snbsmith1

Maureen,

Stage IV is serious, but it can be beat.  I beat it with a lot of help and support from my wife, and good care. My initial diagnosis was stage 4 melanoma in February 2006, when I was living in Northern Virginia.  I went to Hopkins and saw Dr Sharfman.  I did 3 courses of IL-2 (2 rounds each), because the tumors were shrinking/disappearing after each course.  After the 3rd course, I only had one enlarged lymph node left, but it was getting bigger.  I was sent to NIH in Bethesda and participated in 2 different immunotherapy clinical trials.  I got a partial response in the first one, then had a brain met and went back to Hopkins to Dr Kleinberg for gamma knife.  The second clinical trial at NIH was December of 2007.  By November of 2008 there no trace of disease.  I have been clean since.  Since you are in the DC area I would suggest you investigate similar options.  Best of luck to you.

Steve (living in Maine)

Maureen,

Stage IV is serious, but it can be beat.  I beat it with a lot of help and support from my wife, and good care. My initial diagnosis was stage 4 melanoma in February 2006, when I was living in Northern Virginia.  I went to Hopkins and saw Dr Sharfman.  I did 3 courses of IL-2 (2 rounds each), because the tumors were shrinking/disappearing after each course.  After the 3rd course, I only had one enlarged lymph node left, but it was getting bigger.  I was sent to NIH in Bethesda and participated in 2 different immunotherapy clinical trials.  I got a partial response in the first one, then had a brain met and went back to Hopkins to Dr Kleinberg for gamma knife.  The second clinical trial at NIH was December of 2007.  By November of 2008 there no trace of disease.  I have been clean since.  Since you are in the DC area I would suggest you investigate similar options.  Best of luck to you.

Steve (living in Maine)

Maureen,

Stage IV is serious, but it can be beat.  I beat it with a lot of help and support from my wife, and good care. My initial diagnosis was stage 4 melanoma in February 2006, when I was living in Northern Virginia.  I went to Hopkins and saw Dr Sharfman.  I did 3 courses of IL-2 (2 rounds each), because the tumors were shrinking/disappearing after each course.  After the 3rd course, I only had one enlarged lymph node left, but it was getting bigger.  I was sent to NIH in Bethesda and participated in 2 different immunotherapy clinical trials.  I got a partial response in the first one, then had a brain met and went back to Hopkins to Dr Kleinberg for gamma knife.  The second clinical trial at NIH was December of 2007.  By November of 2008 there no trace of disease.  I have been clean since.  Since you are in the DC area I would suggest you investigate similar options.  Best of luck to you.

Steve (living in Maine)

I agree with everything Joe said.  I just saw the NIH melanoma TIL fellow recently.  Her contact info is Dr. Tristen Park, (301) 402-9047.

Steve

I agree with everything Joe said.  I just saw the NIH melanoma TIL fellow recently.  Her contact info is Dr. Tristen Park, (301) 402-9047.

Steve

I agree with everything Joe said.  I just saw the NIH melanoma TIL fellow recently.  Her contact info is Dr. Tristen Park, (301) 402-9047.

Steve