Lifesaving Melanoma Drug

26 Nov 2009 12:00a.m.

Dr Patricia Holborow wrote:

Good that this medication is being developped but in the mean time people should know that there is a large body of research that shows that melanoma and other cancers are accelerated by omega 6 polyunsaturated fats. Margarines and omega 6 oils should be avoided. My NZ research on this was published in NZ Med J 1991,2, also a book "Melanoma, does diet play a role".
Too much sun and resulting sunburn can initiate the cancer but sunscreens and sun avoidance reduce vitamin D formation from the action of sun and vitamin D now known to protect against skin cancer. Vitamin D supplementation is currently used by some complimentary therapists with good effect on metastatic melanoma. There are many other complimentary therapies that are sadly ignored by the medical profession.

24 Nov 2009 02:23p.m.

Lynda Hare wrote:

How true that there is no evidence that supports that the sun actually gives you melanoma (see comment above). There is an article in Mindfood this month about Vitamin D (which we get from the sun) and how we actually need it to survive, an interesting read for people contemplating staying out the sun completely.

I am thrilled to hear that they have found a potential cure for melanoma but am equally appauled to hear they do it by switching off certain strands of our DNA/messing with our genes! Perhaps the authorities should concentrate on getting rid of the cause i.e. chemicals,radiation etc which they pump into our environment,food and drinking water on a continuous basis and we wouldn't need a cure. But of course it is easier to blame the sun.

24 Nov 2009 11:18a.m.

hamish white wrote:

in regards to your segment on 'melanoma' are you actually aware there is no scientific EVIDENCE that shows that the sun actually causes melanoma or even cancer in that fact. You will probably reply and give me some useless information that you have to send out to people as 'media' and 'government' must use 'fear' and will do so in anyway so people buy the things they want them too. but yes once again there is no SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE that actually shows the sun's rays damaging us. and one last thing everyone going on about 'global warming' and how the glaciers in the south island are shrinking!! funny thing that the global temperature has actually DROPPED 8% in the last 10 years.

23 Nov 2009 11:25p.m.

Debbie Poissonnier wrote:

I watched tonights report through my tears. My children and I watched our husband & father die aged 48, 18 days ago, 5 weeks after being diagnosed with metastatic melanoma. Eric had had a melanoma removed from his chest 5 years ago only to have it return despite 6 monthly checkups. I spent hours finding out about this disease and possible treatments and trials so I would know what questions to ask the experts at the hospital. We asked the chemotherapy oncologist at Christchurch Hospital about any trials that were available and were told there were none and when we asked what was available in Australia, we were told that there was no better treatment than that which was available here, being radiation and chemotherapy. We were aware that not all people are able to be accepted for all trials but to be given the information would be good. One of the criteria to be allowed to participate in many trials is to have not had radiation or chemotherapy treatment for a number of weeks prior to being accepted. Metastatic Melanoma patients do not have weeks as this type of cancer is so aggressive.
Most patients will jump in headfirst to any treatment offered (radiation or chemotherapy)as prognosis is very poor for those in the advanced stage of the disease.
Since viewing the program we searched for possible available trials & include the details at the end of my comment. They are a possible place to start. If we can help save one person from this and prevent a family from going through all that we have it will great. We don't want to raise false hope but if you don't have hope at a time like this, what do you have?
Ask the questions, look up the information. We did not know about PLX4032, maybe it could have saved Eric's life, we will never know. Don't just rely on the information given at the hospital and most of all do not delay - Melanoma does not give you the time!

www.clinicaltrials.gov Put PLX4032 in search box
Click on 2nd study 3 locations recruiting in Australia

23 Nov 2009 08:33p.m.

Samoht wrote:

Can you post a web link to the research that you reported on here? When googeling there appear to me many clinical trials of various Melanoma drugs ongoing and I missed writing down the name of the drug you reported on.