I'm back home from my first treatment. Feeling good right now, just a little light headed and a little achey in my head & neck. My shot was at 2pm. Dyan & I spent 45mins talking with our Oncologist about a new Interferon drug that was FDA approved in April of this year that our insurance approved instead of Intron A. It is called PegIntron Alfa 2b or Sylatron. 

I talked with numerous Oncologists over the weekend and today. I also read numerous clinical studies. There are leading Cancer Centers like Moffitt in Florida that are using this new treatment. Both clinical studies show very similar results. The clinical study showed there was a 3mth longer relaps time for patients with Stage 3a where the melanoma had spread to 1 lymph node (that is my situation). 

The benefits of Sylatron are: no pic line, 1 shot a week instead of 5 days for 4wks (it's a long acting release), less intense side effects since it's not an immediate IV infusion. 

The plan is to have a shot once a week for 8 weeks, then give myself a shot once a week for at least one year. If the side effect are not bad then the FDA approved clinical trial was to be on a maintenance dose for 5yrs, only 50% of people went longer than 14mths, only 14% finished the 5yrs. The Intron A also has a high drop out rate 45% for the one year of treatment.

Dyan & I prayed about it together and we both believe that this new drug is a blessing. Neither drug increase life expectancy, they both try to delay reoccurrence within the first 5yrs. I have a 35-40% chance it will reoccur within 5yrs. Both treatments reduce that by 10-15%. So ultimately God is the answer! Dyan & I are confident that God will protect my body from reoccurrence! 

Thank you for your prayers! I will try to update regularly how things are progressing!

We're off to Seth's basketball game!

Luv you all!

Fred