Good Friday!

It looks like we will be heading in new directions in treating Woody's Melanoma. Dr. Sosman suggested that we pursue two options neither of which are at Vanderbilt. He wants Woody to be screened at two places...one being the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD and the other being Thompson in Knoxville. The top choice is NIH in Bethesda and Thompson being sort of a back-up if he doesn't get very far in the NIH protocol. Our Vanderbilt research nurse has already sent Woody's records to a research nurse at NIH. Our Vandy nurse says that they like him at NIH because he has lots of readily available tumors for growing cells. Dr. Sosman says that after approval at NIH, the first thing that will happen there is a resection (removal surgically) of at least one of Woody's tumors...probably the one under his right arm. Then they hope to grow up T-cells from his tumors. If those cells do grow/expand, he will be given chemo directed at his immune response (think that means that they will be "killing" his immune system) and then they will reintroduce his own T-cells that have hopefully grown from Woody's tissue. There will also be radiation and IL-2 involved in this process. Dr. Sosman said that all this was "IF" Woody continues to respond during the process...that "things" could be stopped anywhere along the way...lots of red tape to go through there...or so it sounds. Woody was tissue typed when he went for x-rays last week...and his tissue is the type that they like to work with.

NIH is the largest hospital that is totally dedicated to research. It is part of the Dept. of Health and Human Services. To look up things about NIH you go to nih.gov.

Dr. Sosman wants Woody on a list in Knoxville so that "IF" he has a show stopper down the road at NIH, he will be ready to start up there. He would have infusions there of Ipilumumab every 3 weeks, then a break and then every 12 weeks. Dr. Sosman indicated that this treatment hadn't started up yet in Knoxville, but the research nurse said that it had already started.

Anyway, at the moment the ball is at least rolling in the direction of us going to the Washington DC area. Vicki said that once Woody is accepted into the NIH program by the head of that program that it won't be long till we will be headed that way. Well...I had been wanting to go on a trip!!!!!!!!! Let's just say "ADVENTURES AHEAD!"

The latter treatment (Knoxville) "is coming" to Vanderbilt but not a treatment that they have at the present.

About the tumor in his leg...there is a minute tumor in his left femur above his knee. The one that they were concerned with is in his right tibia just below the knee. Doctor Sosman says that the x-ray showed that it was scarred bone rather a bone that was ready to fracture. The important thing for Woody was that it IS ok for him to walk...and that I can quit "tsk-tsking" him in the blog (and in person)! Woody mentioned "why not remove that tumor" and the doctor said that it would mean a total knee replacement...Woody let the idea of that surgery drop really quickly!

My brain is on overload so some of this may not be exactly correct. I'll correct things, as we actually start down this next path in Woody's treatment.

Dr. Sosman wants Woody to explore outside of Vanderbilt's doors since he continues to be in such good shape/health for someone being so sick/having Stage IV Melanoma.

I'm sure that I will be making all this more clear when it is more clear to me!