Ipi & HD IL-2

Josh, I am sorry that your lung lesion turned out to be melanoma. I know you suspected that it might be, but it's an emotional blow, anyway. I am sorry for that.

The clinical trial you are starting sounds like an excellent choice. The trial just opened in July and is one of the first to combine 2 immune-based treatments. It involves giving both IL-2 and ipi, which will hopefully really rev up your immune system to fight the melanoma. One arm get the ipi first and then the IL-2 and the other arm gets the IL-2 first and then the ipi. You can only get into this trial if you are treatment naive or have had no more then one (non-immune) treatment. So your timing is great!

Again, I am sorry that you progressed but I am very optimistic about the treatment you chose. Try to eat healthfully, get some regular exercise and most of all, hang on to you positive mental attitude!

Josh, I am sorry that your lung lesion turned out to be melanoma. I know you suspected that it might be, but it's an emotional blow, anyway. I am sorry for that.

The clinical trial you are starting sounds like an excellent choice. The trial just opened in July and is one of the first to combine 2 immune-based treatments. It involves giving both IL-2 and ipi, which will hopefully really rev up your immune system to fight the melanoma. One arm get the ipi first and then the IL-2 and the other arm gets the IL-2 first and then the ipi. You can only get into this trial if you are treatment naive or have had no more then one (non-immune) treatment. So your timing is great!

Again, I am sorry that you progressed but I am very optimistic about the treatment you chose. Try to eat healthfully, get some regular exercise and most of all, hang on to you positive mental attitude!

Josh, I am sorry that your lung lesion turned out to be melanoma. I know you suspected that it might be, but it's an emotional blow, anyway. I am sorry for that.

The clinical trial you are starting sounds like an excellent choice. The trial just opened in July and is one of the first to combine 2 immune-based treatments. It involves giving both IL-2 and ipi, which will hopefully really rev up your immune system to fight the melanoma. One arm get the ipi first and then the IL-2 and the other arm gets the IL-2 first and then the ipi. You can only get into this trial if you are treatment naive or have had no more then one (non-immune) treatment. So your timing is great!

Again, I am sorry that you progressed but I am very optimistic about the treatment you chose. Try to eat healthfully, get some regular exercise and most of all, hang on to you positive mental attitude!

Josh, Have  you followed Jimmy B's research in this area?       http://melanomamissionary.blogspot.com/       .

Melanoma and the “Magic Bullet” (Monoclonal Antibodies)

It is very interesting and talks about the timing between the the two treatments which Jimmy believes lead  to his  NED status.  My oncologists have found his  work very  interesting. 

Josh, Have  you followed Jimmy B's research in this area?       http://melanomamissionary.blogspot.com/       .

Melanoma and the “Magic Bullet” (Monoclonal Antibodies)

It is very interesting and talks about the timing between the the two treatments which Jimmy believes lead  to his  NED status.  My oncologists have found his  work very  interesting. 

Josh, Have  you followed Jimmy B's research in this area?       http://melanomamissionary.blogspot.com/       .

Melanoma and the “Magic Bullet” (Monoclonal Antibodies)

It is very interesting and talks about the timing between the the two treatments which Jimmy believes lead  to his  NED status.  My oncologists have found his  work very  interesting. 

Josh, will be thinking of you.  You're in Chicago area, which melanoma specialists are you seeing, at Northwestern? 

Josh, will be thinking of you.  You're in Chicago area, which melanoma specialists are you seeing, at Northwestern? 

Josh, will be thinking of you.  You're in Chicago area, which melanoma specialists are you seeing, at Northwestern? 

Interesting that they're doing this trial. I hope you have good results.

I have been through both therapies and from my perspective, Ipi is much easier on the body, though it does carry a risk for some severe side effects. I mostly had some diarrhea, occasional nausea, and at points, some fatigue. If they're using the 10mg/kg dose rather than the approved 3 mg/kg dose you may have more symptoms than the average person getting Ipi. 

