A family member has stage 3c melanoma (BRCA gene mutation) and so he can take Dabrafenib (Tafinlar) and Trametinib (Mekinist). He is very reluctant to share info and I'm limited on what further detail I can provide. 

He stated that he faces a reduced risk of 'anything' developing (i think he said 30% over 5 years) with 4 weekly blood tests and 4 monthly scans. 

I am in a state of shock and I am finding it hard to calmly navigate through all of this info (particularly stats which are hard to picture) - such as on survival rates, re-emergence etc. What really is a 5-year survival prediction realistically in this case? 

Please can someone accurately, plainly and succinctly explain to me what this really means. I may be in some kind of denial that this isn't a "he is ~25% likely to survive/ 75% likely to die within 5 years" kind of scenario. 

If it is stage 3c and he is on these drugs, is there a 'good' chance he will survive longer than 5, 10, 15 years? Should I be preparing myself for his passing at any point within 5 years, or at the 5-year mark for example? Will he suddenly be really ill? 

Is stage 3c a (more immediate) death sentence for most people. Could these drugs save him? Will he likely be very very sick for a long time? 

Many thanks, 

H