› Forums › General Melanoma Community › My Father
- This topic has 12 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 13 years, 6 months ago by
Gene_S.
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- July 29, 2012 at 8:54 am
My father was first diagnosed with melanoma cancer back in 08. It was found early and removed. Earlier this month, my father went to the hospital with pneumonia. The doctors had found that melanoma had actually spread, and found bits of it in his right lung. During this week, the doctors discovered both lungs mets (the right one being worse), liver mets, brain mets (one small tumor and just recently today, 2 more). No word yet as to whether he’ll undergo radiation therapy.My father is 64, but is incredibly healthy for his age. He is very fragile at the moment though since he recently had a bronchoscopy to treat the meta in his lung. He also has had a wounded leg for the last 50 years which is potentially infected. It may be the cause of high white blood cells in his system, but has still lived a normal life with it.
I’ve done research on metastasis melanoma and have found an average range of 2-8 months. I have past family members that were outliers of that statistic. My grandmother was given 3 months and ended up living for 4 more years and she too had melanoma. My aunt was given 6 months but ended up living 11 years and she had throat cancer. However, neither of them had brain metastasis.
The doctors won’t tell us a timeline because they aren’t sure themselves, but I need to know. I am currently attending UC Irvine and classes are starting the middle of September. It is about 2 hours from home so I won’t be going back often. I have come to accept that in his condition, he doesn’t have long so I just want to prepare myself. I don’t want to receive a phone call from my family one day in class, or during a test, or in the library, but when it does happen, I just want to be ready. Has anyone had a similar experience like this, or know an estimated timeline?
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- July 29, 2012 at 9:15 am
Is he being seen by doctor(s) who are up to date on the newest in melanoma treatment? Some new therapies have been approved in the last couple of years, one or more of which could possibly help him. Please make sure he is in the best of hands before counting him out.
No one can predict an individual's survival time with any accuracy, except perhaps in the last few weeks of life. The published data on survival from the time of staging are out of date because of the new advances in treatment.
My best wishes to your father,
Harry
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- July 29, 2012 at 9:15 am
Is he being seen by doctor(s) who are up to date on the newest in melanoma treatment? Some new therapies have been approved in the last couple of years, one or more of which could possibly help him. Please make sure he is in the best of hands before counting him out.
No one can predict an individual's survival time with any accuracy, except perhaps in the last few weeks of life. The published data on survival from the time of staging are out of date because of the new advances in treatment.
My best wishes to your father,
Harry
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- July 29, 2012 at 9:15 am
Is he being seen by doctor(s) who are up to date on the newest in melanoma treatment? Some new therapies have been approved in the last couple of years, one or more of which could possibly help him. Please make sure he is in the best of hands before counting him out.
No one can predict an individual's survival time with any accuracy, except perhaps in the last few weeks of life. The published data on survival from the time of staging are out of date because of the new advances in treatment.
My best wishes to your father,
Harry
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- July 29, 2012 at 9:21 am
Hi,
I'm sorry your father is going through this. Mine is too.
My father is 65 and was diagnosed in 2010 when he was 64. He was diagnosed stage 3 and went to stage 4 six months later with mets to his brain, liver and lung.
No-one can answer your question with accuracy, the doctors are quite right when they say they don't know. Melanoma is different in every person and his timelime depends greatly on the treatment options he decides to take. There are quite a few clinical trials around these days that extend life for melanoma patients.
In saying all this there is no doubt honestly speaking that stage 4 melanoma with brain mets carries a poor prognosis and the interent will generally say 4 months. My dad is still here after a year with a single brain met that was removed. Sadly the disease is taking him now and I think he only has weeks to live.
I can only talk from my father's experience and I believe that those who research and are prepared to try different treatments can enjoy a lot more time.
Generally you will know if you're father declines and I'm sure there will be time for you to get back home, so don't worry about that.
Take care and all the best to you and your dad.
Nahmi from Melbourne
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- July 29, 2012 at 9:21 am
Hi,
I'm sorry your father is going through this. Mine is too.
My father is 65 and was diagnosed in 2010 when he was 64. He was diagnosed stage 3 and went to stage 4 six months later with mets to his brain, liver and lung.
