Update

Harold has made a great recovery from the gamma knife treatment and the conventional brain surgery. He's had marked improvements in speech, clarity of thought, and energy level.  When his brain gets tired, he just takes a break. We are ready for next steps.

Harold will start immunotherapy this coming Friday. It is a systemic or whole body treatment for stage IV melanoma. It would be great if the tumors found in his body could be removed like the ones removed from his brain. Zap and they're gone. That works for the brain but not for the rest of his body. There we will fight at the cellular level. 

Immunotherapy works by taking the brakes off the body’s immune system. It allows the body to recognize melanoma as an enemy and relentlessly attack it. The downside is that this treatment could also allow your immune system to attack your digestive tract or other vital body systems; so Harold will be carefully monitored. Steroids will be administered to buffer the effect if necessary. 

Ipilimumab is the name of the immunotherapy drug. It is marketed under the name Yervoy. It is given intravenously similar to the way chemo is delivered. Each infusion will take about 90 minutes. Harold is scheduled to have four treatments given three weeks apart. 

Yervoy was approved by the FDA in March of last year. According to their announcement, "it is the first agent ever proven to improve survival in advanced melanoma."  That said, it helps about 20% of those trying it.

We’ve had a week to digest this information. We’ve had a week to ponder the implications. It is amazing to live in a time when the treatments offered Harold are even available. We are comfortable talking about next steps and are full of hope.