So, i was in line at the bank cashing our Stimulus check and this guy walks up behind me and ask's "Is this the back of the line"? I said "No, this is the front of the line and we're all standing backwards"..
I dont get out much cuz of my health, the pain, the anemia, and now the 3rd virus that China has released to my country COVID-19 so, i may have been to rough on the guy at the bank haha..Anyways, Here i am family! After all these months, seems like years since i last wrote, iv had a "transfusion" a few weeks ago, i needed blood, im apparently bleeding a tad quicker then i can produce it so, im sure transfusions are in my cards, especially if i keep staying at or below 7.1 on my Hemoglobin (this last time), it kept going down so we handled it. And boy do they make you feel better! Like nite/day! I even thanked the prior owner who donated it! I just wish i can get a grip on pain management, like you all know, my Naproxens have been very good to me thru all my prior surgeries, tumor pain, or those deep nerve pains i use to get back before they pulled out that what, "8cm" Mel monster out my right lung, but now there failing to work on my growing Sigmoid tumor wich is giving us the middle finger in CT scan photos, last scan 2 months ago, it measured 5.0, now its 7.1, just shy of 3 inches, 2.1cm growth in 3 months time, try havin' fun with that in your Sig.. Oh! But! All other tumors have shrank in half! Ill show you my Pathos Report on separate post, atleast something positive is FINALLY happening!! Ive been offered opiate type meds by my Palliative doc but always passed on them, i think its time to try something, ill see him next Wednesday during my infusion, hes been great, really trying his best to hone in on different medications to relieve the constipation caused by the damn monster thats road blocking my waste tunnel! Cenna and Milk of Magnesia (this will be #4), the pain has made me cry a few times, it just busted out of me like the Hoover Dam, heating pads, electric messager, ice packs help but, its all in my head i think, the monster leaves when it wants to leave...Now, the surgery card "is" in my oncologists back pocket but, as he put it with my last tumor, "I'd rather have your therapy (ox40/icos) do the work and not cut you open every time"....I get what he's saying and on paper thats great but, in real time hes not the one feeling this demon eat my guts either. He knows how i feel & has faith i can endure it just a little longer which i think i can, its become my usual norm, including my last bulging painful tumor on my side that was finally taken out, im used to "taking one for the team" just to get to my next scan and see what size he is, then maybe i can have a Quality Of Surgery. My next scan is June 3rd so, fingers crossed..
Well ya'all, i wrote a book and i should have some courtesy and leave some of MRF's storage available for the next person, I love you all and hope your stable at the very least, im gunna browse & catch up, hope to be back soon, i can never promise these days....Mike PS: and thank you to the person who reached out awhile ago, i forgot your name, my wife said it but since then its sliped my mind, always feel free to write her for an update, it makes us both feel good at the right time..

Some video discussions about melanoma treatments are here:

https://www.onclive.com/peer-exchange/melanoma-treatment-expert-perspect...

You may need to register, but access is free.

I am waiting for confirmation from my doctor, but if I'm reading these PET scan results right, they mean NED!!! So, my first question is for those who have reached that point: how did you celebrate? One year from Stage 4 diagnosis to NED?!?!

And then: what kind of follow up should I be expecting after this. We did about nine months of Keytruda, and now I think we're DONE. What happens after this?

I had surgery to remove part of my parotid gland 10 weeks ago. 45 nodes were removed and all were clear. Had 1 node with melanoma within the gland. I had radiation therapy to my neck and finished 10 days ago. Now I have a lymph node starting to swell beside the original incision. My question is , can radiation therapy cause lymph nodes to swell? I appreciate any responses.

It's been a while since I've even been on this forum, let alone post, so I thought I'd post an update. For those who may not remember, my wife Leslie was diagnosed with melanoma (ended up being 3b) on her left thigh, with the sentinel lymph node testing positive in Feb of '14. After three surgeries, the last being a complete lymph node dissection of the left groin area done at Duke Cancer Center in April '14, she's doing well. None of the additional nodes removed tested positive. She had CT scans done every 6 months for the first 3 years, and then 12 months for the next two years. All were clear, at least as far as melanoma is concerned. From the very first scan, the docs noted a small spot on her right lung, but never really mentioned it again. As far as Melanoma is concerned, she has been NED for over 6 years now. We were expecting to be done with Duke after her year 5 scan, but that spot on her lung suddenly became important... It grew almost 50% from year 4 scan to year 5 scan. Melanoma doc referred her over to the thoracic docs for further review. Consult with him gave us two options: Wait and watch, or go get it. They couldn't biopsy it because it was almost dead-center in the lobe of the lung. She had him go get it, but they had to take the upper lobe of her lung to get it. Turned out to be an adeno carcinoma. Lung Cancer. Good news is that it was very small, and it was caught VERY early, before it had a chance to spread. Now, instead of being done with the Duke cancer center, we got to start over with the scans. 6 years NED w/melanoma, 1 year NED w/lung cancer. Next scan will be done locally due to the Covid-19 thing going on, but it will still be read by Duke. All of the doctors and staff at Duke have been absolutely wonderful to deal with.

Dave

I've had 3 Opdivo infusions as well as radiation to all the original sites. Clearly they haven't worked as well as I'd like. Is there any reason I shouldn't be taking the combo? Trying to get a hold of my doctor today as tomorrow is my next Opdivo infusion and I want to really stress the fact that I want the combo but just looking for other opinions on here as well. BRAF+ - Original site was right chest wall with small amount found in Right axilla lymph nodes.

CT CH/ABD/PEL W/ CON
------
5/1/2020 CT of chest, abdomen, and pelvis
CLINICAL STATEMENT: Metastatic melanoma. EOD
TECHNIQUE: Multislice helical sections were obtained from the thoracic
inlet to the pubic symphysis after oral and intravenous contrast
administration.
RADIATION DOSE (DLP): 1453 mGy-cm
COMPARISON: January 2017, 2020 CT scan.
CORRELATION: None.
FINDINGS:
LUNGS/AIRWAYS: Small left lower lobe
metastases are decreased in size and now measure 1.8 x 1.4 cm along the
inferior hilum previously 2.1 x 1.8 cm and 0.9 x 0.9 cm in the posterior
costophrenic sulcus previously 1.2 x 1.1 cm
PLEURA/PERICARDIUM: No effusion.
MEDIASTINUM/THORACIC NODES: Statuspost right axillary dissection.
No new adenopathy
HEPATOBILIARY: No liver mass or biliary ductal dilatation
SPLEEN: 4.0 x 3.1 cm mass in the medial
superior pole is increased in size, previously 1.5x 1.3 cm. Several new
hypodense metastases measure up to 2.7 x 2.4 cm in the inferior pole
PANCREAS: Unremarkable.
ADRENAL GLANDS: New 1.6 x 1.2 cm nodule in left adrenal body
consistent with metastasis.
KIDNEYS: Unremarkable.
ABDOMINOPELVIC
NODES: No adenopathy.
PELVIC ORGANS: Mild prostatomegaly
PERITONEUM/
MESENTERY/BOWEL: No obstructive bowel dilatation, ascites or
peritoneal masses
BONES/SOFT TISSUES: New small lytic metastases in T2 vertebral body
eroding the left anterior cortex, right pubic bone and left iliac wing
OTHER: None.
IMPRESSION:
1. Since January 2020, increased metastatic disease in spleen, left
adrenal gland and bones.

Just wondering if anyone has been on this treatment twice. My brother had great success and was off all treatment for two years after being on this for one year,. One spot returned and so now he has just completed his 4th double infusion treatment and will be getting scan later this month. Has anyone else had experience with this ?
Thank you