It's been a while since my last update on Gina. I gave no June update. because both her MRI Brain and Full Body CT scan results were good. So, no news was good news in June.

 Gina has been on her Targeted Therapy Braftovi + Mektovi pills for her Stage 4 Subcutaneous Metastatic Melanoma Cancer since March 2019. We were told from the beginning that the Braftovi + Mektovi pills would eventually loss their effectiveness. Usually in about an year timeframe. These pills did shrink Gina's body tumors and brain lesions for 1.5 years. Praise god for that!

 This past Wednesday's visit to UPMC  produced good clean MRI Brain scan results. No new lesions. Just a bit of swelling which is normal from her last March 2020 Cyberknife treating her new brain lesion found at that time in February 2020. One lasting side effect from that March Cyberknife is that Gina has no feeling in her last two fingers of her left hand. She will be taking steroids to help reduce her brain swelling, and hopefully she will regain the feeling back in those two fingers.

 Gina's Full Body CT Scan from this past Wednesday revealed growth in her body tumors. Specifically, in the lymph nodes around her abdomen and chest. It was described as small growth to us but, does point to the fact that her Targeted Therapy of Braftovi + Mektovi pills are losing their effectiveness. So, a change in treatment is needed immediately. The treatment is now going to be Opdivo + Yervoy. True Immunotherapy treatments on site at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center.  No more just taking pills at home. Four treatments every three weeks starting this week. After the fourth treatment, Gina will be  switched to an Opdivo (only) treatments every four weeks. That's if Gina responds and her body can tolerate this Opdivo + Yervoy new treatment. This new combo of Opdivo + Yervoy has a 60% response rate. We pray that Gina will be in that  60%. If so, she can stay on Opdivo for a max of 24 months. If she doesn't respond to the Opdivo + Yervoy combo, or cant tolerate the side effects, there are many other new drug trials that Gina would be a candidate for. We pray that we find the right treatment that will slow or stop her cancer progression.

 

 Please pray for our safe travels because we are now back to frequent trips to and from UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh. Also, please pray for Gina's success with this new Immunotherapy Opdivo + Yervoy combo! Thanks again for your continued prayers and support everyone!