On 1/29/2008 KerrySH wrote:
tI'm not an expert - but I believe it is vitally important that you see a melanoma speialist at a major teaching or National Cancer Institute-certified hospital as soon as possible, Your brother's primary doctor should be coordinating his care and making sure it happens. Go even if you can't get insurance approval or if it takes a long time - your brother may need to sign some forms but the approval process can take place retroactively - finances can always be worked out, the important thing now is to save his life! Don't settle for second best; he needs immediate help now. God bless - I'll be thinking of you.
I've had malignant melanoma of the nasal cavity (mucosal melanoma) since August 2005 and am still around after six surgeries, radiation and participation in a clinical trial. The trial consisted of 8 months of carbopaxil/taxol/sorafenib every three weeks for several hours. I'm been on just the sorafenib (Nexavar) for the past three months. (It's possible I'm on a placebo in the trial but not likely based on the side effects I've experienced.My oncologist is sure I'm on the real thing.) My cancer has been pretty much in a holding pattern since March of last year, when the trial started, so that's a definite plus.