@273c
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My husband is also stage IV, he had it in a lymph node and another internal tumor. He had them completely removed by surgery and is now stage IV NED (no evidence of disease). Because there were two sites and because melanoma is what it is, he is on Opdivo to get any of the smaller mets that he might have had that the scans couldn't pick up.
Here's what I know. First if you go hunting on the internet for statistical prognosis data on Melanoma it is all old and therefore wrong. The survival rates are going to go way up in the next five year. There are immunotherapy drugs that got apporved in the past year that are going to dramatically change that prognosis data.
Big THANK YOU to the ratties!!!!
Now those immunotherapy drugs, because they are new, are not approved for lower stages. I have to agree I find it a bit odd that your husband is a stage IV with only one site. But starting an immunotherapy drug like Opdivo or Keytruda might not be an option if he weren't a stage IV.
There is something about the uptake/contrast piece that makes a brain MRI different. Melanoma shows up because it has a high metabolic rate. Trouble is so does your brain so to see a brain met on an MRI you need a different contrast or setting or something.
Good Luck,
Kathy
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My husband is also stage IV, he had it in a lymph node and another internal tumor. He had them completely removed by surgery and is now stage IV NED (no evidence of disease). Because there were two sites and because melanoma is what it is, he is on Opdivo to get any of the smaller mets that he might have had that the scans couldn't pick up.
Here's what I know. First if you go hunting on the internet for statistical prognosis data on Melanoma it is all old and therefore wrong. The survival rates are going to go way up in the next five year. There are immunotherapy drugs that got apporved in the past year that are going to dramatically change that prognosis data.
Big THANK YOU to the ratties!!!!
Now those immunotherapy drugs, because they are new, are not approved for lower stages. I have to agree I find it a bit odd that your husband is a stage IV with only one site. But starting an immunotherapy drug like Opdivo or Keytruda might not be an option if he weren't a stage IV.
There is something about the uptake/contrast piece that makes a brain MRI different. Melanoma shows up because it has a high metabolic rate. Trouble is so does your brain so to see a brain met on an MRI you need a different contrast or setting or something.
Good Luck,
Kathy
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My husband is also stage IV, he had it in a lymph node and another internal tumor. He had them completely removed by surgery and is now stage IV NED (no evidence of disease). Because there were two sites and because melanoma is what it is, he is on Opdivo to get any of the smaller mets that he might have had that the scans couldn't pick up.
Here's what I know. First if you go hunting on the internet for statistical prognosis data on Melanoma it is all old and therefore wrong. The survival rates are going to go way up in the next five year. There are immunotherapy drugs that got apporved in the past year that are going to dramatically change that prognosis data.
Big THANK YOU to the ratties!!!!
Now those immunotherapy drugs, because they are new, are not approved for lower stages. I have to agree I find it a bit odd that your husband is a stage IV with only one site. But starting an immunotherapy drug like Opdivo or Keytruda might not be an option if he weren't a stage IV.
There is something about the uptake/contrast piece that makes a brain MRI different. Melanoma shows up because it has a high metabolic rate. Trouble is so does your brain so to see a brain met on an MRI you need a different contrast or setting or something.
Good Luck,
Kathy
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