CancerCompass message board discussion started by Jbond1 on 6/13/2007 http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,13193,0.htm Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss RSS.NET: http://www.rssdotnet.com/ i am meeting with my medical oncology and it looks like the recommendation is to begin interferon treatments.  i have stage 111melanoma, could someone tell me about the treatments and how they are handling everything. thank you Jbond1 Wed, 13 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT Interferon is recommended in stage III melanoma.  This would include daily IV injections for a month and then 3 times a week SQ for 11 months.  The 11 months you should be able to do at home.   This has shown to increase overall survival and disease free survival.  However, Interferon is not a nice drug.  I'm sure others can tell you first hand but side effects include aches, pains, sort of a flu- like feeling,  fatigue and depression.  Other options include clinical trials, which you could discuss with your onc. Oncrx Wed, 13 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT Interferon treatment is not easy.  My partner was on it for four months, the first month the IV infusion and the next three months the sub-cutaneous injections three times a week.  He suffered severe depression, extreme fatigue, uncontrollable itching and some aches.  He was put on Remeron, an antidepressant, and that seemed to work pretty well.  Benadryl and Atarax were tried for the itching, to no avail.He was exhausted to the point that he slept 18-20 hours a day.  Had he not been retired, there is no way he would have been able to work.It is extremely important to keep yourself well hydrated; minimum of 2 litres of fluid per day, and coffee, tea, and other caffeinated drinks are to be avoided, as they are diuretic, and draw fluid out of your body.  I know of one person under treatment who drank two gallons of fluid a day, and had very little trouble with fatigue after starting that.  My partner never would drink the requisite amount of fluid, and that may have been why he suffered so from the fatigue.  Elsie80 Fri, 15 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT