Another Small Step

I saw the oncologist yesterday. Guess what? I need another test, a CAT scan. Depending on the results, the next step will either be chemotherapy if the scan shows no new tumors or immunotherapy if it does.

For the chemotherapy, the drug would be Temodal, which is effective for a certain proportion of melanoma patients. The drug is given orally for 5 days out of every 28, and the side-effects are relatively minor. It would take about three months to tell if it was working.

For immunotherapy with Interleukin, I would need to be accepted for a research protocol, for example at the Montreal Jewish hospital. It would also depend on the availability of beds; I would need to be hospitalized for about one week out of every four while I received the treatment.

I should have my test in a week or two. Stay tuned for more developments.