Shingles Vaccine

I'd be really interested in learning more about this, as I was considering the shingles vaccine before recently being upgraded to stage III. Thoughts?

I'd be really interested in learning more about this, as I was considering the shingles vaccine before recently being upgraded to stage III. Thoughts?

I'd be really interested in learning more about this, as I was considering the shingles vaccine before recently being upgraded to stage III. Thoughts?

It strikes me that there are very few, if any, one size fits all answers when it comes to melanoma and the introduction of outside forces (vaccines).

What follows is meant to serve as a discussion, not a recommendation; but discussions are how I work problems.

If one has had surgery to remove lymph nodes; the immune system has been altered, that is a physiological scientific fact.

If one has had immunotherapy following a diagnosis of metastatic melanoma,  the immune system may have been altered in two ways: one from the cancer itself and two by the treatments  Depending on the immunotherapy, some of that alteration may be temporary, and some may be permantely changed..  How do we know which?

As patients,we don't; and I think it is fair to say that prevailing science, in the long term, does not either.  This is not to say I fault advances in cancer treatments, but the long term effects of immune system alterations due to the introduction of either cancer,  surgeries or adjuvant treatments is still very much an unknown.

Again, this is meant to serve as a discussion, so forgive me if it is long; but I can offer an anecdote.  My first recurrence from 1987 melanoma  was in 1996.  In 1994, as a 43 year old , I contracted Chickenpox……..it was awful and required hospitalization due to being an adult with an adolescent disease.  

In 1997, midway through Interferon, I contracted shingles.  In hindsight, Chickenpox was a cakewalk compated to shingles,

It was then that my surgical Onc and I had our first discussion about immune system changes.  I'd been cut up like the Christmas Turkey in 1987 during lymph node chain removal, again in 1996 and caught chickenpox in between.  Was chickenpox the trigger for my recurrence?  Who knows, but to me, a pattern was emerging.

My immune system was altered in 1987, 1994, 1996, 1997.  Since then it has been altered many more times by both surgery and adjuvant melanoma approaches.

Would I intentionally enter the wild card of a shingles vaccine into my immune system for further alteration?  Not a chance..

This is a discussion to have with yourself; only giving you insight into my own decision making process.

Cheers,

Charlie S

It strikes me that there are very few, if any, one size fits all answers when it comes to melanoma and the introduction of outside forces (vaccines).

What follows is meant to serve as a discussion, not a recommendation; but discussions are how I work problems.

If one has had surgery to remove lymph nodes; the immune system has been altered, that is a physiological scientific fact.

If one has had immunotherapy following a diagnosis of metastatic melanoma,  the immune system may have been altered in two ways: one from the cancer itself and two by the treatments  Depending on the immunotherapy, some of that alteration may be temporary, and some may be permantely changed..  How do we know which?

As patients,we don't; and I think it is fair to say that prevailing science, in the long term, does not either.  This is not to say I fault advances in cancer treatments, but the long term effects of immune system alterations due to the introduction of either cancer,  surgeries or adjuvant treatments is still very much an unknown.

Again, this is meant to serve as a discussion, so forgive me if it is long; but I can offer an anecdote.  My first recurrence from 1987 melanoma  was in 1996.  In 1994, as a 43 year old , I contracted Chickenpox……..it was awful and required hospitalization due to being an adult with an adolescent disease.  

In 1997, midway through Interferon, I contracted shingles.  In hindsight, Chickenpox was a cakewalk compated to shingles,

It was then that my surgical Onc and I had our first discussion about immune system changes.  I'd been cut up like the Christmas Turkey in 1987 during lymph node chain removal, again in 1996 and caught chickenpox in between.  Was chickenpox the trigger for my recurrence?  Who knows, but to me, a pattern was emerging.

My immune system was altered in 1987, 1994, 1996, 1997.  Since then it has been altered many more times by both surgery and adjuvant melanoma approaches.

Would I intentionally enter the wild card of a shingles vaccine into my immune system for further alteration?  Not a chance..

