On 12/13/2006 Oncrx wrote:
stage 4 implies distant mets. I thought you said he didnt have mets. How old is your dad? He doesnt seem to want treatment because of side effects. Does he understand the severity of his illness?
My dad is 78. He came out of prostate cancer treatment in March. I'm not sure he does fully understand the severity. Everything that I've read indicates that melanoma is resistant to any treatment. Interfuron appears to extend disease free time, but not life expectancy. I haven't seen any documentation to dispute that. I asked the oncologist about the fact that the cancer hasn't metastisized further than a secondary lymphatic system, but they said that because of the node involvement, the inability to find the primary site and the tumor under the collarbone initially that it was stage iv.