My melanoma was found in my lymph node. My CT scan is clear and I haven offered immunotherapy or targeted treatment. I am having great difficulty deciding which to choose.
Hi Munshkin, I was diagnosed with stage 3C melanoma last year, I had a lump, not a mole, which had a Breslow thickness of 4.7mm, ulcerated and had spread to my sentinel lymph node.
I also was given the choice of immunotherapy or targeted therapy. I chose the targeted as if problems occurred such as diabetes, they can be reversed after treatment finishes, with immunotherapy, if you develop for example diabetes, you tend to have it for life.
Moderator, please correct me if I'm wrong.
Luckily I've only had nausea and some diarrhoea.
I am on the medication, Dabrafenib and Trametininb, for a year, scans so far have been clear. I will live with the fear of it returning but hope and pray the targeted therapy has done the job of switching off those mutated cells.
Good luck with your treatment, whatever you choose will be right for you.
Hi Munshkin, I was diagnosed with stage 3C melanoma last year, I had a lump, not a mole, which had a Breslow thickness of 4.7mm, ulcerated and had spread to my sentinel lymph node.
I also was given the choice of immunotherapy or targeted therapy. I chose the targeted as if problems occurred such as diabetes, they can be reversed after treatment finishes, with immunotherapy, if you develop for example diabetes, you tend to have it for life.
Moderator, please correct me if I'm wrong.
Luckily I've only had nausea and some diarrhoea.
I am on the medication, Dabrafenib and Trametininb, for a year, scans so far have been clear. I will live with the fear of it returning but hope and pray the targeted therapy has done the job of switching off those mutated cells.
Good luck with your treatment, whatever you choose will be right for you.
Thank you for your reply. As mentioned I have received no advise on what is best for my diagnosis. I just feel that if I am having treatment for one year, I want the one with the best outcome. I have asked to see oncologist again as my husband feels that we have not been able to discuss thoroughly with doctor. Its like tossing a coin.
Have you looked at the Melanoma Focus website. They have fantastic advice along with what treatments are available. They have been great support for me and also have an annual conference which is a great place to meet others in our situation. Good idea to take your husband along, you can discuss your options with him so he understands what the treatment involves. It is like tossing a coin and I still sometimes wonder if I chose the right one but I'm over half way through the treatment now and so far so good. I hope you find enough information to be able to make the choice that is right for you x
Just be prepared I went through 7 years of this dreadful sick disease.
I am not her to frighten anyone but always demand scans or treatments don't wait!
Doctors are great but they chat. We can do this next week we can do this or that. No do it now
Melinoma does not wait and it's super fast and aggressive.
My baby had 7 years of operation after operation to be told she beat it again and again. But it came back worse each time and she passed on the tenth July this month. She was only 25 and left a whole so massive I'm never going to fill it. She was everything
I am so so sorry to hear this, so sad for someone so young. More education is needed on the severity of melanoma, it was described to me as a dandelion, you can pull the weed out but it has already scattered it's seeds which may or may not germinate, a lifetime of worrying that it will come back. Too many people dismiss it as a cancer that is easily treated simply by cutting it out, if only.
If you do have immunotherapy I'd be really interested to compare your treatment to mine. I know you would probably have it monthly but be good to compare side effects etc.
Thank you for your kind words it means a lot. Wish I could take a break but I can't funeral costs with cremation are around 8 grand for what she wants and why not but guess I'm not going to get a break away
My daughter had immunotherapy and she never experienced anything nasty just a little tired all in all but nothing major like chemotherapy or radiotherapy
I will have to make the decision this week and someone recommended melanoma focus group. I have found it very informative. Will definitely let you know how I get on.
