PeterO

After I completed interferon for stage III melanoma, I opted to minimize all care including scans and even though I soon moved up to stage IV (subq mets) experienced almost four years of blissful good health. That came to a crashing end last summer with a brain tumor that "came out of nowhere." Of course, a brain MRI probably would have detected it before it bleed, but there's no guarantee of that. Here's the blog post in which I contemplate the choice I made to live life and to let the chips fall where they might: http://www.theogler.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-haunting-question.html. I believe not having quarterly scans per my doctor's recommendation was still the right decision.

After I completed interferon for stage III melanoma, I opted to minimize all care including scans and even though I soon moved up to stage IV (subq mets) experienced almost four years of blissful good health. That came to a crashing end last summer with a brain tumor that "came out of nowhere." Of course, a brain MRI probably would have detected it before it bleed, but there's no guarantee of that. Here's the blog post in which I contemplate the choice I made to live life and to let the chips fall where they might: http://www.theogler.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-haunting-question.html. I believe not having quarterly scans per my doctor's recommendation was still the right decision.

After I completed interferon for stage III melanoma, I opted to minimize all care including scans and even though I soon moved up to stage IV (subq mets) experienced almost four years of blissful good health. That came to a crashing end last summer with a brain tumor that "came out of nowhere." Of course, a brain MRI probably would have detected it before it bleed, but there's no guarantee of that. Here's the blog post in which I contemplate the choice I made to live life and to let the chips fall where they might: http://www.theogler.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-haunting-question.html. I believe not having quarterly scans per my doctor's recommendation was still the right decision.

And might I ask, who's going to pay for this? "Personalized medicine" implies a therapy plan of one. We can't afford the cost of care as things stand, when at least a few hundred of us stand some chance of benefitting from new drugs for advanced melanoma. Reality bites.

And might I ask, who's going to pay for this? "Personalized medicine" implies a therapy plan of one. We can't afford the cost of care as things stand, when at least a few hundred of us stand some chance of benefitting from new drugs for advanced melanoma. Reality bites.

Hi Allen: I managed to complete the infusions and about three months of injections and then had to quit because of a perilously low white blood cell count. I was ambivalent about the maintenance schedule anyway. No regrets about quitting. That was three years ago. I didn't have much of an appetite, at least partly because the taste of most foods simply wasn't appealing. The good news is that my appetite returned almost immediately after I stopped treatment. I hope things work out for you.

Hi Allen: I managed to complete the infusions and about three months of injections and then had to quit because of a perilously low white blood cell count. I was ambivalent about the maintenance schedule anyway. No regrets about quitting. That was three years ago. I didn't have much of an appetite, at least partly because the taste of most foods simply wasn't appealing. The good news is that my appetite returned almost immediately after I stopped treatment. I hope things work out for you.

The Proleukin web site will show you where treatment centers are located:  http://www.proleukin.com/. All the best.

The Proleukin web site will show you where treatment centers are located:  http://www.proleukin.com/. All the best.

This is good to know. Tim. I posted some questions yesterday ("Paradigm shift"), some of which are relevant to a discussion with people at BMS. The webinar would also be greatly appreciated. A single source of authoritative information (as in a single document) would be invaluable, and would save people from having to paw through many posts on the bulletin board and hours of web surfing.

By the way, is the MRF event in Seattle going to happen? When will registration open. Thanks.

This is good to know. Tim. I posted some questions yesterday ("Paradigm shift"), some of which are relevant to a discussion with people at BMS. The webinar would also be greatly appreciated. A single source of authoritative information (as in a single document) would be invaluable, and would save people from having to paw through many posts on the bulletin board and hours of web surfing.

By the way, is the MRF event in Seattle going to happen? When will registration open. Thanks.

Face it folks, melanoma will never win the Cancer Olympics. Melanoma literally means "black tumor." Not good PR. Breast cancer, on the other hand, involves an organ with quite a reputation. No wonder the "pink" campaign is so popular. Life isn't fair. Let's move on.