cherylobrien

Hi Laura,

My husband was diagnosed with stage IV melanoma in his brain in May 2013.  He had a right,  temporal lobe craniotomy followed by radiation, then started  Yervoy and Leukine injections which he finished in September, but two more mets appeared, one was treated with radiation and the one he had surgically removed this May. Left temporal lobe craniotomy.  He just finished 15 days of whole brain radiation last Wed.  Today our scans revealed a new mass in his intestine.  Looks like he willbe starting MK-3474 in a couple of weeks.  (I think that is the same as PD-1?)

I have the same question as you.  Has this new drug helped people with brain mets?  I read some posts of people having great results but I am not sure if it was in brain.  I did see studies done by Dr Daud.  We are seeing Dr Jason Luke at Dana Farber in Boston.

This is my first time posting and I'm sorry I don't have answers for you.  I'm hoping for some feedback as well.  I wish you the best and lets hope this treatment works!  I will certainly let you know as soon as my husband starts his treatment.

Cheryl

Hi Laura,

My husband was diagnosed with stage IV melanoma in his brain in May 2013.  He had a right,  temporal lobe craniotomy followed by radiation, then started  Yervoy and Leukine injections which he finished in September, but two more mets appeared, one was treated with radiation and the one he had surgically removed this May. Left temporal lobe craniotomy.  He just finished 15 days of whole brain radiation last Wed.  Today our scans revealed a new mass in his intestine.  Looks like he willbe starting MK-3474 in a couple of weeks.  (I think that is the same as PD-1?)

I have the same question as you.  Has this new drug helped people with brain mets?  I read some posts of people having great results but I am not sure if it was in brain.  I did see studies done by Dr Daud.  We are seeing Dr Jason Luke at Dana Farber in Boston.

This is my first time posting and I'm sorry I don't have answers for you.  I'm hoping for some feedback as well.  I wish you the best and lets hope this treatment works!  I will certainly let you know as soon as my husband starts his treatment.

Cheryl

Hi Laura,

My husband was diagnosed with stage IV melanoma in his brain in May 2013.  He had a right,  temporal lobe craniotomy followed by radiation, then started  Yervoy and Leukine injections which he finished in September, but two more mets appeared, one was treated with radiation and the one he had surgically removed this May. Left temporal lobe craniotomy.  He just finished 15 days of whole brain radiation last Wed.  Today our scans revealed a new mass in his intestine.  Looks like he willbe starting MK-3474 in a couple of weeks.  (I think that is the same as PD-1?)

I have the same question as you.  Has this new drug helped people with brain mets?  I read some posts of people having great results but I am not sure if it was in brain.  I did see studies done by Dr Daud.  We are seeing Dr Jason Luke at Dana Farber in Boston.

This is my first time posting and I'm sorry I don't have answers for you.  I'm hoping for some feedback as well.  I wish you the best and lets hope this treatment works!  I will certainly let you know as soon as my husband starts his treatment.

Cheryl

Hi,

My husband is being treated at the Dana Farber Cancer Center and has stage 1V melanoma also. Daignosed May 2013.  He had a craniotomy to remove the one met in his right temporal lobe, followed by 3 days of Cyber Knife radiation.  The PET Scan showed the tumor in his brain is completely gone but there is one more in one lymph node in his neck.  The team decided to start medication treatment to see if it gets rid of the tumor or shrinks it, before going in to remove it now.  He started taking the Leukine injections in conjunction with ippi (yervoy) infusions.  14 days of injections and 7 days off after each infusion.  We will do another PET Scan at the end of the 4 infusion/injection cycle.

Cheryl

Hi,

My husband is being treated at the Dana Farber Cancer Center and has stage 1V melanoma also. Daignosed May 2013.  He had a craniotomy to remove the one met in his right temporal lobe, followed by 3 days of Cyber Knife radiation.  The PET Scan showed the tumor in his brain is completely gone but there is one more in one lymph node in his neck.  The team decided to start medication treatment to see if it gets rid of the tumor or shrinks it, before going in to remove it now.  He started taking the Leukine injections in conjunction with ippi (yervoy) infusions.  14 days of injections and 7 days off after each infusion.  We will do another PET Scan at the end of the 4 infusion/injection cycle.

