Hi, my husband has advanced SCC with numerous lumps and bumps on his head treated with surgery and radiotherapy. He has now been told that SCC has spread to a lung and Immunotherapy has been suggested. The complication is that he had a very successful kidney transplant 9 years ago and is on immunosupression drugs to stop the kidney rejecting. My understanding is that immunotherapy works by increasing the immune response to fight the cancer but this could put his kidney at risk.
Has anyone had this treatment with a kidney transplant or know someone that has had it? Or is more knowledgeable than me about the effects of this treatment in a renal transplant patient.
We feel very much in the dark about this making it a very difficult decision to go ahead with the only treatment left to my husband.
Thank you.
Hi sliper44
It sounds like a very difficult decision that you and your husband are faced with.
I don't have the experience you're looking for and I'm not aware of anyone else in the group who've had to make this sort of treatment decision.
Does your husband still have contact with his renal team? If so, might it be an idea to have a chat with them to get their views.
Also when consultants make treatment decisions this is usually done in something called a MDT (multi-disciplinary team) meeting where experts involved in all aspects of your husband's care meet to discuss the way forward. Could your husband ask his skin cancer nurse specialist (SCNS) if his kidney transplant had been taken in to account?
When you feel up to it, it would be great if you could put something about your husband's diagnosis and treatment so far into your profile as it really helps others when replying to you and also when looking for someone on a similar pathway. It also means that you don't have to keep repeating yourself. To do this click on your username and then select 'Profile'. You can amend it at any time and if you're not sure what to write you can take a look at mine by clicking on my username.
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