BRAF mutations

@laura10: I'd like to welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect both as a mentor here as well as a Stage 4 metastatic melanoma patient myself of roughly the same age who has undergone immunotherapy. Unlike you, however, I am BRAF negative. There's a double edged sword there, so to speak, with that mutation: while BRAF+ carries the risk of having melanomas that may be more aggressive in nature as it can cause cells to multipy faster, there are more treatment options available, such as the targeted therapy you're receiving, for which I would not be a candidate.

Will you need to be on targeted therapy for the rest of your life? From my understanding - based upon what I've read and gathered from attending various webinars sponsored by organizations such as AIM for Melanoma, that is highly dependent upon the stage of cancer, if surgery has been performed, and how it has responded - and continues to respond - to the targeted therapy. There are also new interventions becoming available which can offer much promise, dependent again on the specifics of the melanoma.

I'm glad to hear the rib lesion has declined in size and is no longer painful; what a relief that must be! I'm also due to have my next PET scan in about two months so I'd like to hear from you after yours if you could keep me in the loop. In the interim, the question about how long you can realistically expect to be on Braftovi and Mektovi, or a similar therapy, would be best directed to your oncology team for their expertise based upon your individual history. I'd be very interested to hear what they have to say, if you would be comfortable sharing that with me?

Hi Susan, thank you for your words of support. I will let you know what my oncologist says at our next appointment at the end of month (sept). I hope you will share with me the results of your PET scan, my PET scan should be scheduled for sometime in October. Until then, let's stay strong and positive. Take care.