Stage IIIb – Interferon Alpha

Hi..  I would like to ask how they staged you at 3b?  I ask because I was told by one Dr. I was 3a and another 3b.  One used my high mitotic rate as a basis for B.

Anyway, I too had the same options as you, I opted out of the trial and Interferon, I did the watch and see.  It is almost two years for me now.  I may have a reocurrance, waiting for additional test.  If I do have one, I still don't regret opting out of Interferon or clinical trial offered.  Melanoma is such a tricky disease… I wish you the best!

Hi..  I would like to ask how they staged you at 3b?  I ask because I was told by one Dr. I was 3a and another 3b.  One used my high mitotic rate as a basis for B.

Anyway, I too had the same options as you, I opted out of the trial and Interferon, I did the watch and see.  It is almost two years for me now.  I may have a reocurrance, waiting for additional test.  If I do have one, I still don't regret opting out of Interferon or clinical trial offered.  Melanoma is such a tricky disease… I wish you the best!

Hi..  I would like to ask how they staged you at 3b?  I ask because I was told by one Dr. I was 3a and another 3b.  One used my high mitotic rate as a basis for B.

Anyway, I too had the same options as you, I opted out of the trial and Interferon, I did the watch and see.  It is almost two years for me now.  I may have a reocurrance, waiting for additional test.  If I do have one, I still don't regret opting out of Interferon or clinical trial offered.  Melanoma is such a tricky disease… I wish you the best!

Check the clinical trial E1609. HD Interferon vs. ipi. Don’t know all details but prior to my Stage 4 diagnosis…my surgical oncologist thought this maybe something to discuss after surgery. Obviously I went straight to systemic treatment and never had surgery. Might be worth checking out.

Josh

Check the clinical trial E1609. HD Interferon vs. ipi. Don’t know all details but prior to my Stage 4 diagnosis…my surgical oncologist thought this maybe something to discuss after surgery. Obviously I went straight to systemic treatment and never had surgery. Might be worth checking out.

Josh

Check the clinical trial E1609. HD Interferon vs. ipi. Don’t know all details but prior to my Stage 4 diagnosis…my surgical oncologist thought this maybe something to discuss after surgery. Obviously I went straight to systemic treatment and never had surgery. Might be worth checking out.

Josh

I was in your shoes in 2001.  Watch and wait, interferon or a trial.  I originally wanted a trial but didn't qualfy.  I chose interferon and was never sorry.  

For me, watch and wait wouldn't work because when it came back, which was the most likely scenario for stage 3C,  I didn't want to wish I had done more and interferon was the "more".  I also went into it thinking I would just quit if it got to be too much to handle.  I did have to quit at 9 months. 

I'm not encouraging you to do interferon, just explaining my thought process when I had a treatment decision to make.  People will say it only delays recurrence and I say what's wrong with that?  It's not like we have a cure so delay is good – maybe there will be better options for us if it's delayed long enough.  For me so far the delay is over 12 years and I've met and know many here who have a similar story to tell after interferon.  My life was not miserable for those 9 months.  It was no picnic but it was certainly doable.

Good luck to you with your decision, it's a hard one to make.  Let us know what you decide.

DebbieH, stage 3C, NED 12+ years after interferon

I was in your shoes in 2001.  Watch and wait, interferon or a trial.  I originally wanted a trial but didn't qualfy.  I chose interferon and was never sorry.  

For me, watch and wait wouldn't work because when it came back, which was the most likely scenario for stage 3C,  I didn't want to wish I had done more and interferon was the "more".  I also went into it thinking I would just quit if it got to be too much to handle.  I did have to quit at 9 months. 

I'm not encouraging you to do interferon, just explaining my thought process when I had a treatment decision to make.  People will say it only delays recurrence and I say what's wrong with that?  It's not like we have a cure so delay is good – maybe there will be better options for us if it's delayed long enough.  For me so far the delay is over 12 years and I've met and know many here who have a similar story to tell after interferon.  My life was not miserable for those 9 months.  It was no picnic but it was certainly doable.

Good luck to you with your decision, it's a hard one to make.  Let us know what you decide.

DebbieH, stage 3C, NED 12+ years after interferon

I was in your shoes in 2001.  Watch and wait, interferon or a trial.  I originally wanted a trial but didn't qualfy.  I chose interferon and was never sorry.  

For me, watch and wait wouldn't work because when it came back, which was the most likely scenario for stage 3C,  I didn't want to wish I had done more and interferon was the "more".  I also went into it thinking I would just quit if it got to be too much to handle.  I did have to quit at 9 months. 

I'm not encouraging you to do interferon, just explaining my thought process when I had a treatment decision to make.  People will say it only delays recurrence and I say what's wrong with that?  It's not like we have a cure so delay is good – maybe there will be better options for us if it's delayed long enough.  For me so far the delay is over 12 years and I've met and know many here who have a similar story to tell after interferon.  My life was not miserable for those 9 months.  It was no picnic but it was certainly doable.

Good luck to you with your decision, it's a hard one to make.  Let us know what you decide.

DebbieH, stage 3C, NED 12+ years after interferon