Melanoma and recommended medical industry treatments

[Tammy]

My husband is 70, a born and raised Texan, and an RN during COVID. He has been a health nut all his life and has weight trained for over 50 years. He has utilized Starting Strength methodology for over 10 years and has been greatly educated by it's theology of scientific independent thinking.

In February of this year he was diagnosed with stage IIB melanoma. It was surgically removed with clear margins and no lymph node involvement.

His oncologist had only 3 recommendations and no interest or knowledge in alternative treatment.
1. Keytruda immunotherapy for 2 years
2. PET scans every 3 months for 2 years
3. Dermatology checks every 3 months for 2 years

1. Keytruda immunotherapy: has a 6% better outcome of the cancer not returning vs the placebo along with a 17% risk of a grade 3 or 4 adverse reaction (potentially deadly or life altering i.e., nuke your thyroid, develop diabetes, cause cancer, colitis, etc.). Interesting how the 6% potential benefit is clinically significant but the 17% risk is not.
2. PET scans: he was told the radiation level is minimal, but 1 PET scan is equal to 250 chest x-rays. The exposure of 3 PET scans per year far exceeds the amount the Nuclear Regulatory Commission recommends for workers which is 50 MsV's and 1 PET scan is 20 MsV's.
3. Dermatology checks: non invasive and most melanomas, while aggressive, usually originate on the skin surface.

My husband's conclusions for his treatment for the best outcome:
1. Keytruda immunotherapy: he declined because of the information provided from scientific clinical studies for combined alternative therapies that afforded evidence of decreased chance of reoccurrence with a clean diet (no processed foods), optimize levels of Vit D and selenium, as well as other commonly recognized additions for health (i.e., green tea. mushrooms, etc.). EACH one individually far exceeded the 6% with no adverse reactions.
2. PET scans: the first 2 scans were clear and he plans to decline future scans. They increase risk for other cancers and he probably would not choose immunotherapy if it showed a reoccurrence.
3. Dermatology checks. he has elected to continue these because they are not a health risk and are his best option of surgical intervention if there is a reoccurrence.

Question: Do you have an opinion or insight if he is on the right path? He is certainly open to the possibility he is wrong.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Have you looked into the use of ivermectin and fenbendazole for this situation?

[Jdcuth]

Hi Tammy

I’m a dermatologist- I’m UK based so in a different health system but may be able to offer some perspective. I’m sorry you and your husband are going through this but you have a very high level understanding of things.

All I can say is our skin cancer guidelines wouldn’t be recommending referral to oncology for immunotherapy at this stage, I suspect because they are aware of the statistics you highlight. After wider excision and follow up we’d monitor for 5 years then discharge.

All the best with things!