Spine metastasis

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Spine metastasis

This topic has 3 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 5 years, 10 months ago by WithinMySkin.

Post

- June 26, 2019 at 9:44 am
- Quote
rg1981
Participant
Hi, All.

Have written a couple of times but just in case here is my short story. December 2015 – first diagnosis of orbital melanoma, almost two years of NIVO, then progression and eye exenteration in October 2017. Since then everything was fine until Aril 2019 when I suffered a stroke. The following MRI showed two new tumors in brain and my Onc. prescribed NIVO+IPI. However it is not the biggest issue now.

While recovering after the stroke I have noticed that my legs have been becoming weaker from day to day and now I can barely move my legs. Firstly it was supposed to be a therapy side effect, but yesterday to MRI showed one lesion somewhere in the middle of spine. I’ve seen a lot of stories here about spinal metastasis but would like to see more fresh stories. Are there any possible outcomes? In forthcoming dates I will be discussing this issue with my DermOnc, nuclear surgeon and neurosurgeon.

Thanks a lot in advance and best regards

Andrey

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Replies

- - June 26, 2019 at 5:39 pm
  - Quote
  Bubbles
  Participant
  Sorry for all that you are dealing with Andrey. There are those who have been on this board who have experienced spinal mets. Most of the time radiation is combined with systemic therapy (like your ipi/nivo combo) to treat brain and spinal mets. Sometimes the location of the met can prohibit radiation but with techniques like gamma knife and SRS it is often feasible. Further, we have learned that when radiation is COMBINED with immunotherapy – responses are greater than when either treatment is used alone. Here are a zillion articles and reports on the topic if you are interested: https://chaoticallypreciselifeloveandmelanoma.blogspot.com/search?q=radiation+and+immunotherapy
  
  Hope that helps and perhaps others with chime in. I wish you my best. celeste
  - June 26, 2019 at 7:47 pm
    
    Quote
    rg1981
    Participant
    
    Many thanks, Celeste.Really helpful.
- - June 27, 2019 at 8:29 pm
  - Quote
  WithinMySkin
  Participant
  I’m so so sorry to hear about this! If they think that surgery is the best treatment option, you REALLY REALLY need to search for a good neurosurgeon. I know its scary and it’s hard to know what to look for in a neurosurgeon, but I work with them daily and much like oncologists, they are NOT all equal. If you have any questions, please email me at [email protected]
  
  Wishing you health and happiness,
  Lauren

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