In transit

Hi,

Sorry to hear about your recent diagnosis, however I think you should take hope not just from myself but numerous other contributors here.

I was diagnosed Stage 4 in late 2021, after my melanoma had mestasticised to my liver & lungs, resulting in a course of combined Ipilimumab/Novilumab therapy followed by Nivolumab maintenance therapy.

The result of this immunotherapy regime is that the cancer in my liver and lungs is now not detectable on CT scans.

I still have a way to go, but I feel fine and whilst there are potential side-effects of the immunotherapy, in my case they are minimal compared to the benefit of my immune system kicking the cancer’s arse!

Stay strong and be positive. Current treatments are fantastic, and new ones are being researched each & every day.

All the best.

Hi Singinsal,

My experience with immunotherapy mirrors the success of the previous poster, Emo_Brahn. I was diagnosed with nodular melanoma with mets to the lung in late 2019 and completed the immunotherapy in early 2022 successfully with few side effects and full remission.

Like yourself, I immediately consulted Dr. Google after my diagnosis and came away more than a bit depressed. In retrospect, I now realize that much of the information available online is outdated and does not reflect the recent huge advances made in the field of melanoma treatment in the recent past.

My advice is to disregard old information and long-term survival rates as they really don't account for newest treatments in the field. There is much to be positive about in this new age of treatment. Take it a day at a time, which is all that any of us can do.

Take care and God bless ~ Dave

Thanks so much Dave, I’m so glad you’re doing well

Thanks so much, good to hear you didn’t have too many nasty side effects from treatment 

Hi Singinsal!

Agree with all the previous responses! Try to stay away from internet searches when it comes to melanoma - immunotherapy is still a really new treatment so a lot of the horrible stats you’ll come across were often written before immuno was around. And before they knew the best drug combination/addition of radiosurgery.

There are a lot of success stories out there even for the most advanced cases. My favourite is ex-USA President Jimmy Carter https://www.aacr.org/patients-caregivers/progress-against-cancer/jimmy-carter/

My boyfriend is currently battling stage 4 with brain mets so I’ve learnt only to surround myself with the good news and believe that he’s going to one day become one of these success stories. 

Stay positive and keep us updated with your progress.

xx