When You Do IL2

Yes, you may ask and I am glad you did.

My personal viewpoint of melanoma has always been one of disease management; surgery, structured with some sort of adjuvant approach.

My belief has always been that there would be  a structured approach in the future that would employ an "innate" ( immune systerm) remedy for melanoma that …………..even way back in 1987 when I did a clinical trial of lax cell therapy which was a rudimentary attempt at immunotherapy.  I believed that then and I believe it now.

That being said, IL2 (which is immunotherapy)  eliminated  stage IV melanoma inside of me for 8 years .

I simply think it "wore off" for lack of a better term; and since it worked once, who is to say it would not work twice?

My decision was not based on a stubborn and  and blind belief of a singular treatment approach from 8 years ago working today though.

My plan is to do IL2 and follow it with Opdivo  There are several " sort of" trials dancing with this, but I do not want a trial right now. 

Not one oncologist (and I spoke with seven of them)  could give me any reason that this approach is wrong, risky or ill-advised.

All said they would prescribe IL2 and after 8 weeks would prescribe Opdivo if I met the  criteria.

Off the record, they ALL said IL2 should only increase the chance of Opdivo working better and vice versa .

 Off the record.  I emphasize again…………..off the record.

And yeah, yeah, yeah, I get the combo with yervoy approved approach, but that does not speak to me,

Because of my documented medical history and becuase I can be quite plucky( okay nice word for what rhymes with slick)  with any doctor of any stripe,  I tend to take the approach of…………………."Okay, what can I NOT do?"

Not one medical professional said I can not take this approach (they all said it is not best practise and they could not advise other patients  to do so ), but agreed that because it is my chances, it is my choice and green lighted my plan.

So, there ya go……………….that is my why.

In my mind, it is important not to throw out the baby with the bathwater……………………new advances are good, but just because it is an advance does not always mean it is the singular way forward for every body and a reason to disregard the past.

I always remember that  historically ,one of the most confounding and continuing aspects of melanoma treatment is:  What works for one does not always work for another.

I'm all in on that this will work for me.

And if it doesn't?  Well crap, none of us are getting out of here alive anyway.

That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.  

Cheers,

Charlie S

.

Yes, you may ask and I am glad you did.

My personal viewpoint of melanoma has always been one of disease management; surgery, structured with some sort of adjuvant approach.

My belief has always been that there would be  a structured approach in the future that would employ an "innate" ( immune systerm) remedy for melanoma that …………..even way back in 1987 when I did a clinical trial of lax cell therapy which was a rudimentary attempt at immunotherapy.  I believed that then and I believe it now.

That being said, IL2 (which is immunotherapy)  eliminated  stage IV melanoma inside of me for 8 years .

I simply think it "wore off" for lack of a better term; and since it worked once, who is to say it would not work twice?

My decision was not based on a stubborn and  and blind belief of a singular treatment approach from 8 years ago working today though.

My plan is to do IL2 and follow it with Opdivo  There are several " sort of" trials dancing with this, but I do not want a trial right now. 

Not one oncologist (and I spoke with seven of them)  could give me any reason that this approach is wrong, risky or ill-advised.

All said they would prescribe IL2 and after 8 weeks would prescribe Opdivo if I met the  criteria.

Off the record, they ALL said IL2 should only increase the chance of Opdivo working better and vice versa .

 Off the record.  I emphasize again…………..off the record.

And yeah, yeah, yeah, I get the combo with yervoy approved approach, but that does not speak to me,

Because of my documented medical history and becuase I can be quite plucky( okay nice word for what rhymes with slick)  with any doctor of any stripe,  I tend to take the approach of…………………."Okay, what can I NOT do?"

Not one medical professional said I can not take this approach (they all said it is not best practise and they could not advise other patients  to do so ), but agreed that because it is my chances, it is my choice and green lighted my plan.

So, there ya go……………….that is my why.

In my mind, it is important not to throw out the baby with the bathwater……………………new advances are good, but just because it is an advance does not always mean it is the singular way forward for every body and a reason to disregard the past.

I always remember that  historically ,one of the most confounding and continuing aspects of melanoma treatment is:  What works for one does not always work for another.

I'm all in on that this will work for me.

And if it doesn't?  Well crap, none of us are getting out of here alive anyway.

That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.  

Cheers,

Charlie S

.

Yes, you may ask and I am glad you did.

My personal viewpoint of melanoma has always been one of disease management; surgery, structured with some sort of adjuvant approach.

My belief has always been that there would be  a structured approach in the future that would employ an "innate" ( immune systerm) remedy for melanoma that …………..even way back in 1987 when I did a clinical trial of lax cell therapy which was a rudimentary attempt at immunotherapy.  I believed that then and I believe it now.

That being said, IL2 (which is immunotherapy)  eliminated  stage IV melanoma inside of me for 8 years .

I simply think it "wore off" for lack of a better term; and since it worked once, who is to say it would not work twice?

My decision was not based on a stubborn and  and blind belief of a singular treatment approach from 8 years ago working today though.

My plan is to do IL2 and follow it with Opdivo  There are several " sort of" trials dancing with this, but I do not want a trial right now. 

Not one oncologist (and I spoke with seven of them)  could give me any reason that this approach is wrong, risky or ill-advised.

All said they would prescribe IL2 and after 8 weeks would prescribe Opdivo if I met the  criteria.

Off the record, they ALL said IL2 should only increase the chance of Opdivo working better and vice versa .

 Off the record.  I emphasize again…………..off the record.

And yeah, yeah, yeah, I get the combo with yervoy approved approach, but that does not speak to me,

Because of my documented medical history and becuase I can be quite plucky( okay nice word for what rhymes with slick)  with any doctor of any stripe,  I tend to take the approach of…………………."Okay, what can I NOT do?"

Not one medical professional said I can not take this approach (they all said it is not best practise and they could not advise other patients  to do so ), but agreed that because it is my chances, it is my choice and green lighted my plan.

So, there ya go……………….that is my why.

In my mind, it is important not to throw out the baby with the bathwater……………………new advances are good, but just because it is an advance does not always mean it is the singular way forward for every body and a reason to disregard the past.

I always remember that  historically ,one of the most confounding and continuing aspects of melanoma treatment is:  What works for one does not always work for another.

I'm all in on that this will work for me.

And if it doesn't?  Well crap, none of us are getting out of here alive anyway.

That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.  

Cheers,

Charlie S

.