Phyllis Middleton, Stage III

I became stage IIIC because I didn’t do anything about a suspicious growth until over a year later.  By then, it was invasive and had spread to the Sentinel lymph node.  After the initial surgery to remove the tumor and the follow-up surgery to remove the groin lymph nodes, my surgeon felt he’d got it all.  Only four months later did a number of black spots start appearing on my leg at various locations.  I was then beyond surgical help and needed an oncologist.

In the time since then, I’ve gone through two clinical trials and although they helped in the fight against the melanoma, the side effects were devastating.  I am currently on a regimen of Keytruda, with infusion every three weeks.  I am noticing tumor shrinkage and my side effect experiences have greatly been reduced.  I can actually live with this drug.

Currently, drugs have kept the tumors restricted to my left leg and not spread to my body.  I am excited to hear about all the new possibilities in the fight against Melanoma.