Recent Melanoma stage IIIA
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Recent Melanoma stage IIIA

› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Recent Melanoma stage IIIA

  • Post
    • July 2, 2018 at 5:05 am
    Becka151
    Participant

    Hello:) 

    I’m posting for the first time here. My journey with Melanoma began a few months ago. I’m currently stage IIIA, I’ve had the wide excision, skin graft closore, and sentinel node biopsied. The lymph node biopsy came back positive with a small area of metastic melanoma. I’ve had a PET scan which came back negative for any metastatic disease. My genetic testing came back BRAF positive. Tomorrow I start Adjuvant  Immunotherapy with the drugs Dabrafenib and Trametinib. It will be oral medications taken daily for 1 year. I’ve had all the counseling of the side effects, which quite frankly is a bit worrisome. I’m asking if anyone here has been on these medications, and if so please share your experience with me. It would be greatly appreciated. 

    Thank you so very much. 

    Becka 

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  • Replies
      • July 2, 2018 at 8:12 am
      Tracyyy
      Participant

      Hi, Becka and welcome to the group. My mother is Stage 3 C unresectable with mets to pelvic lymph nodes and currently is on Dabrafenib and Trametinib in a trial. She started in the end of March and her first scans few weeks ago were pretty good showing lymph nodes shrinking. Regarding the side effects – during the first two monts she had rash, constipation and fatigue, all manageable. Yestrday she got nausea, fever and chills – the most common side effects of these drugs. Today she is feeling better after taking paracetamol. Good luck! Keep us posted 🙂

        • July 3, 2018 at 5:09 am
        Becka151
        Participant

        Hello:) 

        Thank you for sharing your mom’s journey with me. Your response is encouraging to me as I move forward with treatment. I’m sending my best wishes that your mom continues to progress on a positive path ahead. 

        Feel free to drop me a line anytime to let me know how her treatment is coming along. 

        Take care 🙂 

      • July 3, 2018 at 1:35 am
      KellyH
      Participant

      Hi Becca. 

      My son was just diagnosed Stage 3A a couple months ago as well. Very similar situation, WLE and positive sentinel node with minimal metastasis. He the had a complete lymph node dissection of his left neck which all came back negative. His PETscan is negative for distant metastasis and he is also BRAF positive. He started adjuvant therapy in the beginning of May…but he is getting Opdivo infusions every 2 weeks for a year.  He is 17 so the infusions do seem like the better option for him than the oral medications.  All the potential side effects are pretty scary for the Opdivo as well but less than 10% of the people on the medication actually get the severe adverse reactions….so that’s reassuring. This forum has been extremely helpful in keeping me from losing my mind with worry.

      We are 3 treatments in and so far he feels fine and has had no problems…knock on wood.  Only 23 more to go!!! 

      Good luck to you!!!  

      Kelly 🙂

       

        • July 3, 2018 at 5:06 am
        Becka151
        Participant

        Hi Kelly:) 

        thank you so much for sharing your son’s experience with me. Each and every reply is such a wonderful encouragement to me. Best wishes to you and your son. Please feel free to drop a line anytime to let me know his progress. 

        Take care:) 

      • July 3, 2018 at 1:10 pm
      Raco
      Participant

      Hello Becka:
      Welcome to the Club that you wish you did not have to be a member, however it’s a wonderful place to get encouragements and to hear about others joineries lets you know that you are not alone.
      There are all walks of life on this form with invaluable information.
      Here is my Story:

      January 25 2018 Melanoma Diagnosis
      Clerk's level: at least IV, Breslow's depth at least 2.0mm,                                                                                   Mitotic rate: 13 mitoses / mm2T-Stage: at least stage T2a Stage 2
      February 5th 2018 Surgery removed tumor and two SLNB                                                                                   Found Microscopic Melanoma in SLN.  Now Classified as N1a  Stage 3
      February 16th, See Oncologist (Virginia Oncology Associates) setup Bain MRI and PET scan, both clear
      Went back for Second surgery March 12, 2018 to have CLND with drain tube
      A sack of 15 lymph nodes were removed and on March 19th 2018 biopsy was back as NEGATIVE FOR METASTATIC MELANOMA CANCER.
      Opdivo was started on April 5th 2018 every other week for 1 year.
      On June 29th, I had my 7th treatment with only 19 more to go.  So far, side effects have been mild for the most part only a few have stuck around for more than a day. The one that holds on is fatigue; it’s now a part of each day.     

      I wish you all the best and pray that you are able to dodge the side effects.
      RACO (Robbie)

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