Scott:
From your description of her cancer pathology I am afraid that melanoma (after metastasis and going deep in to lymph ) did spread to body. This is the worse scenario and the best will be to accept as fact and fight as hard as she can. With good approach her life can be long and healthy.
To my knowledge the immunology therapy with IL-2 and/or INF-A-2b (or their combination) give better results than chemotherapy alone.
Anyway, the best is that you do research on Cancernet:
cancernet.nci.nih.gov
Search for selection : skin cancer, PII or PIII (I will suggest PIII), and treatment (or diagnostic). For all trials you can access protocol and see are your friend qualified.
Quick list of PIII trials:
1. IMMUNOTHERAPY AFTER SURGERY IN TREATING PATIENTS WITH BREAST AND OTHER
CANCERS
2. Phase III Randomized Study of Observation vs Adjuvant Low-Dose Extended-Duration Interferon alfa in
Completely Resected Malignant Melanoma at High Risk of Recurrence
3. INTERLEUKIN-2 WITH OR WITHOUT IMMUNOLOGIC ADJUVANT IN TREATING PATIENTS WITH
STAGE IV MELANOMA
4. Phase III Randomized Adjuvant Study of Interferon Alfa-2b (IFN-A) Alone vs Biochemotherapy Using Cisplatin,
Vinblastin, Dacarbazine (DTIC), IFN-A, and Interleukin-2 (IL-2) in Melanoma Patients with Regional Lymph Node
Metastases
5. Phase III Randomized Study of Immunotherapy with an Allogeneic Melanoma Vaccine plus IFN-A vs IFN-A
Alone in Metastatic Malignant Melanoma
6. Phase III Randomized Study of Adjuvant Intermediate High-Dose IFN-A vs Intermediate Low-Dose IFN-A vs
Observation Following Definitive Resection of Thick Primary and/or Regional Lymph Node Metastases in High-Risk
Stage III Melanoma
7. Phase III Randomized Study of DTIC/CDDP/IFN-A with vs without IL-2 for Metastatic Melanoma
8. Phase III Study of Concurrent Biochemotherapy with Cisplatin, Vinblastine, Dacarbazine, Interleukin-2, and
Interferon alfa-2b versus Cisplatin, Vinblastine, and Dacarbazine Alone in Patients with Metastatic Malignant Melanoma
9. VACCINE THERAPY COMPARED WITH HIGH-DOSE INTERFERON-ALFA IN TREATING PATIENTS
WITH HIGH-RISK MELANOMA
Hope that this help.
Best of luck to her.
Miljenko
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