Cheryl

Hi,

My husband is being treated at the Dana Farber Cancer Center and has stage 1V melanoma also. Daignosed May 2013.  He had a craniotomy to remove the one met in his right temporal lobe, followed by 3 days of Cyber Knife radiation.  The PET Scan showed the tumor in his brain is completely gone but there is one more in one lymph node in his neck.  The team decided to start medication treatment to see if it gets rid of the tumor or shrinks it, before going in to remove it now.  He started taking the Leukine injections in conjunction with ippi (yervoy) infusions.  14 days of injections and 7 days off after each infusion.  We will do another PET Scan at the end of the 4 infusion/injection cycle.

Cheryl

Hi Laurie,

I am glad you are doing so well and that MK 3475 is working for you.  My husband, diagnosed in May 2013 with stage lV melanoma metastisized to his brain (unknown origin) is also at Dana Farber.  After a temporal lobe resection on the right last May and another one on the left side this May, he had whole brain radiation this June and is now on MK 3475 every three weeks.  (Ippi seemed to work but then didn't) He has one mass in his small intestine now and that's why they started the MK 3475 in August.  He has had 3 infusions so far.  He has the nasea and joint pain and because of the location of the mass in his intestine has a lot of pain in that area.  He was ready to stop the infusions but after reading how things may change and get better after a few more he has decided to definately continue. Because he works in construction he has been unable to work since May.  Hearing how good the infusions have worked for you we are hopeful that he may start to respond as well.  As allways we will dread the upcoming scans next month after his next infusion, but hopefully the tumor will start to shrink and maybe no new ones will appear.

If anyone else has anything they want to share about being on MK 3475 I would really like to hear about it.

Cheryl

Hi Laurie,

I am glad you are doing so well and that MK 3475 is working for you.  My husband, diagnosed in May 2013 with stage lV melanoma metastisized to his brain (unknown origin) is also at Dana Farber.  After a temporal lobe resection on the right last May and another one on the left side this May, he had whole brain radiation this June and is now on MK 3475 every three weeks.  (Ippi seemed to work but then didn't) He has one mass in his small intestine now and that's why they started the MK 3475 in August.  He has had 3 infusions so far.  He has the nasea and joint pain and because of the location of the mass in his intestine has a lot of pain in that area.  He was ready to stop the infusions but after reading how things may change and get better after a few more he has decided to definately continue. Because he works in construction he has been unable to work since May.  Hearing how good the infusions have worked for you we are hopeful that he may start to respond as well.  As allways we will dread the upcoming scans next month after his next infusion, but hopefully the tumor will start to shrink and maybe no new ones will appear.

If anyone else has anything they want to share about being on MK 3475 I would really like to hear about it.

Cheryl

Hi Laurie,

I am glad you are doing so well and that MK 3475 is working for you.  My husband, diagnosed in May 2013 with stage lV melanoma metastisized to his brain (unknown origin) is also at Dana Farber.  After a temporal lobe resection on the right last May and another one on the left side this May, he had whole brain radiation this June and is now on MK 3475 every three weeks.  (Ippi seemed to work but then didn't) He has one mass in his small intestine now and that's why they started the MK 3475 in August.  He has had 3 infusions so far.  He has the nasea and joint pain and because of the location of the mass in his intestine has a lot of pain in that area.  He was ready to stop the infusions but after reading how things may change and get better after a few more he has decided to definately continue. Because he works in construction he has been unable to work since May.  Hearing how good the infusions have worked for you we are hopeful that he may start to respond as well.  As allways we will dread the upcoming scans next month after his next infusion, but hopefully the tumor will start to shrink and maybe no new ones will appear.

If anyone else has anything they want to share about being on MK 3475 I would really like to hear about it.

Cheryl