› Forums › General Melanoma Community › It’s back in my lung!
- This topic has 12 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 11 years, 6 months ago by
sofistef.
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- November 12, 2013 at 2:33 pm
Hi ,
My name is Dana, I read the post daily but never posted before!
I and a 38 years old mom of 2 ( 4 years old girl and 6 years old boy) . One mole appeared on my thigh during my second pregnancy in 2010, everybody felt this was pregnancy related sking changes. In March 2012 I had it removed and it was 1.5 mm melanoma nonulcerated, sentinel node positive (.45cm) micromet. Had the rest of nodes removed and non of them were positive for melanoma. . I toured Sloan Kettering, John Hopkins, Georgetown Hospital, hoping to find a trial, with no luck as the tumor burden in sentinel was not big enough. Had 3 month of interferon.
I just learned that it is back in my right lung, (1.2cm nodule) and we are devastated. I will meet with my oncologist today, and I hope I will be have more luck with clinical trials this time! I will probably have more scans and bloodwork, biopsy and I pray for good results! 2 months ago the CT did not show anything other the 5 mm lung nodule that now grew to 1.2 cm.Two weeks ago my bloodwork was normal. My head is pounding, I cannot sleep and I try to find resources to stay strong and positive, as my kids and husband need me and I want to see them grow!
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- November 12, 2013 at 4:12 pm
Your oncologist, Dr. Atkins is excellent! We have also seen him and we think highly of him. My husband had VATS surgery with Dr. Yang at Hopkins for a 1 cm tumor. He did very well with the surgery, but unfortunately he has had more lung nodules. He is now in the Ipi/nivolumbab study in Pittsburg with Dr. Kirkwood. There are many people that continue to be NED after VATS surgery though. Try to take a deep breath and look carefully at your options. I wish you the best! You can email me if you have any questions because I assume you live in the DC area.
Maureen
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- November 12, 2013 at 4:12 pm
Your oncologist, Dr. Atkins is excellent! We have also seen him and we think highly of him. My husband had VATS surgery with Dr. Yang at Hopkins for a 1 cm tumor. He did very well with the surgery, but unfortunately he has had more lung nodules. He is now in the Ipi/nivolumbab study in Pittsburg with Dr. Kirkwood. There are many people that continue to be NED after VATS surgery though. Try to take a deep breath and look carefully at your options. I wish you the best! You can email me if you have any questions because I assume you live in the DC area.
Maureen
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- November 12, 2013 at 4:12 pm
Your oncologist, Dr. Atkins is excellent! We have also seen him and we think highly of him. My husband had VATS surgery with Dr. Yang at Hopkins for a 1 cm tumor. He did very well with the surgery, but unfortunately he has had more lung nodules. He is now in the Ipi/nivolumbab study in Pittsburg with Dr. Kirkwood. There are many people that continue to be NED after VATS surgery though. Try to take a deep breath and look carefully at your options. I wish you the best! You can email me if you have any questions because I assume you live in the DC area.
Maureen
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- November 12, 2013 at 4:55 pm
What Maureen says is true! I remain NED one year after VATS for a single lung nodule, and I know there are others. I have not done any treatment for melanoma except surgery. Dr. Wolchok at Sloan told me that there is a good possibility I will remain NED for years, as that can happen after a solitary lung met. So, please have hope!
Wishing you good health,
Lear
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- November 12, 2013 at 4:55 pm
What Maureen says is true! I remain NED one year after VATS for a single lung nodule, and I know there are others. I have not done any treatment for melanoma except surgery. Dr. Wolchok at Sloan told me that there is a good possibility I will remain NED for years, as that can happen after a solitary lung met. So, please have hope!
Wishing you good health,
Lear
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- November 12, 2013 at 4:55 pm
What Maureen says is true! I remain NED one year after VATS for a single lung nodule, and I know there are others. I have not done any treatment for melanoma except surgery. Dr. Wolchok at Sloan told me that there is a good possibility I will remain NED for years, as that can happen after a solitary lung met. So, please have hope!
Wishing you good health,
Lear
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- November 12, 2013 at 7:48 pm
Sorry to hear about the tough news you have just received. My lung met was discovered about 18 months ago. Mine was quite a bit larger than yours, about 4cm on each side.Ihad an unkown primary and one has never been discovered. I acted on the recommendation of my medical oncologist to operate through lobectomy of the lower lobe of my right lung. Unfortunately, a couple of months after the surgery, two mets appeared in my brain. It was decided then to use SRS (targeted radiotherapy) to destroy them and to start a month before the procedure on a course of ipilimumab (4 doses). Since then I have had one more met appear, a fairly easy to remove sub-q on my buttock. Unfortunately, I have had added problems not directly related to the melanoma but to the treatment, seizures that were probably caused by the residue in the brain from the SRS that led to brain resection in August and a fall that caused subdural hematoma in September. Despite all this following on, I am still very glad that I dealt with the first occurence of melanoma in my lung by surgery to remove it.No recurrence in the lung now over 15 months afterwards. I am, of course, not sure nor is my oncologist of what the secret of my survival through 18 months and having the positive quality of life as much as I have with little occurence of melanoma metastasis. But I would certainly attribute much of it to having good medical advisers and following their advice It's very important to be treated at a melanoma center by physicians that you respect and trust. I think most would recommend treatment through surgery very soon, especially since the met on your lung is relatively small and before it has a chance to grow much more. Very soon does not mean getting surgery tomorrow, but I think most would recommend within a month or so.
Frank
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- November 12, 2013 at 11:30 pm
Many thanks everyone for the replies, I have posted a new message with the update on my doctor's appointment today! I hope nothing else will show on the scans!
May God guide me to take the best decission to increase my survival chanses to be around and raise my wonderful kids!
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- November 12, 2013 at 11:30 pm
Many thanks everyone for the replies, I have posted a new message with the update on my doctor's appointment today! I hope nothing else will show on the scans!
May God guide me to take the best decission to increase my survival chanses to be around and raise my wonderful kids!
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- November 12, 2013 at 11:30 pm
Many thanks everyone for the replies, I have posted a new message with the update on my doctor's appointment today! I hope nothing else will show on the scans!
May God guide me to take the best decission to increase my survival chanses to be around and raise my wonderful kids!
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- November 12, 2013 at 7:48 pm
Sorry to hear about the tough news you have just received. My lung met was discovered about 18 months ago. Mine was quite a bit larger than yours, about 4cm on each side.Ihad an unkown primary and one has never been discovered. I acted on the recommendation of my medical oncologist to operate through lobectomy of the lower lobe of my right lung. Unfortunately, a couple of months after the surgery, two mets appeared in my brain. It was decided then to use SRS (targeted radiotherapy) to destroy them and to start a month before the procedure on a course of ipilimumab (4 doses). Since then I have had one more met appear, a fairly easy to remove sub-q on my buttock. Unfortunately, I have had added problems not directly related to the melanoma but to the treatment, seizures that were probably caused by the residue in the brain from the SRS that led to brain resection in August and a fall that caused subdural hematoma in September. Despite all this following on, I am still very glad that I dealt with the first occurence of melanoma in my lung by surgery to remove it.No recurrence in the lung now over 15 months afterwards. I am, of course, not sure nor is my oncologist of what the secret of my survival through 18 months and having the positive quality of life as much as I have with little occurence of melanoma metastasis. But I would certainly attribute much of it to having good medical advisers and following their advice It's very important to be treated at a melanoma center by physicians that you respect and trust. I think most would recommend treatment through surgery very soon, especially since the met on your lung is relatively small and before it has a chance to grow much more. Very soon does not mean getting surgery tomorrow, but I think most would recommend within a month or so.
Frank
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- November 12, 2013 at 7:48 pm
Sorry to hear about the tough news you have just received. My lung met was discovered about 18 months ago. Mine was quite a bit larger than yours, about 4cm on each side.Ihad an unkown primary and one has never been discovered. I acted on the recommendation of my medical oncologist to operate through lobectomy of the lower lobe of my right lung. Unfortunately, a couple of months after the surgery, two mets appeared in my brain. It was decided then to use SRS (targeted radiotherapy) to destroy them and to start a month before the procedure on a course of ipilimumab (4 doses). Since then I have had one more met appear, a fairly easy to remove sub-q on my buttock. Unfortunately, I have had added problems not directly related to the melanoma but to the treatment, seizures that were probably caused by the residue in the brain from the SRS that led to brain resection in August and a fall that caused subdural hematoma in September. Despite all this following on, I am still very glad that I dealt with the first occurence of melanoma in my lung by surgery to remove it.No recurrence in the lung now over 15 months afterwards. I am, of course, not sure nor is my oncologist of what the secret of my survival through 18 months and having the positive quality of life as much as I have with little occurence of melanoma metastasis. But I would certainly attribute much of it to having good medical advisers and following their advice It's very important to be treated at a melanoma center by physicians that you respect and trust. I think most would recommend treatment through surgery very soon, especially since the met on your lung is relatively small and before it has a chance to grow much more. Very soon does not mean getting surgery tomorrow, but I think most would recommend within a month or so.
Frank
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Tagged: cutaneous melanoma
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