Stage Iv Diagnosis

My friend, an otherwise very healthy 61 year old pilot, was diagnosed in March 2007 with Stage IV Melanoma.  He entered a clinical study and received several months of treatment (Temador) with 52% elimination of tumors.  In September, a CT Scan revealed that the contaminated lymph nodes (3 I beleive) in his lungs had not responded to the clinical meds.  He was given 96 hours of chemotherapy (Cisplatin, Vinblastin, Temador, Interferon Alfa and Interlukin).  He was VERY sick.  Stayed in the hospital 3 weeks.  He has recovered significantly and is at MD Anderson today for evaluation after a CT Scan and will begin treatment tonight.  The doctor said she did not recommend giving him Interferon or Interlukin for this round.)  The treatment has been effective so far I believe since he is 8 months down the road now and his cancer has not advanced.  WITH GOD'S HELP AND WONDERFUL CANCER RESEARCH I HOPE HE CAN BE THIS DISEASE.

On 10/25/2007 Good Friend wrote:

My friend, an otherwise very healthy 61 year old pilot, was diagnosed in March 2007 with Stage IV Melanoma.  He entered a clinical study and received several months of treatment (Temador) with 52% elimination of tumors.  In September, a CT Scan revealed that the contaminated lymph nodes (3 I beleive) in his lungs had not responded to the clinical meds.  He was given 96 hours of chemotherapy (Cisplatin, Vinblastin, Temador, Interferon Alfa and Interlukin).  He was VERY sick.  Stayed in the hospital 3 weeks.  He has recovered significantly and is at MD Anderson today for evaluation after a CT Scan and will begin treatment tonight.  The doctor said she did not recommend giving him Interferon or Interlukin for this round.)  The treatment has been effective so far I believe since he is 8 months down the road now and his cancer has not advanced.  WITH GOD'S HELP AND WONDERFUL CANCER RESEARCH I HOPE HE CAN BE THIS DISEASE.

That's great that your friend has responded to the chemo treatment.  My sister also has stage 4 metastatic melanoma in four lymph nodes.  Three were under her arms and one (huge-golf ball size) in her groin.  She got bio-chemo treatment at M D Anderson's in Houston.  The three under her arms are gone and they shrunk the one in her groin.  So far she has had two good scan reports and is going back in January for another.

She received cisplastin, vinblastin, dicarbozine, interferon and interlukon.  She has to be hospitalized during the treatment and was very sick.  She received six treatments of each of those drugs.

We continue to have hope but worry each time she goes to Houston.  She would love to hear from you and correspond about melanoma.  Her e-mail address is: 

 Good luck to your friend.

Carolyn