This is a discussion to have with yourself; only giving you insight into my own decision making process.

Cheers,

Charlie S

It strikes me that there are very few, if any, one size fits all answers when it comes to melanoma and the introduction of outside forces (vaccines).

What follows is meant to serve as a discussion, not a recommendation; but discussions are how I work problems.

If one has had surgery to remove lymph nodes; the immune system has been altered, that is a physiological scientific fact.

If one has had immunotherapy following a diagnosis of metastatic melanoma,  the immune system may have been altered in two ways: one from the cancer itself and two by the treatments  Depending on the immunotherapy, some of that alteration may be temporary, and some may be permantely changed..  How do we know which?

As patients,we don't; and I think it is fair to say that prevailing science, in the long term, does not either.  This is not to say I fault advances in cancer treatments, but the long term effects of immune system alterations due to the introduction of either cancer,  surgeries or adjuvant treatments is still very much an unknown.

Again, this is meant to serve as a discussion, so forgive me if it is long; but I can offer an anecdote.  My first recurrence from 1987 melanoma  was in 1996.  In 1994, as a 43 year old , I contracted Chickenpox……..it was awful and required hospitalization due to being an adult with an adolescent disease.  

In 1997, midway through Interferon, I contracted shingles.  In hindsight, Chickenpox was a cakewalk compated to shingles,

It was then that my surgical Onc and I had our first discussion about immune system changes.  I'd been cut up like the Christmas Turkey in 1987 during lymph node chain removal, again in 1996 and caught chickenpox in between.  Was chickenpox the trigger for my recurrence?  Who knows, but to me, a pattern was emerging.

My immune system was altered in 1987, 1994, 1996, 1997.  Since then it has been altered many more times by both surgery and adjuvant melanoma approaches.

Would I intentionally enter the wild card of a shingles vaccine into my immune system for further alteration?  Not a chance..

This is a discussion to have with yourself; only giving you insight into my own decision making process.

Cheers,

Charlie S

I don't know about shingles, but my oncologists (and I've had at least 15 of them including those from my 3 clinical trials over the years) always approved (even encouraged) my getting flu shots.  I guess that with my history of getting shot up with live melanoma cells and the stuff that gives tuberculosis to cows, a little bit of flu virus can't hurt!

But I will ask about the shingle vaccine when I visit the Angeles Clinic leter this month.

Best wishes,

Harry

I don't know about shingles, but my oncologists (and I've had at least 15 of them including those from my 3 clinical trials over the years) always approved (even encouraged) my getting flu shots.  I guess that with my history of getting shot up with live melanoma cells and the stuff that gives tuberculosis to cows, a little bit of flu virus can't hurt!

But I will ask about the shingle vaccine when I visit the Angeles Clinic leter this month.

Best wishes,

Harry

I don't know about shingles, but my oncologists (and I've had at least 15 of them including those from my 3 clinical trials over the years) always approved (even encouraged) my getting flu shots.  I guess that with my history of getting shot up with live melanoma cells and the stuff that gives tuberculosis to cows, a little bit of flu virus can't hurt!

But I will ask about the shingle vaccine when I visit the Angeles Clinic leter this month.

Best wishes,

Harry

I know nothing about any of this, except when I did a little research on the shingles vaccine recently, it wasn't recommended for anyone under 60 years old.  So if you aren't over 60 and answered this thread, it probably wouldn't apply to you anyway.  Now for those over 60 – I have no help about having the vaccine or not.

I know nothing about any of this, except when I did a little research on the shingles vaccine recently, it wasn't recommended for anyone under 60 years old.  So if you aren't over 60 and answered this thread, it probably wouldn't apply to you anyway.  Now for those over 60 – I have no help about having the vaccine or not.

I know nothing about any of this, except when I did a little research on the shingles vaccine recently, it wasn't recommended for anyone under 60 years old.  So if you aren't over 60 and answered this thread, it probably wouldn't apply to you anyway.  Now for those over 60 – I have no help about having the vaccine or not.