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A small metastases was found in the lung as part of a full CT scan on June 28. A PET (Positron Emission Tomography) Scan was ordered to corroborate the result. The scan was done on July 16th, and came up with a positive finding in the lung. A second CT scan was done on Oct 14th, and found the lung met still there (no surprise), but it had not grown
We met with the Melanoma Clinic of UCSF on Monday, August 13th. Their recommendation is for a combined treatment of bio-chemo therapy, which has shown much better in trials than immuno (bio) or chemo alone. Statistically, 50% of patients respond to this therapy, with 25% showing full response (tumors gone). Not bad.
Interluken-2 (IL-2, one of the immuno drugs) has some known side effects which require us to wait until the brain stabilizes from the trauma of surgeris (radio and scalple). Unfortunately, the MRI of Oct 14 revealed new mets, and we had to postpone the surgery. The treatments are 3 weeks long (5 days in the hospital), and they plan to do 2 cycles and check me again. Fun. Given the delay caused by new brain mets, we are also considering stereo radiotherapy for the lung met- this has only been performed on a very few patients in northern California, and it is not a systemic treatment.
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