Category: My Story

But not good-bye, UCLA!   You know, I’ve never been a good “breaker-upper”….. I seem to always come up with excuses – like “the timing is wrong”, or “it’s a bad day for change”, or “I’m too busy”, or “I’m too tired”…. I’m not good with lack of flexibility, either…. GENETECH, though, seems to have…

Experts look at the up side of taking a drug holiday. Not everyone is convinced, but I LOVE MY HOLIDAY!! However, a vemurafenib expert discouraged any use of the drug outside of labeling. “Clinicians should not try [intermittent dosing] at home,” said Keith Flaherty, MD, from the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center in Boston. Read…

Last day in LA – taking a red-eye back to DC tonight. The visit with Dr. Ribas went great, and everything seems to be on track. I spoke with Dr. Ribas about future options, should I need to consider them. First discussed adding a MEK drug to my current BRAF treatment, though he said (and…

Bring It On!   We are getting into the warm sun filled days of Spring and May is Melanoma Awareness Month, and throughout the country there will be fundraisers and races to promote awareness and shed some light on prevention and advocacy for this disease.  Protect your skin!   Your skin is one of your…

They discuss one of TR’s actual cases that started with interferon and then went with a vaccine approach, which failed. Today, they would have the following treatments options: ipilimumab, vemurafenib & surgical resection. The discuss what they would do if presented with the situation now. You will need to register but it is worth it…

The one thing you can be sure about in this life is that something is going to change. Don’t be scared of change – grab hold of it with both hands, like you’re about to plunge down a steep hill on a roller coaster. Enjoy the thrill because you’re tasting life first hand! January 29th…

Alternating Dosages of Vemurafenib Could Delay or Prevent Resistance, WOW! In a new study published today in Nature, researchers using a mouse model of melanoma were able to prevent resistance to vemurafenib by altering the dosing schedule from a continuous daily dose to an intermittent dose, suggesting a possible way to prolong the onset of resistance for melanoma…

The holiday season is officially upon us and it is time to be thankful for all the gifts in life! I am thankful for all the new developments and discoveries that have been made in Melanoma research this year. Really amazing stuff. In fact, I heard that MD Anderson has started what they are calling…