New Adoptive Cell Transfer Treatment in U.S. 

Many stage 4 melanoma patients are seeing all their tumors disappear in a new treatment being pioneered at the U.S. National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland -- called adoptive cell transfer (ACT).  It's a hugestep forward for us melanoma survivors who previously had so few options that could lead to anything near a "cure".

I underwent the new treatment -- still officially experimental -- in January-February-March 2010. I was in year four of my battle with melanoma that started on the top of my balding scalp, then traveled to the lymph nodes in my neck, and then to my lung.  I had been treated at one of the world's best melanoma hospitals, Yale-New Haven in my home state of Connecticut USA. Yale did three surgeries on me, a year's worth of Interferon, and two ugly weeks of Interleukin-2. When the cancer was still in my lungs, Yalereferred me to the new NIH treatment.

Hi, my name is Regan, I am a regular 19 years old girl who enjoys nothing more to be outdoors and all ready a skin cancer survivor. This is my story...

I was born in Bundaberg in 1991 and raised in Agnes Water until I was 8 years old. As a child growing up in a town where the beach is at your backdoor it wasn’t hard to go home sunburnt, even though mum and dad would nag us about applying sunscreen, expecting to be covered in blisters for the next couple of weeks.

There was a man with skin cancer one day at Alex beach

He talked here; he talked there to see who he could teach

He walked up and down that beach and no; he did not stop,

But then he saw some youngsters sitting, sunning with no top.

Let me tell you about the time I got cancer cut out

And although extremely painful I did not think to shout

“We’re all tough,” said one boy although t’was more like a bark

But little did they know that the tale would leave its mark

The following personal story is one that needs to be told for so many reasons - but even as I sit down to write it there is a surreal feeling in the telling. 

It was a Wednesday morning 5 weeks ago when Julie rang me at home a couple of hours before we were to start work.   Three year old Sarah had a persistent cold and although Julie felt sure that our local GP would probably not recommend an antibiotic for her – Julie felt she still wanted the child to visit the doctor.  

Herman’s survivor story update…

It has been six years since I sat down and thought about how cancer had made an impact on my life.

When writing this I was on my way to Townsville to facilitate one of sixteen support groups now being run through mpa.

This is my journey through melanoma. In April 2005 a mole on my right shin changed and when removed the pathology indicated that it was melanoma so the plastic/re-constructive surgeon did a wide excision & flap operation along with most of the lymph nodes in the right groin even though they were alright he said he'd remove them just to be sure. Almost three years later in February 2008 my right leg swelled as if I had lymphomdema.

My journey started on Jan 4th 2010 when I went to the dentist for a check up, something I hadnt done for a few years. She asked me if I was a smoker which I answered No and I have never smoked in my life... with that she said that I should go to my GP. I asked why and she said "you have a black mark on the roof of you mouth" and showed me with a mirror. It looked horrible.
 

HI! THIS IS MY STORY 2007 STARTED. FEB DIAGNOSED WITH ENDOMETRIAL C,9 HOUR OPP IT ALL REMOVED WAITING ON RESULT WOW GREAT NEWS NO CANCER. I AM ON THE MEND .10 MONTHS LATER MOLE CHANGED ON CALF ON LEG STRAIGHT TO DOCS,BIOPSY NOT GOOD NEWS THIS TIME MY HUSBAND AND I MAKE THE TRACK TO R.P.A MELANOMA UNIT.

My first blue lump appeared on my wrist in early September 2008.  My GP referred me on to a physiotherapist, believing it to be some sort of repetitive strain injury.  The physio set some exercises and I dutifully completed them all.

In October, I went on holiday believing that all was well.  Within days, I started to get pain in my underarms and around my breasts but I put it down to muscular strain as I had been swimming every day after weeks of inactivity. 

I first noticed a change in a mole on the inside of my thigh in Oct 2006 when it grew, became red and itchy. Doing the right thing I had it checked with a doctor only to be told its probably only irritated because your thighs are rubbingtogether, if its still there in 6 months come back.