› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Stage IIIC Treatment Options
- This topic has 21 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 9 years, 11 months ago by
arthurjedi007.
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- June 15, 2015 at 6:38 pm
Hello –
Ever since my father was diagnosed with melanoma our lives have been forever changed – I am here looking for help from people that have been through this before.
What are the recommended treatment options for a StageIIIC patient? In my fathers case – The tumor originated on his upper back and spread to auxiliary lymph nodes. 9 of 14 aux lymph nodes removed had melanoma – Follow up PET scan done a few weeks after surgery showed no SUV uptakes – except for where the WLE & lymph nodes were recently removed max SUV was 3.7. Brain MRI was done – still waiting on results.
One doctor is recommending prophylactic radiation, but I have read that this might not be the best way to go – as it does not extend the life span, and in my fathers case – may exacerbate lymphedema? Is radiation even effective against melanoma? What are the most promising treatment options for StageIIIC?
Thank you all for your time & support.
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- June 15, 2015 at 10:15 pm
For some like myself radiation can help. In my case it shrinks tumors.
The type of radiation that doc is talking about is to try and prevent the cancer from growing in that area. Especially would be bad if it gets to the spine like mine. Might work and extend your dads life for many years and it might not. If your dad is otherwise strong and healthy it might be worth doing but maybe not. I would at least wait for the head scan results. If that shows problems then radiation there or trial Med or both is a must. If clear then have to decide if worth it to try and prevent growth from that area. I assume it would be like 30 gray in 10 fractions or something like that which is low dose. That dose has been easy for me to tolerate. Since it's the upper back there isn't a lot except the lungs and heart and they usually angle the beams well enough to do ok. I've had just about every thoracic spine bone hit and do ok on high dose. When they get to the lumbar that can lead to issues with the stomach and things.
Another option is wait and see. Might be years or never before he becomes stage 4 or might be a couple months. Never really know with this disease.
Another option or may be an option is a trial where your dad receives either yervoy or pd1. Those are 2 standard of treatments for stage 4 folks. That is the best treatment I know of for 3c.
Artie
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- June 16, 2015 at 11:10 pm
I'm stage IIIb/c (unknown primary), I discovered a lump that ended up being a tumor in a lymph node in my Parotid Gland. It was completely removed. The surgeon told me right after surgery, "you are tumor free but you are not melanoma free." I am now in a Clinical Trial and am receiving Yervoy.
My best advice is to consult with a Melanoma Expert at a major cancer treatment center and make a decision after that. I'm fortunate, at my first visit with my local oncologist told that he was referring me to UCLA. His statement was that anything he could offer me wouldn't really change the outcome. The Radiologist I saw locally was more than happy to give me radiation. When I asked how effective radiation is on Melanoma he wouldn't really answer the question. He gave me a stack of articles to read, the most recent was from 2008.. I decided he wasn't the radiologist for me.
(An additional consideration for me was that radiation to my parotid area would have killed all of my tastebuds and destroyed the other parotid gland. The results would have been the destruction of most, if not all of my teeth. He even wrote a referral to an oncological dentist so we could prepare.)
I found the lump in mid January, 2014. Diagnosed as Metastaticc Melanoma on March 19th, initial surgery on March 27th to confirm diagnosis, surgery at UCLA on April 22nd, started Yervoy in July 2014. So far all scans are clear and side effects minimal.
God bless
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- June 17, 2015 at 3:49 pm
Thank you all for your time and respones – it means a alot ot me and my family.
I'm really trying to find out more about radiation and its effectivness regarding melanoma – It doesnt seem to do much…..Anyone else have any suggestions regarding radiation and melanoma? If there is small amounts of melanoma in remaining lyhph nodes – will the radiation kill it?
Yervoy seems to be the choice after all my reserach and after these responses. But this Doc keeps pushing the radiation. My dad is strong and healthy otherwise and can take the treatment- but we are worried the radiation is not effective and the side effects won't be worth the chance that it "might" work…..
Thanks again to all of you.
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- June 17, 2015 at 5:48 pm
Radiation is used for local control – mainly trying to clear up stay cells. Radiation isn't that effective against larger tumors which is why it isn't used as a general therapy for melanoma. Many people have done radiation for local "cleanup" however and I believe radiation is considered effective in those situations.
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- June 17, 2015 at 5:48 pm
Radiation is used for local control – mainly trying to clear up stay cells. Radiation isn't that effective against larger tumors which is why it isn't used as a general therapy for melanoma. Many people have done radiation for local "cleanup" however and I believe radiation is considered effective in those situations.
