Interferon for Stage IV?

› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Interferon for Stage IV?

  • Post
    • April 14, 2013 at 9:07 pm
    casagrayson
    Participant

      I have a friend who was just diagnosed with Stage IV melanoma (mets to liver, spleen and lungs).  He just got back from MD Anderson and will return in ten days to start treatments.  He is overwhelmed (obviously) with all the information he has been given, and the different drug regimens that they are considering.  He did say that Yervoy is one they are definitely starting him on.  He also said that they are suggesting interferon, maybe combined with some other drugs?  He didn't mention Zelboraf, but I am sending him a link to an article about it.

      Can someone point me to an study that shows that interferon does not prolong survival rates?  I know there has been discussion here on the board, but I'm having trouble putting my finger on a journal article.

      In other news, my husband, who is Stage I, has not been feeling at all well.  They have looked at his heart (echo and stress test) and his blood sugars (normal), but now we think it could be anemia.  The general fatigue, dizziness, cloudy thinking, and tingling  hands and feet have me worried.  He will see his doctor next week and maybe we will find that it is nothing to be overly concerned about.  Once melanoma has become a part of your life, it seems no symptom can be dismissed as "nothing".  🙁

       

      Susan

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    • Replies
        • April 14, 2013 at 9:23 pm
        Janner
        Participant

          MD Anderson does not do Interferon for stage IV as a single therapy.  However, it can be part of a group of drugs under the umbrella "biochemo".  Since MD Anderson does biochemo, I suspect this is where interferon was mentioned.  Biochemo is a combination of 5 drugs and Interferon and Interleukin-2 are the two immunotherapy drugs and then there are 3 chemo drugs given in a specific protocol. 

          Sorry to hear about your husband, but remember many more things are likely than melanoma!

          Janner

            • April 14, 2013 at 10:09 pm
            casagrayson
            Participant

              Thank you so much, Janner.  I thought you might have this information.  How DO you keep so much in your head?surprise

              This is one of those situations where everyone is dumbstruck.  He had a mole removed two years ago … all was well … got sick and went into the ER for nausea and kidney stones, and they found stage IV mel.  Heartbreaking.

              • April 14, 2013 at 10:09 pm
              casagrayson
              Participant

                Thank you so much, Janner.  I thought you might have this information.  How DO you keep so much in your head?surprise

                This is one of those situations where everyone is dumbstruck.  He had a mole removed two years ago … all was well … got sick and went into the ER for nausea and kidney stones, and they found stage IV mel.  Heartbreaking.

                • April 15, 2013 at 3:41 am
                Bubbles
                Participant

                  Hang in there.  Get all of your peeps to a melanoma oncologist asap!!!  Ipi, anti-PD1 trials, IL2…these are all options that might be helpful..not to mention BRAF esp when combined with MEK.  I am so sorry.  Let us know your questions as you learn more.  c

                  • April 15, 2013 at 3:41 am
                  Bubbles
                  Participant

                    Hang in there.  Get all of your peeps to a melanoma oncologist asap!!!  Ipi, anti-PD1 trials, IL2…these are all options that might be helpful..not to mention BRAF esp when combined with MEK.  I am so sorry.  Let us know your questions as you learn more.  c

                    • April 15, 2013 at 3:41 am
                    Bubbles
                    Participant

                      Hang in there.  Get all of your peeps to a melanoma oncologist asap!!!  Ipi, anti-PD1 trials, IL2…these are all options that might be helpful..not to mention BRAF esp when combined with MEK.  I am so sorry.  Let us know your questions as you learn more.  c

                      • April 14, 2013 at 10:09 pm
                      casagrayson
                      Participant

                        Thank you so much, Janner.  I thought you might have this information.  How DO you keep so much in your head?surprise

                        This is one of those situations where everyone is dumbstruck.  He had a mole removed two years ago … all was well … got sick and went into the ER for nausea and kidney stones, and they found stage IV mel.  Heartbreaking.

                        • April 15, 2013 at 2:39 pm
                        jim Breitfeller
                        Participant

                           cisplatin, vinblastin, dacarbazine, interleukin-2, and interferon  = BioChemo therapy

                          • April 15, 2013 at 2:39 pm
                          jim Breitfeller
                          Participant

                             cisplatin, vinblastin, dacarbazine, interleukin-2, and interferon  = BioChemo therapy

                            • April 15, 2013 at 2:39 pm
                            jim Breitfeller
                            Participant

                               cisplatin, vinblastin, dacarbazine, interleukin-2, and interferon  = BioChemo therapy

                            • April 14, 2013 at 9:23 pm
                            Janner
                            Participant

                              MD Anderson does not do Interferon for stage IV as a single therapy.  However, it can be part of a group of drugs under the umbrella "biochemo".  Since MD Anderson does biochemo, I suspect this is where interferon was mentioned.  Biochemo is a combination of 5 drugs and Interferon and Interleukin-2 are the two immunotherapy drugs and then there are 3 chemo drugs given in a specific protocol. 

                              Sorry to hear about your husband, but remember many more things are likely than melanoma!

                              Janner

                              • April 14, 2013 at 9:23 pm
                              Janner
                              Participant

                                MD Anderson does not do Interferon for stage IV as a single therapy.  However, it can be part of a group of drugs under the umbrella "biochemo".  Since MD Anderson does biochemo, I suspect this is where interferon was mentioned.  Biochemo is a combination of 5 drugs and Interferon and Interleukin-2 are the two immunotherapy drugs and then there are 3 chemo drugs given in a specific protocol. 

                                Sorry to hear about your husband, but remember many more things are likely than melanoma!

                                Janner

                                • April 15, 2013 at 9:20 pm
                                Cooper
                                Participant

                                  They may be giving Peg-Interferon as I know someone who got it with IPI.  They were horribly sick and had to go off of it. Here's the article I saw about interferon not improving overall survival:  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21256809 

                                  • April 15, 2013 at 9:20 pm
                                  Cooper
                                  Participant

                                    They may be giving Peg-Interferon as I know someone who got it with IPI.  They were horribly sick and had to go off of it. Here's the article I saw about interferon not improving overall survival:  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21256809 

                                    • April 15, 2013 at 9:20 pm
                                    Cooper
                                    Participant

                                      They may be giving Peg-Interferon as I know someone who got it with IPI.  They were horribly sick and had to go off of it. Here's the article I saw about interferon not improving overall survival:  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21256809 

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