No-one can answer your question with accuracy, the doctors are quite right when they say they don't know. Melanoma is different in every person and his timelime depends greatly on the treatment options he decides to take. There are quite a few clinical trials around these days that extend life for melanoma patients.
In saying all this there is no doubt honestly speaking that stage 4 melanoma with brain mets carries a poor prognosis and the interent will generally say 4 months. My dad is still here after a year with a single brain met that was removed. Sadly the disease is taking him now and I think he only has weeks to live.
I can only talk from my father's experience and I believe that those who research and are prepared to try different treatments can enjoy a lot more time.
Generally you will know if you're father declines and I'm sure there will be time for you to get back home, so don't worry about that.
Take care and all the best to you and your dad.
Nahmi from Melbourne
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- July 29, 2012 at 9:21 am
Hi,
I'm sorry your father is going through this. Mine is too.
My father is 65 and was diagnosed in 2010 when he was 64. He was diagnosed stage 3 and went to stage 4 six months later with mets to his brain, liver and lung.
No-one can answer your question with accuracy, the doctors are quite right when they say they don't know. Melanoma is different in every person and his timelime depends greatly on the treatment options he decides to take. There are quite a few clinical trials around these days that extend life for melanoma patients.
In saying all this there is no doubt honestly speaking that stage 4 melanoma with brain mets carries a poor prognosis and the interent will generally say 4 months. My dad is still here after a year with a single brain met that was removed. Sadly the disease is taking him now and I think he only has weeks to live.
I can only talk from my father's experience and I believe that those who research and are prepared to try different treatments can enjoy a lot more time.
Generally you will know if you're father declines and I'm sure there will be time for you to get back home, so don't worry about that.
Take care and all the best to you and your dad.
Nahmi from Melbourne
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- July 29, 2012 at 12:58 pm
I am so sorry to hear about your father. I think you will have enough advanced notice if your father takes a turn for the worse to get back home. It is a hard time to be going through but if your dad has fought this wound in his leg this long then he should be a good fighter of mel also.
Make sure you father is seeing a melanoma specialist. They are usually more up to date on the treatments available and he might suggest a clinical trail for him.
My husband was diagnosed in 2008 and he started at a stage IIIc. After 4 surgeries in Oct. 2010 he was then diagnosed Stage IV with mel in his liver, lungs and one pressing on the spine at C1-2. He went on a clinical trial and just 10 days ago was told he is NED (no evidence of disease). He didn't have any brain mets though. So everyone responds differently.
Since it seems mel runs in the genetics please also have yourself checked.
Judy (loving wife of Gene)
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- July 29, 2012 at 12:58 pm
I am so sorry to hear about your father. I think you will have enough advanced notice if your father takes a turn for the worse to get back home. It is a hard time to be going through but if your dad has fought this wound in his leg this long then he should be a good fighter of mel also.
Make sure you father is seeing a melanoma specialist. They are usually more up to date on the treatments available and he might suggest a clinical trail for him.
My husband was diagnosed in 2008 and he started at a stage IIIc. After 4 surgeries in Oct. 2010 he was then diagnosed Stage IV with mel in his liver, lungs and one pressing on the spine at C1-2. He went on a clinical trial and just 10 days ago was told he is NED (no evidence of disease). He didn't have any brain mets though. So everyone responds differently.
Since it seems mel runs in the genetics please also have yourself checked.
Judy (loving wife of Gene)
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- July 29, 2012 at 12:58 pm
I am so sorry to hear about your father. I think you will have enough advanced notice if your father takes a turn for the worse to get back home. It is a hard time to be going through but if your dad has fought this wound in his leg this long then he should be a good fighter of mel also.
Make sure you father is seeing a melanoma specialist. They are usually more up to date on the treatments available and he might suggest a clinical trail for him.
My husband was diagnosed in 2008 and he started at a stage IIIc. After 4 surgeries in Oct. 2010 he was then diagnosed Stage IV with mel in his liver, lungs and one pressing on the spine at C1-2. He went on a clinical trial and just 10 days ago was told he is NED (no evidence of disease). He didn't have any brain mets though. So everyone responds differently.
Since it seems mel runs in the genetics please also have yourself checked.
Judy (loving wife of Gene)
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