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- June 17, 2015 at 5:48 pm
Radiation is used for local control – mainly trying to clear up stay cells. Radiation isn't that effective against larger tumors which is why it isn't used as a general therapy for melanoma. Many people have done radiation for local "cleanup" however and I believe radiation is considered effective in those situations.
-
- June 17, 2015 at 3:49 pm
Thank you all for your time and respones – it means a alot ot me and my family.
I'm really trying to find out more about radiation and its effectivness regarding melanoma – It doesnt seem to do much…..Anyone else have any suggestions regarding radiation and melanoma? If there is small amounts of melanoma in remaining lyhph nodes – will the radiation kill it?
Yervoy seems to be the choice after all my reserach and after these responses. But this Doc keeps pushing the radiation. My dad is strong and healthy otherwise and can take the treatment- but we are worried the radiation is not effective and the side effects won't be worth the chance that it "might" work…..
Thanks again to all of you.
-
- June 17, 2015 at 3:49 pm
Thank you all for your time and respones – it means a alot ot me and my family.
I'm really trying to find out more about radiation and its effectivness regarding melanoma – It doesnt seem to do much…..Anyone else have any suggestions regarding radiation and melanoma? If there is small amounts of melanoma in remaining lyhph nodes – will the radiation kill it?
Yervoy seems to be the choice after all my reserach and after these responses. But this Doc keeps pushing the radiation. My dad is strong and healthy otherwise and can take the treatment- but we are worried the radiation is not effective and the side effects won't be worth the chance that it "might" work…..
Thanks again to all of you.
-
- June 16, 2015 at 11:10 pm
I'm stage IIIb/c (unknown primary), I discovered a lump that ended up being a tumor in a lymph node in my Parotid Gland. It was completely removed. The surgeon told me right after surgery, "you are tumor free but you are not melanoma free." I am now in a Clinical Trial and am receiving Yervoy.
My best advice is to consult with a Melanoma Expert at a major cancer treatment center and make a decision after that. I'm fortunate, at my first visit with my local oncologist told that he was referring me to UCLA. His statement was that anything he could offer me wouldn't really change the outcome. The Radiologist I saw locally was more than happy to give me radiation. When I asked how effective radiation is on Melanoma he wouldn't really answer the question. He gave me a stack of articles to read, the most recent was from 2008.. I decided he wasn't the radiologist for me.
(An additional consideration for me was that radiation to my parotid area would have killed all of my tastebuds and destroyed the other parotid gland. The results would have been the destruction of most, if not all of my teeth. He even wrote a referral to an oncological dentist so we could prepare.)
I found the lump in mid January, 2014. Diagnosed as Metastaticc Melanoma on March 19th, initial surgery on March 27th to confirm diagnosis, surgery at UCLA on April 22nd, started Yervoy in July 2014. So far all scans are clear and side effects minimal.
God bless
-
- June 16, 2015 at 11:10 pm
I'm stage IIIb/c (unknown primary), I discovered a lump that ended up being a tumor in a lymph node in my Parotid Gland. It was completely removed. The surgeon told me right after surgery, "you are tumor free but you are not melanoma free." I am now in a Clinical Trial and am receiving Yervoy.
My best advice is to consult with a Melanoma Expert at a major cancer treatment center and make a decision after that. I'm fortunate, at my first visit with my local oncologist told that he was referring me to UCLA. His statement was that anything he could offer me wouldn't really change the outcome. The Radiologist I saw locally was more than happy to give me radiation. When I asked how effective radiation is on Melanoma he wouldn't really answer the question. He gave me a stack of articles to read, the most recent was from 2008.. I decided he wasn't the radiologist for me.
(An additional consideration for me was that radiation to my parotid area would have killed all of my tastebuds and destroyed the other parotid gland. The results would have been the destruction of most, if not all of my teeth. He even wrote a referral to an oncological dentist so we could prepare.)
I found the lump in mid January, 2014. Diagnosed as Metastaticc Melanoma on March 19th, initial surgery on March 27th to confirm diagnosis, surgery at UCLA on April 22nd, started Yervoy in July 2014. So far all scans are clear and side effects minimal.
God bless
-
- June 15, 2015 at 10:15 pm
For some like myself radiation can help. In my case it shrinks tumors.
The type of radiation that doc is talking about is to try and prevent the cancer from growing in that area. Especially would be bad if it gets to the spine like mine. Might work and extend your dads life for many years and it might not. If your dad is otherwise strong and healthy it might be worth doing but maybe not. I would at least wait for the head scan results. If that shows problems then radiation there or trial Med or both is a must. If clear then have to decide if worth it to try and prevent growth from that area. I assume it would be like 30 gray in 10 fractions or something like that which is low dose. That dose has been easy for me to tolerate. Since it's the upper back there isn't a lot except the lungs and heart and they usually angle the beams well enough to do ok. I've had just about every thoracic spine bone hit and do ok on high dose. When they get to the lumbar that can lead to issues with the stomach and things.
