Undecided Treatment **Need Help**

Just about 6/8 weeks ago yervoy was approved by the fda for stage 3 patients. Talk to your dr about this. I started about 2 weeks ago and there are a few other ppl on here who just started as well. I am a stage 3A nodular melanoma. Best wishes!! 

Just about 6/8 weeks ago yervoy was approved by the fda for stage 3 patients. Talk to your dr about this. I started about 2 weeks ago and there are a few other ppl on here who just started as well. I am a stage 3A nodular melanoma. Best wishes!! 

Just about 6/8 weeks ago yervoy was approved by the fda for stage 3 patients. Talk to your dr about this. I started about 2 weeks ago and there are a few other ppl on here who just started as well. I am a stage 3A nodular melanoma. Best wishes!! 

My daughter was diagnosed with nodular melanoma stage 3b in October 2012.  She was 24.  Hers was in an existing mole on her right neck.  SLN was negative but a month later a different nearby lymph node was enlarged and found to be melanoma.  Lymph node dissection with just that one lymph node out of 26 found to be positive for melanoma.  She was offerred biochemotherapy and did the 3 rounds recommended.  Very difficult treatment with numerous side effects but we were glad to have something that would be systemic.    At that time it was not even approved for stage 3 so we felt very lucky to get it.  She is now 3 years NED.  Her scans have been decreased to yearly and they are CT only now.  She has skin checks every 6 months.

I understand there are a few other options available now for stage 3 and I am hopeful that there will be many more in the future.  No one can tell you what would be best for you.  We really felt the need to be as aggressive as we could early on but not everyone feels that way.  I know the statistics for biochemotherapy are not great but I believe that each treatment has at least a small percentage of people who respond positively to it so for us it was worth it.

This disease doesn't seem to follow any rules so there isn't one best way to fight it.  Explore all your options and don't let anyone pressure you into a treatment you don't believe in.  Make the decision for treatment based on what works for you and then go for it without regret or looking back.  

I would also like to pass along something my daughters melanoma oncologist told her.  He gave her all the known statistics at the time, in terms of recurrence and progression, but then added that they are only numbers and not her.  No one can predict who will have a complete cure and who will progress.  

I hope this information was helpful and I wish you peace with whatever course of treatment you choose to pursue. 

My daughter was diagnosed with nodular melanoma stage 3b in October 2012.  She was 24.  Hers was in an existing mole on her right neck.  SLN was negative but a month later a different nearby lymph node was enlarged and found to be melanoma.  Lymph node dissection with just that one lymph node out of 26 found to be positive for melanoma.  She was offerred biochemotherapy and did the 3 rounds recommended.  Very difficult treatment with numerous side effects but we were glad to have something that would be systemic.    At that time it was not even approved for stage 3 so we felt very lucky to get it.  She is now 3 years NED.  Her scans have been decreased to yearly and they are CT only now.  She has skin checks every 6 months.

I understand there are a few other options available now for stage 3 and I am hopeful that there will be many more in the future.  No one can tell you what would be best for you.  We really felt the need to be as aggressive as we could early on but not everyone feels that way.  I know the statistics for biochemotherapy are not great but I believe that each treatment has at least a small percentage of people who respond positively to it so for us it was worth it.

This disease doesn't seem to follow any rules so there isn't one best way to fight it.  Explore all your options and don't let anyone pressure you into a treatment you don't believe in.  Make the decision for treatment based on what works for you and then go for it without regret or looking back.  

I would also like to pass along something my daughters melanoma oncologist told her.  He gave her all the known statistics at the time, in terms of recurrence and progression, but then added that they are only numbers and not her.  No one can predict who will have a complete cure and who will progress.  

I hope this information was helpful and I wish you peace with whatever course of treatment you choose to pursue. 

My daughter was diagnosed with nodular melanoma stage 3b in October 2012.  She was 24.  Hers was in an existing mole on her right neck.  SLN was negative but a month later a different nearby lymph node was enlarged and found to be melanoma.  Lymph node dissection with just that one lymph node out of 26 found to be positive for melanoma.  She was offerred biochemotherapy and did the 3 rounds recommended.  Very difficult treatment with numerous side effects but we were glad to have something that would be systemic.    At that time it was not even approved for stage 3 so we felt very lucky to get it.  She is now 3 years NED.  Her scans have been decreased to yearly and they are CT only now.  She has skin checks every 6 months.

I understand there are a few other options available now for stage 3 and I am hopeful that there will be many more in the future.  No one can tell you what would be best for you.  We really felt the need to be as aggressive as we could early on but not everyone feels that way.  I know the statistics for biochemotherapy are not great but I believe that each treatment has at least a small percentage of people who respond positively to it so for us it was worth it.

This disease doesn't seem to follow any rules so there isn't one best way to fight it.  Explore all your options and don't let anyone pressure you into a treatment you don't believe in.  Make the decision for treatment based on what works for you and then go for it without regret or looking back.  

I would also like to pass along something my daughters melanoma oncologist told her.  He gave her all the known statistics at the time, in terms of recurrence and progression, but then added that they are only numbers and not her.  No one can predict who will have a complete cure and who will progress.  

I hope this information was helpful and I wish you peace with whatever course of treatment you choose to pursue. 

It can be a little overwhelming with the options. Since Yervoy (ipi) is now available for stage 3, it is the newest and best drug available for stage 3 currently… which is why I chose that option myself. My oncologist told me about interferon but said since Yervoy is available now that they don't even offer interferon anymore since it basically doesn't do anything. I'm going in for my second infusion on Tuesday, I've had very mild side effects so far, mostly just fatigue. No one really knows how their body will react to any kind of drug until you try it, which is why I didn't let the stories of bad side effects stop me from trying. I'm sure your oncologist will give you all the info you need to make the right choice for yourself. 

Best of luck and happy new year!

-Jenn

It can be a little overwhelming with the options. Since Yervoy (ipi) is now available for stage 3, it is the newest and best drug available for stage 3 currently… which is why I chose that option myself. My oncologist told me about interferon but said since Yervoy is available now that they don't even offer interferon anymore since it basically doesn't do anything. I'm going in for my second infusion on Tuesday, I've had very mild side effects so far, mostly just fatigue. No one really knows how their body will react to any kind of drug until you try it, which is why I didn't let the stories of bad side effects stop me from trying. I'm sure your oncologist will give you all the info you need to make the right choice for yourself. 

Best of luck and happy new year!

-Jenn

It can be a little overwhelming with the options. Since Yervoy (ipi) is now available for stage 3, it is the newest and best drug available for stage 3 currently… which is why I chose that option myself. My oncologist told me about interferon but said since Yervoy is available now that they don't even offer interferon anymore since it basically doesn't do anything. I'm going in for my second infusion on Tuesday, I've had very mild side effects so far, mostly just fatigue. No one really knows how their body will react to any kind of drug until you try it, which is why I didn't let the stories of bad side effects stop me from trying. I'm sure your oncologist will give you all the info you need to make the right choice for yourself. 

Best of luck and happy new year!

-Jenn