IL-2 on the other hand is very difficult. I'm assuming they're following the standard protocol, which basically has you hospitalized for a week at a time while they dose you several times a day as long as your body can handle it. It's extremely hard and my guess is that there will be points when you want to quit, stop the therapy and just go home. I did. Just try to keep in mind that as bad as you feel while you're there, within a couple of days after they stop the doses, you'll feel almost normal again so it doesn't last long. Just grit your teeth and count down the days to the end of the week.

One thing I find interesting about this trial- I did IL-2 first because all my doctors told me that it was well documented that people that did IL-2 before Ipi were not at greater risk of the more severe side effects (specifically colitis leading to bowel perforation), but that people who did Ipi before IL-2 were at greater risk for those side effects. Either way, be sure to monitor your side effects and communicate well with your doctors, because some of them really are scary and you want to keep ahead of them as much as possible. 

Good luck to you!

-Eva

Interesting that they're doing this trial. I hope you have good results.

I have been through both therapies and from my perspective, Ipi is much easier on the body, though it does carry a risk for some severe side effects. I mostly had some diarrhea, occasional nausea, and at points, some fatigue. If they're using the 10mg/kg dose rather than the approved 3 mg/kg dose you may have more symptoms than the average person getting Ipi. 

IL-2 on the other hand is very difficult. I'm assuming they're following the standard protocol, which basically has you hospitalized for a week at a time while they dose you several times a day as long as your body can handle it. It's extremely hard and my guess is that there will be points when you want to quit, stop the therapy and just go home. I did. Just try to keep in mind that as bad as you feel while you're there, within a couple of days after they stop the doses, you'll feel almost normal again so it doesn't last long. Just grit your teeth and count down the days to the end of the week.

One thing I find interesting about this trial- I did IL-2 first because all my doctors told me that it was well documented that people that did IL-2 before Ipi were not at greater risk of the more severe side effects (specifically colitis leading to bowel perforation), but that people who did Ipi before IL-2 were at greater risk for those side effects. Either way, be sure to monitor your side effects and communicate well with your doctors, because some of them really are scary and you want to keep ahead of them as much as possible. 

Good luck to you!

-Eva

Interesting that they're doing this trial. I hope you have good results.

I have been through both therapies and from my perspective, Ipi is much easier on the body, though it does carry a risk for some severe side effects. I mostly had some diarrhea, occasional nausea, and at points, some fatigue. If they're using the 10mg/kg dose rather than the approved 3 mg/kg dose you may have more symptoms than the average person getting Ipi. 

IL-2 on the other hand is very difficult. I'm assuming they're following the standard protocol, which basically has you hospitalized for a week at a time while they dose you several times a day as long as your body can handle it. It's extremely hard and my guess is that there will be points when you want to quit, stop the therapy and just go home. I did. Just try to keep in mind that as bad as you feel while you're there, within a couple of days after they stop the doses, you'll feel almost normal again so it doesn't last long. Just grit your teeth and count down the days to the end of the week.

One thing I find interesting about this trial- I did IL-2 first because all my doctors told me that it was well documented that people that did IL-2 before Ipi were not at greater risk of the more severe side effects (specifically colitis leading to bowel perforation), but that people who did Ipi before IL-2 were at greater risk for those side effects. Either way, be sure to monitor your side effects and communicate well with your doctors, because some of them really are scary and you want to keep ahead of them as much as possible. 

Good luck to you!

-Eva

So the good news is that only one thing lit up on your PET. Sounds like your doctors are not taking any chances, which is also good. This trial sounds like a "one, two punch" against melanoma. Both drugs have been known to cause your immune system to kick melanoma's butt. This sounds like a fascinating trial.

Yes, it is overwhelming. But it sounds like you're in really good hands.

So the good news is that only one thing lit up on your PET. Sounds like your doctors are not taking any chances, which is also good. This trial sounds like a "one, two punch" against melanoma. Both drugs have been known to cause your immune system to kick melanoma's butt. This sounds like a fascinating trial.

Yes, it is overwhelming. But it sounds like you're in really good hands.

So the good news is that only one thing lit up on your PET. Sounds like your doctors are not taking any chances, which is also good. This trial sounds like a "one, two punch" against melanoma. Both drugs have been known to cause your immune system to kick melanoma's butt. This sounds like a fascinating trial.

Yes, it is overwhelming. But it sounds like you're in really good hands.