Has anyone been diagnosed with Spitzoid Melanoma?
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Has anyone been diagnosed with Spitzoid Melanoma?

› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Has anyone been diagnosed with Spitzoid Melanoma?

  • Post
    • July 31, 2012 at 3:57 pm
    Donna19702
    Participant

      my son Michael was diagnosed with Spitzoid Melanoma Oct 2011, he's 27. He was stage IIIC, which the cancer started out as a mole on his foot then spread to his groin lymph nodes. 4 out 14 that was removed returned as cancer. He was only able to complete 4 months of the interferon due to severe weight lost, anxiety, fatigue along with others. His PET Scan came back excellent and was told that they would see if the Pharmaceutical for Pegylated interferon would approve him. If they denied his request they won't put him on anything.

      my son Michael was diagnosed with Spitzoid Melanoma Oct 2011, he's 27. He was stage IIIC, which the cancer started out as a mole on his foot then spread to his groin lymph nodes. 4 out 14 that was removed returned as cancer. He was only able to complete 4 months of the interferon due to severe weight lost, anxiety, fatigue along with others. His PET Scan came back excellent and was told that they would see if the Pharmaceutical for Pegylated interferon would approve him. If they denied his request they won't put him on anything. I feel that there has to be another treatment out there for him and they can not just say NO!

       

      Could someone please let me know if you have any suggestions that I should bring up to his oncologist.

       

      Thanks

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        • July 31, 2012 at 5:30 pm
        gabsound
        Participant
          I would ask his Oncologist about getting radiation to that lymph node basin. This can help clean up any little cells that might have been left. The whole idea is to keep it from spreading out of that area.

          I wish I had done radiation right after my first surgery. It does cause some hardening of the tissue in the area, but to me that would be a small price to spay, to keep it from spreading elsewhere in the body-taking you to stage 4. I had 2 local recurrences in the lymph node basin before I had radiation. Found out after radiation that it had already gone to liver, lungs and bone.

          Julie in Las Vegas

          • July 31, 2012 at 5:30 pm
          gabsound
          Participant
            I would ask his Oncologist about getting radiation to that lymph node basin. This can help clean up any little cells that might have been left. The whole idea is to keep it from spreading out of that area.

            I wish I had done radiation right after my first surgery. It does cause some hardening of the tissue in the area, but to me that would be a small price to spay, to keep it from spreading elsewhere in the body-taking you to stage 4. I had 2 local recurrences in the lymph node basin before I had radiation. Found out after radiation that it had already gone to liver, lungs and bone.

            Julie in Las Vegas

            • July 31, 2012 at 5:30 pm
            gabsound
            Participant
              I would ask his Oncologist about getting radiation to that lymph node basin. This can help clean up any little cells that might have been left. The whole idea is to keep it from spreading out of that area.

              I wish I had done radiation right after my first surgery. It does cause some hardening of the tissue in the area, but to me that would be a small price to spay, to keep it from spreading elsewhere in the body-taking you to stage 4. I had 2 local recurrences in the lymph node basin before I had radiation. Found out after radiation that it had already gone to liver, lungs and bone.

              Julie in Las Vegas

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