› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Yervoy effectiveness re tumor size
- This topic has 30 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 13 years ago by ad2424.
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- October 20, 2011 at 8:20 pm
I know this is a tough, perhaps unknown question, but perhaps someone has info I have not uncovered.
I have 3 lung tumors: 6 mm, 3mm, and 3mm, with additional smaller. 3 months ago the 6 mm was 2 mm and the others were not mentioned.
Does anyone know if this is the prime time to start Yervoy? I am thinking of waiting 4-8 weeks and having another scan, trying to buy some time to possibly get on a trial of another protocal. Thanks.
I know this is a tough, perhaps unknown question, but perhaps someone has info I have not uncovered.
I have 3 lung tumors: 6 mm, 3mm, and 3mm, with additional smaller. 3 months ago the 6 mm was 2 mm and the others were not mentioned.
Does anyone know if this is the prime time to start Yervoy? I am thinking of waiting 4-8 weeks and having another scan, trying to buy some time to possibly get on a trial of another protocal. Thanks.
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- October 20, 2011 at 8:28 pm
To me, these tumors seem a bit aggressive to have grown that much in a month, although my onc says that the lungs are VERY forgiving. The only reason we together chose to start with Yervoy was that my many lung tumors had not grown in three months. Yeryoy is pretty slow acting. Otherwise, we would have started with Zelboraf. If I had not been B-RAF +, I probably would have gone for the IL-2. What does your oncologist think?
Cristy, Stage IV
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- October 20, 2011 at 8:28 pm
To me, these tumors seem a bit aggressive to have grown that much in a month, although my onc says that the lungs are VERY forgiving. The only reason we together chose to start with Yervoy was that my many lung tumors had not grown in three months. Yeryoy is pretty slow acting. Otherwise, we would have started with Zelboraf. If I had not been B-RAF +, I probably would have gone for the IL-2. What does your oncologist think?
Cristy, Stage IV
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- October 20, 2011 at 9:38 pm
Oh, sorry, I mis-read that. My onc also said that if there was no such thing as Yervoy, he would have been very comfortable waiting before starting a faster acting agent. But because Yervoy is slow acting, he thought it prudent to start infusions sooner rather than later. I guess I would be concerned that the tumor load might increase?? But probably not in a month. I am not sure what the benefit would be to wait for a month…
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- October 20, 2011 at 9:38 pm
Oh, sorry, I mis-read that. My onc also said that if there was no such thing as Yervoy, he would have been very comfortable waiting before starting a faster acting agent. But because Yervoy is slow acting, he thought it prudent to start infusions sooner rather than later. I guess I would be concerned that the tumor load might increase?? But probably not in a month. I am not sure what the benefit would be to wait for a month…
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- October 20, 2011 at 9:38 pm
Oh, sorry, I mis-read that. My onc also said that if there was no such thing as Yervoy, he would have been very comfortable waiting before starting a faster acting agent. But because Yervoy is slow acting, he thought it prudent to start infusions sooner rather than later. I guess I would be concerned that the tumor load might increase?? But probably not in a month. I am not sure what the benefit would be to wait for a month…
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- October 20, 2011 at 11:24 pm
I have 15 nodules in my lungs – all around the same size as yours – and one grew to 1.2cm. Most of these nodules grew in 6 weeks, but only a little bit (1cm grew to 1.2cm and the rest grew a tiny bit or not at all). Nodules can grow slowly and they can also change course and grow quickly. I asked my Dr. if my nodules would continue to grow slow and he said "Melanoma will just do what it wants to do". That being said, If I were you, I wouldn't let any of them grow much more and start Yervoy. Because Yervoy takes time, you want your tumour burden to be lower so that you don't have symptoms should they grow before the Yervoy kicks in (hopefully).
One last thing, I never had a biopsy on any of my nodules – have you??
Christy – what did your Dr. mean when he said lungs were forgiving?
Good luck!
