Polydad

My wife's melanoma started on her left thumb (slammed it in a car door) as a tiny dot she had it for 2 ish years until it broke through the nail. The dot grew downward due to the nail, but it was ALWAYS a dot. Once it broke through the nail and they got a tissue sample, then determined it was melanoma (and a very rare case of it at that). I AGREE with Janner. If they have looked at cells under a microscope; relax, and live well.

to the question, in my wifes's case (she was also in hte phase 1 trials at UCSF). After 50+ treatments and 2 1/2 years of no change to the scans (every 3 months). They just kinda decided she was done, that whatever they were seeing was probably just scar tissue and she could just stop.

Totally true on the Pembro lack of side effects. My wife was in the first set of trials and received 5 times the dose schedule now, for a little over 3 years…… never really had any issues. She used to sit with the Doctor and make up possible side effects (a little tired, a little itchy)

She also really fought Ipi with no success. 

Before Pembro her lung tumors were "too numerous to count" and she got immediate improvement.

Good luck. Hate this disease.

Steve

FWIW on my wife it was basically a dot that didn't move just enlarged a little until it broke through her nail. Even on her first trip to the dermatologist he hadn't heard of this kind of melanoma. So you are ahead of the game. Also that was 6 years ago and she's still kicking because of the new immunotherapy drugs.

good luck

100% agree on interferon. It was the WORST treatment and its benefit numbers are horrible