Option For Treatment

i met with my medical oncologist and he disscused my melanoma as high risk stage 3 b. the option for treatment are interferon,which i have been researching and cannot believe all the side effects.,2nd option was to enter a clinical trial with the side effects double the interferon. the 3rd option was to do nothing and have chechups every 3 months .

  i would like to know if anyone has taken the option of doing nothing but the checkups every three months.

 

Don't rule out interferon.  Everyone has a different tolerance to the side effects.  My oncologist told me to try to get through the first month of treatment -- which is high dose interferon administered 5 days per week intravenously.  It was a really bad month -- but it was just ONE month.  I slept through most of it and did experience nauseau, weight loss, skin rashes, fatigue, etc. However, you just keep counting down the days.  It is only 4 weeks.  At the end of 4 weeks, my oncologist told me that we should try the low dose interferon (3 shots per week) but if I experienced severe side effects we would stop the treatment.  I still had side effects such as fatigue, metalic taste in my mouth, some hair loss, skin rashes -- but the nauseas subsided and compared to the first month it was easy.  I just finished a year of treatment and I am glad I did it.  I feel that I have done everything I can to prevent a recurrence.  I suggest you try to get through one month of Interferon (high dose) because the first month is the most critical in reducing the risk of recurrence.  I was out of work on disability for the month long treatment, but later returned to work full time and worked for the rest of the treatment.  I am glad the treatment is over, but I am also glad I did it.

My sister was diagnosed in April '06 with rectal melanoma.  They removed her lesion, and did nothing.  She was checked (scanned) every three months, and up until July -07 was clear.  In July they found that the melanoma had reocurred in the rectum with mets to her lung and liver.  She is now in a clinical trial.  I would highly recommend doing whatever you can early on, as your chances are much greater if you get a jump start on kicking this nasty cancers butt!  I know your melanoma probably originated on the skin, but I would still recommend the interferon.  We thought the "sit and watch" thing would be ok, it wasn't!  I wish we had opted for the interferon early on.

 God bless you!