The story of living in spite of melanoma, CLND (X 2!), metastasis, vaccines, anti-PD-1, lung removal, and stereotactic radiation. (With a little adenocarcinoma ex-goblet cell carcinoid thrown in!!!) The story of life with family and friends. {Posts under ~ Sew Chaotically, Travel Chaotically, and Chaotic Cookery also housed within! A girl's gotta have fun!}
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Never really wanted to be a mouseketeer....
...but I guess it would end up being pretty cool. Had fun with Rosie on Sat...got to visit and play together. Brent and I had a relaxing evening in Hot'lanta that night while unbeknownst to us...many friends in Dalton suffered with bad storms and loss of power...many until yesterday!!! We stopped by the DeKalb market for fish, fruit, and veg Sunday morning and had an easy drive home. Work has been fairly calm...maybe summer is finally here! But...back to the mice. Brent tells me today that Weber posted a study dealing with mice who were given melanoma...poor little ratties...and then treated with a vaccine combined with anti-PD1. The mice who developed vitiligo...depigmentation of the skin and hair...ended up having a complete "cure". I am always skeptical of that word in cancer studies. I am already a "cure" because I made it 5 years past my first episode. BUT...we all know what happened after that. However, Brent was/is excited and thinks that it is really good news. I definitely have vitiligo. It is continuing to increase on my arms, back and chest...even though I have not had any additional meds since June 3. (Lucky me!!!) Still very itchy but beginning to get some of my strength back. So...here's to ugly white patches and The Rats of NIMH!!!!! c (You better believe that I could get out of those cages...or could I?)
I love me some white patches! :)
ReplyDeleteOoops...I got it wrong..in part...in the study Brent was telling me about above, the mice took Yervoy (Ipi), not anti-PD1. Since then, Brent has found yet another study with poor little mice who had been given melanoma, who then had removal of their regulator T-cells. (Which is one of the effects anti-PD1 is to achieve, putting the regulator T-cells out of action.) Then, their melanoma was surgically removed. After that, 60% of the mice developed vitiligo. In that population, the white mice developed increased quantities of melanoma killing T-cells. For what it's worth...and B remains very happy! Think I'll go eat some cheese.
ReplyDeleteThat's some complicated stuff. I'm happy Brent is happy...that's a good sign. :)
ReplyDeleteI love you!!!