Another option is wait and see. Might be years or never before he becomes stage 4 or might be a couple months. Never really know with this disease.
Another option or may be an option is a trial where your dad receives either yervoy or pd1. Those are 2 standard of treatments for stage 4 folks. That is the best treatment I know of for 3c.
Artie
-
- June 15, 2015 at 10:15 pm
For some like myself radiation can help. In my case it shrinks tumors.
The type of radiation that doc is talking about is to try and prevent the cancer from growing in that area. Especially would be bad if it gets to the spine like mine. Might work and extend your dads life for many years and it might not. If your dad is otherwise strong and healthy it might be worth doing but maybe not. I would at least wait for the head scan results. If that shows problems then radiation there or trial Med or both is a must. If clear then have to decide if worth it to try and prevent growth from that area. I assume it would be like 30 gray in 10 fractions or something like that which is low dose. That dose has been easy for me to tolerate. Since it's the upper back there isn't a lot except the lungs and heart and they usually angle the beams well enough to do ok. I've had just about every thoracic spine bone hit and do ok on high dose. When they get to the lumbar that can lead to issues with the stomach and things.
Another option is wait and see. Might be years or never before he becomes stage 4 or might be a couple months. Never really know with this disease.
Another option or may be an option is a trial where your dad receives either yervoy or pd1. Those are 2 standard of treatments for stage 4 folks. That is the best treatment I know of for 3c.
Artie
-
- June 17, 2015 at 6:26 pm
Have you looked at clinical trials? Although there aren't a lot of stage III adjuvant trials there are some now. I get treated at the university of Virginia and they have 3 trials that your dad would be eligible for. Two are vaccine trials and one is a ipi vs nivolumab trial. It can be tough and time consuming finding trials but it can be done. MRF used to have a free trial finding service. You may want to look into that.
Brian
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- June 17, 2015 at 10:25 pm
Like Brian and I have said the best treatment at that stage is the yervoy vs nivo trial.
As far as radiation it is beams that travel through both good and bad cells. For melanoma it is used a lot for folks with tumors in their brain. For me it has been used a lot for my spine. Like the mass in my spinal canal almost paralyzed me last year. And with melanoma it is back again so I'm trying to get ablation done because they won't radiate it a third time. Radiation is no long term cure for melanoma. It can knock things back for awhile buying time but you must have a systemic treatment that works like hopefully that yervoy vs nivo trial for longer term results.
Artie
-
- June 17, 2015 at 10:25 pm
Like Brian and I have said the best treatment at that stage is the yervoy vs nivo trial.
As far as radiation it is beams that travel through both good and bad cells. For melanoma it is used a lot for folks with tumors in their brain. For me it has been used a lot for my spine. Like the mass in my spinal canal almost paralyzed me last year. And with melanoma it is back again so I'm trying to get ablation done because they won't radiate it a third time. Radiation is no long term cure for melanoma. It can knock things back for awhile buying time but you must have a systemic treatment that works like hopefully that yervoy vs nivo trial for longer term results.
Artie
-
- June 17, 2015 at 10:25 pm
Like Brian and I have said the best treatment at that stage is the yervoy vs nivo trial.
As far as radiation it is beams that travel through both good and bad cells. For melanoma it is used a lot for folks with tumors in their brain. For me it has been used a lot for my spine. Like the mass in my spinal canal almost paralyzed me last year. And with melanoma it is back again so I'm trying to get ablation done because they won't radiate it a third time. Radiation is no long term cure for melanoma. It can knock things back for awhile buying time but you must have a systemic treatment that works like hopefully that yervoy vs nivo trial for longer term results.
Artie
-
- June 17, 2015 at 6:26 pm
Have you looked at clinical trials? Although there aren't a lot of stage III adjuvant trials there are some now. I get treated at the university of Virginia and they have 3 trials that your dad would be eligible for. Two are vaccine trials and one is a ipi vs nivolumab trial. It can be tough and time consuming finding trials but it can be done. MRF used to have a free trial finding service. You may want to look into that.
Brian
-
- June 17, 2015 at 6:26 pm
Have you looked at clinical trials? Although there aren't a lot of stage III adjuvant trials there are some now. I get treated at the university of Virginia and they have 3 trials that your dad would be eligible for. Two are vaccine trials and one is a ipi vs nivolumab trial. It can be tough and time consuming finding trials but it can be done. MRF used to have a free trial finding service. You may want to look into that.
Brian
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