Lisa
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- October 20, 2011 at 11:24 pm
I have 15 nodules in my lungs – all around the same size as yours – and one grew to 1.2cm. Most of these nodules grew in 6 weeks, but only a little bit (1cm grew to 1.2cm and the rest grew a tiny bit or not at all). Nodules can grow slowly and they can also change course and grow quickly. I asked my Dr. if my nodules would continue to grow slow and he said "Melanoma will just do what it wants to do". That being said, If I were you, I wouldn't let any of them grow much more and start Yervoy. Because Yervoy takes time, you want your tumour burden to be lower so that you don't have symptoms should they grow before the Yervoy kicks in (hopefully).
One last thing, I never had a biopsy on any of my nodules – have you??
Christy – what did your Dr. mean when he said lungs were forgiving?
Good luck!
Lisa
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- October 20, 2011 at 11:24 pm
I have 15 nodules in my lungs – all around the same size as yours – and one grew to 1.2cm. Most of these nodules grew in 6 weeks, but only a little bit (1cm grew to 1.2cm and the rest grew a tiny bit or not at all). Nodules can grow slowly and they can also change course and grow quickly. I asked my Dr. if my nodules would continue to grow slow and he said "Melanoma will just do what it wants to do". That being said, If I were you, I wouldn't let any of them grow much more and start Yervoy. Because Yervoy takes time, you want your tumour burden to be lower so that you don't have symptoms should they grow before the Yervoy kicks in (hopefully).
One last thing, I never had a biopsy on any of my nodules – have you??
Christy – what did your Dr. mean when he said lungs were forgiving?
Good luck!
Lisa
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- October 20, 2011 at 11:50 pm
Hi Lisa,
Well, I have lots of tumors in all parts of my lungs, and I asked him why I have not had any symptoms at all. He basically just showed me the the scans of the lungs that show how much area of lung there is compared to the size of the tumors. This explanation from him was probably way oversimplified, but it worked for me! I suppose I have been very fortunate not to have any fluid in my lungs, as well.
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- October 20, 2011 at 11:50 pm
Hi Lisa,
Well, I have lots of tumors in all parts of my lungs, and I asked him why I have not had any symptoms at all. He basically just showed me the the scans of the lungs that show how much area of lung there is compared to the size of the tumors. This explanation from him was probably way oversimplified, but it worked for me! I suppose I have been very fortunate not to have any fluid in my lungs, as well.
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- October 21, 2011 at 1:40 am
Mine are very small as well, except for the 1.2cm one. I too have never had any symptoms, but they were also first seen in April when my Dr. had no idea what they were because they were so small. Since they grew a bit, he didn't want to wait until 1 day I became symptomatic.
I hope you and I do very well on this drug!
Lisa
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- October 21, 2011 at 1:40 am
Mine are very small as well, except for the 1.2cm one. I too have never had any symptoms, but they were also first seen in April when my Dr. had no idea what they were because they were so small. Since they grew a bit, he didn't want to wait until 1 day I became symptomatic.
I hope you and I do very well on this drug!
Lisa
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- October 21, 2011 at 1:40 am
Mine are very small as well, except for the 1.2cm one. I too have never had any symptoms, but they were also first seen in April when my Dr. had no idea what they were because they were so small. Since they grew a bit, he didn't want to wait until 1 day I became symptomatic.
I hope you and I do very well on this drug!
Lisa
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- October 20, 2011 at 11:50 pm
Hi Lisa,
Well, I have lots of tumors in all parts of my lungs, and I asked him why I have not had any symptoms at all. He basically just showed me the the scans of the lungs that show how much area of lung there is compared to the size of the tumors. This explanation from him was probably way oversimplified, but it worked for me! I suppose I have been very fortunate not to have any fluid in my lungs, as well.
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- October 20, 2011 at 8:28 pm
To me, these tumors seem a bit aggressive to have grown that much in a month, although my onc says that the lungs are VERY forgiving. The only reason we together chose to start with Yervoy was that my many lung tumors had not grown in three months. Yeryoy is pretty slow acting. Otherwise, we would have started with Zelboraf. If I had not been B-RAF +, I probably would have gone for the IL-2. What does your oncologist think?
Cristy, Stage IV
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