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- June 29, 2011 at 7:35 pm
My wife passed from Melanoma several years ago, when first she was dx stage III, and began treatment with Interferon, I began my own research. What I discovered was, that this drug is in no way a cure for the disease, that it merely adds statistically about 14 months to survival. When I discussed this with her onc, his reply was, what do you want me to do, it is the "gold standard". 15 months after her year of Interferron treatment, the disease came back with a vengeance, and spread to her brain, her lungs, liver, abdomen, spine, and legs.
When she went stage IV, her bio-chemo therapy, she responded very well to it and it cleared her of approx. 95% of the disease. Unfortunately she got to the point where she could undergo no more treatment.
My wife survived just about as long as the statistics for Interferon treatment suggested she would and that was about 27 months.
After everything I have read about Interferon and subsequent discussions with 2 oncologists, I came to the decision that were either one of my three children ever dx with stage III Melanoma, I would insist that they go straight to Stage IV treatment, and completely forego Interferon. No one, and I mean no one has been able to show that Interferon is any more then a treatment to extend one's survivability and additional 14 months.
My advice to you is to frankly discuss Interferon Treatment with your Onc. Ask the tough questions, do your own research and come to your own conclusions. You probably will not get honest answers from your onc. or treatment center.
Best of luck to you.
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- June 29, 2011 at 7:35 pm
My wife passed from Melanoma several years ago, when first she was dx stage III, and began treatment with Interferon, I began my own research. What I discovered was, that this drug is in no way a cure for the disease, that it merely adds statistically about 14 months to survival. When I discussed this with her onc, his reply was, what do you want me to do, it is the "gold standard". 15 months after her year of Interferron treatment, the disease came back with a vengeance, and spread to her brain, her lungs, liver, abdomen, spine, and legs.
When she went stage IV, her bio-chemo therapy, she responded very well to it and it cleared her of approx. 95% of the disease. Unfortunately she got to the point where she could undergo no more treatment.
My wife survived just about as long as the statistics for Interferon treatment suggested she would and that was about 27 months.
After everything I have read about Interferon and subsequent discussions with 2 oncologists, I came to the decision that were either one of my three children ever dx with stage III Melanoma, I would insist that they go straight to Stage IV treatment, and completely forego Interferon. No one, and I mean no one has been able to show that Interferon is any more then a treatment to extend one's survivability and additional 14 months.
My advice to you is to frankly discuss Interferon Treatment with your Onc. Ask the tough questions, do your own research and come to your own conclusions. You probably will not get honest answers from your onc. or treatment center.
Best of luck to you.
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