Stage Iv - Interleuiken

My brother who is 47 yrs. old, has now been diagonosed with Stage iv melanoma. He has been battling this for 5 years, has undergone 30 radiation treatments, aggressive interferon with also 3 shots a week for 14 weeks. It has now spread to lung, and liver with tumors in the liver 2.2 mm, and 1.6 mm, with 3 other lesions. THe doctors are now saying that he is a candidate for interleuken the high dose they will proceed. Does anyone now of someone that this treatment has been successful for, today he is having major back pain. When my bother asked how long he had to live, the doctor responded "two years ago I would have said 6 months, but now there is possibilities for success. I need some stright answers, he has an 8 year old son, and is married. Please respond

I would ask about a clinical trial for your brother. In stage 4, response rates for most therapy is poor. Interleukin is a possibility, but still has poor response rates. Still, the fact that he has made it this long is amazing. Hang in there. Let me know if you need info on clinical trials. One place to look is NCI.com under melanoma.

Thanks for responding. As of yesterday, my brother is going to try a new clinical trial using 2 chemo therapy drugs combined with another drug. He was told if they use the interleuken now the doctors will not be able to try anything else, so interleuken will be a last resort. Yes, it is amazing how great he has done up until this point, his spirit and fighting attitude has been miraculous. Although he is now very....depressed for the first time in 5 years. It is very hard to know what to do. The doctors want him to quit sleeping so much and get his fight back.I want him to get up and start living again, he's still alive. I want him to smell the air, listen to laughter, and embrace the moments with those that love him so much. I want to tell him, he isn't gone yet, so get it together and keep fighting this ugly thing called cancer. I am not ready to let him go. There is still a small window of hope for a little more time here on earth. How do I help?

Is he on an antidepressant like Zoloft or Prozac? If he isnt I would ask for one. People who are fighting for their life need a reason to live. What is that for him? Children, family, perhaps an upcoming birthday, holiday. I would talk with him and help him find his reason.
God bless.

Yes, he is on Zoloft. Yes, he has a wife, and an eight year old son. He loves his job, he even worked during all of the treaments excepts, IV Interferon. He has always been the most optimistic person ever. No one could believe how he worked during all of this. It isn't money, either. His job has been great to him, and his insureance has been 100% paid, except for a few minor bills. His wife just recently has not been very compassionate, avoiding him majorly.He has been at my parents home staying during this last bout of treament because he's lives 4 hours away and his doctors are by my parents. My sister-in-laws parents live up the road from parents and has been hibernating there with my nephew. I can't understand her behavior, and I amtrying to be compassionate with her, but in the meantime my brother is suffering BIG TIME emotionally. I don't know whether to talk to her about it or not. I don't want to compound a stressful, and hurtful situation, and she is the wife. I know this is not helping him wither. I need more advice. I can only imagine how hard this all has been on their marriage. Help.

I think you could talk to her. She may be unaware of how she is acting toward her husband. This is bound to be stressful on her also.
Remind your brother all the people he is valuable to. Here is a great story about value.

A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20.00 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, "Who would like this $20 note?" Hands started going up. He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this. He proceeded to crumple up the 20 dollar bill. He then asked, "Who still wants it?" Still the hands were up in the air. Well, he replied, "What if I do this?" And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. "Now, who still wants it?" Still the hands went into the air.

My friends, we have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20. Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to those who LOVE and ADMIRE YOU. The worth of our lives comes not in what we do or who we know, but by WHO WE ARE. Count your blessings, not your problems. And remember: amateurs built the ark, professionals built the Titanic that sank. If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.

- Author Unknown -

Thank you so... much for the uplifting story. It is a great way to put things in perspective. My brother gets to go home tonight just for 2 days, and will be back for more tests etc before he begins his new treatment and clinical trial. Going home should help him a little bit with his depression. Are you a cancer survivor? DO you know anything about the trial of using 2 chemo drugs combined with a newer drug? If so, do you know any outcomes? I know my brother will not be cured at this point, but do you know of any survival rates with this type of treatment? It is hard to know what to say sometimes to him. I feel guilty when I just do the normal everyday things for my family, and friends, when I Think about him and all he's been through already with more to come it's hard to find happiness. Maybe I am a little depressed too, especially when it is around the holidays. Does this make sense or maybe I just am not explaining it in the right way.

I am an oncology pharmacist at a large hospital, not a survivor, so I interact with oncology patients daily. If you know the names of the drugs or the name of the trial, I could find more information.
I think I understand how you feel, guilty just to be happy. How is your faith? We are all going to die. Its a part of life. Perhaps you feel its too early for him, but then who is to say any one of us wont die in a car wreck on the way home from work today. Our time here is neither permanent nor guarenteed.
Does your brother believe he is going to heaven? Thats something to look forward to, not something to dread.
God Bless.

Dear Traci S., You can go to the web site by Chiron who manufactures Interleukin, and they will have survivors listed. I contacted one in Owensboro, KY and she told me all about her history with the drug. She is a survivor of several years now. If you go to the web phone book and look up their names and cities, you might be able to find their phone numbers.

I am very sad to say that my brother passed away from melanoma on December 26th surrounded by all of those who loved him. He fought and was brave until the very end. I hope the medical field can find a good treatment for this type of cancer. remind all your loved ones to protect their skin. Melanoma cases are on the rise, please be aware and thank you to all of those who responded to my mailings and God bless you all.