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Where to get detailed statistics for treatment options?

Forums General Melanoma Community Where to get detailed statistics for treatment options?

  • Post
    GeeCee
    Participant
      Hi, I'm trying to find detailed survival and adverse event statistics so I can advise my stage IV 70 year old fathe with metastatic sites in the liver and both lungs.
       
      We're trying to decide whether to start chemo (Bacarbazine) whilst waiting for another liver biopsy looking for any mutation (the first biopsy missed all cancerous cells!). We expect this to take 4 weeks (in the UK on the National Health Service).
       
      I know that Bacarbazine is ineffective in 85% of cases! but that's for all patient groups! what's its efficacy for 70 year old men?
       
      Similarly, Bacarbazine is considered well tolerated, but again that's for all patient groups, my father is not in good health. What are the instances of adverse events for him likely to be?
       
      Can anyone point me at studies that publish these detailed statistics please?
       
      Many thanks.
    Viewing 14 reply threads
    • Replies
        Janner
        Participant

          I don't think you are going to find all that stats you want.  Everyone responds differently.  But something to keep in mind is that men over 60 are the most likely to get melanoma.  So any info showing tolerance is likely to have many in the male over 60 category.  If you do find tolerance stats by age/gender, please post them here.

          Janner
          Participant

            I don't think you are going to find all that stats you want.  Everyone responds differently.  But something to keep in mind is that men over 60 are the most likely to get melanoma.  So any info showing tolerance is likely to have many in the male over 60 category.  If you do find tolerance stats by age/gender, please post them here.

            Janner
            Participant

              I don't think you are going to find all that stats you want.  Everyone responds differently.  But something to keep in mind is that men over 60 are the most likely to get melanoma.  So any info showing tolerance is likely to have many in the male over 60 category.  If you do find tolerance stats by age/gender, please post them here.

              POW
              Participant

                I have never seen a compilation of all of the statistics for all treatment options, much less any that were broken down by patient age. If your father is trying to choose between two particular treatment options, we might be able to help you with that. 

                POW
                Participant

                  I have never seen a compilation of all of the statistics for all treatment options, much less any that were broken down by patient age. If your father is trying to choose between two particular treatment options, we might be able to help you with that. 

                  POW
                  Participant

                    I have never seen a compilation of all of the statistics for all treatment options, much less any that were broken down by patient age. If your father is trying to choose between two particular treatment options, we might be able to help you with that. 

                    Charlie S
                    Participant

                      Though I undedrstand your need, please understand that cancer statistics alone are only a representation of what happened to a certain group of people in the past; and are in  no way a prediction  of what will happen to any one individual in the future.

                      That said and with the caveat of only expressing an opinion; chemotherapy, in the context of modern treatment approaches to melanoma is quite out dated.

                      Charlie S

                       

                      Charlie S
                      Participant

                        Though I undedrstand your need, please understand that cancer statistics alone are only a representation of what happened to a certain group of people in the past; and are in  no way a prediction  of what will happen to any one individual in the future.

                        That said and with the caveat of only expressing an opinion; chemotherapy, in the context of modern treatment approaches to melanoma is quite out dated.

                        Charlie S

                         

                        Charlie S
                        Participant

                          Though I undedrstand your need, please understand that cancer statistics alone are only a representation of what happened to a certain group of people in the past; and are in  no way a prediction  of what will happen to any one individual in the future.

                          That said and with the caveat of only expressing an opinion; chemotherapy, in the context of modern treatment approaches to melanoma is quite out dated.

                          Charlie S

                           

                          NursePhyllis
                          Participant

                            there are several places to get statistics that aren't biased, such as http://www.nih.gov, the CDC. the american cancer society.  if you want to find out the results of specific studies you can usually find them under http://www.clintrials.gov

                            NursePhyllis
                            Participant

                              there are several places to get statistics that aren't biased, such as http://www.nih.gov, the CDC. the american cancer society.  if you want to find out the results of specific studies you can usually find them under http://www.clintrials.gov

                                GeeCee
                                Participant

                                  Thanks for all the replies. I've spent the last few hours on http://www.clinicaltrials.gov but couldn't find a study that just showed Dacarbazine vs a placebo, and none that gave response rates by age group. It seems crazy to me that the baseline chemo treatment hasn't been evaluated on its own for efficacy.

                                  I did find some studies that showed Dacarbazine on its own, but as the competitor for other drugs, however no breakdown by age and gender eg:

                                  http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00110994

                                  Anyone know how to get the detailed results or original published paper?

                                  either way, looking at the studies, it seems that with chemo (Bacarbazine) you are still talking a life expectancy of less than a year. Whilst if there's a response, you can expect to be progression free for a few months, the likelihood of serious adverse events is about 25%, and of other adverse events is high with a broad range of likely side effects.

                                  Is it worth extending life by a few months, only to have those months filled with more medical complications and misery? That's the key question.

                                   

                                  GeeCee
                                  Participant

                                    Thanks for all the replies. I've spent the last few hours on http://www.clinicaltrials.gov but couldn't find a study that just showed Dacarbazine vs a placebo, and none that gave response rates by age group. It seems crazy to me that the baseline chemo treatment hasn't been evaluated on its own for efficacy.

                                    I did find some studies that showed Dacarbazine on its own, but as the competitor for other drugs, however no breakdown by age and gender eg:

                                    http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00110994

                                    Anyone know how to get the detailed results or original published paper?

                                    either way, looking at the studies, it seems that with chemo (Bacarbazine) you are still talking a life expectancy of less than a year. Whilst if there's a response, you can expect to be progression free for a few months, the likelihood of serious adverse events is about 25%, and of other adverse events is high with a broad range of likely side effects.

                                    Is it worth extending life by a few months, only to have those months filled with more medical complications and misery? That's the key question.

                                     

                                    GeeCee
                                    Participant

                                      Thanks for all the replies. I've spent the last few hours on http://www.clinicaltrials.gov but couldn't find a study that just showed Dacarbazine vs a placebo, and none that gave response rates by age group. It seems crazy to me that the baseline chemo treatment hasn't been evaluated on its own for efficacy.

                                      I did find some studies that showed Dacarbazine on its own, but as the competitor for other drugs, however no breakdown by age and gender eg:

                                      http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00110994

                                      Anyone know how to get the detailed results or original published paper?

                                      either way, looking at the studies, it seems that with chemo (Bacarbazine) you are still talking a life expectancy of less than a year. Whilst if there's a response, you can expect to be progression free for a few months, the likelihood of serious adverse events is about 25%, and of other adverse events is high with a broad range of likely side effects.

                                      Is it worth extending life by a few months, only to have those months filled with more medical complications and misery? That's the key question.

                                       

                                    NursePhyllis
                                    Participant

                                      there are several places to get statistics that aren't biased, such as http://www.nih.gov, the CDC. the american cancer society.  if you want to find out the results of specific studies you can usually find them under http://www.clintrials.gov

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