good treatment plan for you. And while radiation alone has not been found particularly beneficial for melanoma…when it is COMBINED with immunotherapy (like keytruda) the combination can provide results better than either treatment alone.  Here is a post containing a new article discussing that very thing, with additional studies linked within:

http://chaoticallypreciselifeloveandmelanoma.blogspot.com/2016/10/one-more-timebetter-responses-when.html 

Occasionally, radiation is not an option because of the proximity to vital organs and vessles that cannot tolerate the effects of radiation. I don't know if that is a pertinent consideration in your case….but I would certainly talk to my melanoma specialist about the possibility of doing both!

I wish you my best. Celeste

Hi Linda,

Sorry to hear you have to deal with this.  I do have a bit of experience here.  Been through two rounds of radiation, to destroy large sub-q tumors.  As I've mentioned here before, there is no action without a reaction.  Short version is two out of three large 8-10CM tumors were completely eliminated with a five-dose, painless radiation treatment.  When done right, it can be effective.  As noted above, some areas where collateral damage can occur rule out its safe use.  But even in my case, where collateral damage was considered a mild threat, I have suffered permanent lung damage, which thankfully has diminished to the point I am no longer effected, and damage to shoulder ligaments, which have created chronic pain and some mobility issues, but again, nothing extreme.  It should be noted that different people do respond differently and not every tumor even responds exactly the same way.  For me, after failing multiple therapies including Keytruda as single agents, my experience with the Yervoy-Opdivo (similar to Keytruda)-radiation combo has proved to offer the first systemic success I have encountered.  Bottom line is radiation combined with Keytruda may indeed be the very best bet.  On a final note, if BRAF positive, that could also be a good start to lower tumor burden quickly in a first step, followed by anti PD-1 drug Keytruda which appears to work better on smaller tumors.

Gary

Hi Linda,

Sorry to hear you have to deal with this.  I do have a bit of experience here.  Been through two rounds of radiation, to destroy large sub-q tumors.  As I've mentioned here before, there is no action without a reaction.  Short version is two out of three large 8-10CM tumors were completely eliminated with a five-dose, painless radiation treatment.  When done right, it can be effective.  As noted above, some areas where collateral damage can occur rule out its safe use.  But even in my case, where collateral damage was considered a mild threat, I have suffered permanent lung damage, which thankfully has diminished to the point I am no longer effected, and damage to shoulder ligaments, which have created chronic pain and some mobility issues, but again, nothing extreme.  It should be noted that different people do respond differently and not every tumor even responds exactly the same way.  For me, after failing multiple therapies including Keytruda as single agents, my experience with the Yervoy-Opdivo (similar to Keytruda)-radiation combo has proved to offer the first systemic success I have encountered.  Bottom line is radiation combined with Keytruda may indeed be the very best bet.  On a final note, if BRAF positive, that could also be a good start to lower tumor burden quickly in a first step, followed by anti PD-1 drug Keytruda which appears to work better on smaller tumors.

Gary

Hi Linda,

Sorry to hear you have to deal with this.  I do have a bit of experience here.  Been through two rounds of radiation, to destroy large sub-q tumors.  As I've mentioned here before, there is no action without a reaction.  Short version is two out of three large 8-10CM tumors were completely eliminated with a five-dose, painless radiation treatment.  When done right, it can be effective.  As noted above, some areas where collateral damage can occur rule out its safe use.  But even in my case, where collateral damage was considered a mild threat, I have suffered permanent lung damage, which thankfully has diminished to the point I am no longer effected, and damage to shoulder ligaments, which have created chronic pain and some mobility issues, but again, nothing extreme.  It should be noted that different people do respond differently and not every tumor even responds exactly the same way.  For me, after failing multiple therapies including Keytruda as single agents, my experience with the Yervoy-Opdivo (similar to Keytruda)-radiation combo has proved to offer the first systemic success I have encountered.  Bottom line is radiation combined with Keytruda may indeed be the very best bet.  On a final note, if BRAF positive, that could also be a good start to lower tumor burden quickly in a first step, followed by anti PD-1 drug Keytruda which appears to work better on smaller tumors.

Gary

Hi Linda, I going to give you a link to a current video by Dr. Michael Postow to hopefully help in your decision making process. If you go to the 34:00min mark he talks about radiation and Immunotherapy. Best Wishes!!!Ed  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxrzoERrzEU

Hi Linda, I going to give you a link to a current video by Dr. Michael Postow to hopefully help in your decision making process. If you go to the 34:00min mark he talks about radiation and Immunotherapy. Best Wishes!!!Ed  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxrzoERrzEU

Hi Linda, I going to give you a link to a current video by Dr. Michael Postow to hopefully help in your decision making process. If you go to the 34:00min mark he talks about radiation and Immunotherapy. Best Wishes!!!Ed  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxrzoERrzEU