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Possible to go from stage 4 to stage 3?s
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Possible to go from stage 4 to stage 3?s

› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Possible to go from stage 4 to stage 3?s

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    • June 2, 2018 at 9:43 pm
    Spl25
    Participant

      Hi all. Just thinking ahead here: If, say, one were to be rendered NED, then later show evidence of recurrence in a single lymph node, can one be treated as 3a (meaning surgical removal + neoadjuvant immuno treatement)?

      I notice they are called "restaging scans" after all. 

       

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        • June 3, 2018 at 12:06 am
        Janner
        Participant

          Once stage 4, always stage 4.  As stage IV, most treatments will be available to you – more than at stage 3.   "Restaging scans" is essentially the method they get insurance to pay for them, but you won't really ever be restaged once you are stage 4.  You may have active disease or NED, but that staging will not change.

            • June 3, 2018 at 11:52 am
            Spl25
            Participant

              so no adjuvant treatments for stage 4 if something is surgically removed (only appears to be approved for stage 3)? That seems not to make much sense. 

              • June 3, 2018 at 1:05 pm
              Janner
              Participant

                I didn't say that.  Any treatment option available for stage 3 is available for stage 4.  You can certainly do adjuvant treatment at stage 4 if you are NED after surgical removal.  All the adjuvant therapies are approved for stage 4 because they are the same treatment options used for stage 4.  Stage 3 they are specifically called out if they are available because they are tried first in clinical trials for stage 4 and typically only later approved for stage 3.  In general, if you are stage 4, you are more often looking for treatment options, not adjuvant therapies.  

                • June 3, 2018 at 1:11 pm
                Spl25
                Participant

                  Thanks very much for clearing that up. I'm NEAD, but worried about local recurrence, which may mean a stage 3-type treatment is best. 

                  • June 3, 2018 at 2:14 pm
                  ed williams
                  Participant

                    Hi there SpL25, this link might be helpful for you to get a view of how oncologist view surgery for stage 4 patients.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yLqlD8XVIk

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