Dear friends and family,
It is always hard to figure out what to say to start a fund raising page that is so meaningful to you personally – asking people to give their hard earned money to your particular cause, when so many exist, There is so much need in the world for research funding for life threatening and debilitating disease, for global disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, and tornadoes. I ask why support this? So I’m going to start with the current always scary statistical data around melanoma, but then talk about the personal aspect I’ve witnessed with this disease, and how incredible the current opportunity to change the grim statistics are – right here, today – Melanoma Research is breaking through in the last 2 years in ways it has never seen in 40 years of fighting. Your donation to the Melanoma Research Foundation right now can make a huge difference to eradicating Melanoma from its current status as the most deadly skin cancer known. I will be running the Seattle Rock and Roll 1/2 Marathon on June 25th as a way to help raise money for this cause.
Early detection is treatable
First, let me say, that melanoma can be fairly easily detected and if caught early, has a high chance of long term remission and survival. The 5 year survival rate is 91%. This is stage I and II detection of Melanoma. Once Melanoma hits stage III and IV, the treatment options until recently have been grim.
• Only 35-50% of people with Stage III Melanoma achieve long term survival
• Only 5-10% of people with Stage IV Melanoma achieve long term survival
Melanoma rates are growing fast.:
• 1 in 50 Americans has a lifetime risk of developing Melanoma
• 9000 people in the US will die this year Every 8 minutes, someone in the US will be diagnosed with Melanoma, and every hour, someone will die from it.
• Melanoma is the fastest growing cancer in the world
• The incidence of people under 30 developing Melanoma has been increasing by 50% since the 80’s
• Melanoma is the most common form of cancer in young adults
Treatment:
Since the 70’s, there were only 2 treatment options for Stage III and IV patients – Interferon and DTIC – both of which had extremely low response rates (under 20%) and long term survival rates (under 10%). In 1992, a 3rd drug, IL-2 became available – which also had a very low overall response and survival rate. That was the latest FDA approved option – nearly 20 years ago…until recently.
In the last two years, there are 3 or 4 big breakthroughs in potential drugs. One of them, ipilimumab (Yervoy) was just FDA approved in March. Others, like the one my sister is on are in advanced clinical trial - therefore only available to Stage IV patients in most cases. The response rates of these new drugs are off the charts compared to what was available. We’re talking 70-80% types of numbers in early trial numbers. Obviously its too early to understand remission possibilities with these drugs – but its all headed in the right direction. This is why funding research institutions such as the Melanoma Research Foundation is so incredibly important.
Personal experience:
As many of you know, my sister Shelly has been fighting Melanoma and is currently in Stage IV. In the spring of 2010, we all received the shocking news that her melanoma had metastasized significantly into her lungs. This was grim news given no good treatment options for stage IV. The timeline of this sort of prognosis is frightening. We expected the tumors to spread quickly in her lungs. But Shelly made it into a new clinical trial by Roche called PLX4032. After 6 weeks, 15 weeks, 24 weeks and more – tumor shrinkage! What an amazing year we had as a family – vacationing normally in northern Oregon, northeastern Washington, family vacation out to Europe, Shelly and family vacationing in Spain, and vacations by Shelly out to Washington – all living life normally. This trial was a miracle as far as prognosis with stage IV Melanoma goes. After a year, she has a new battle to fight – the Melanoma metastasized to her brain. We’re hoping a combination of these latest treatments can create another miracle year. One step at a time.
Right now, breakthroughs are happening. Melanoma treatment is advancing like no other time in history. Advancement of these research drugs to the market and people who need it needs to happen as fast as we can possibly do it. Someday, soon the right combination is going to make this ugly disease treatable.
With that, I will be running this half-marathon on June 25th and humbly ask for your help with a donation to the Melanoma Research Foundation.
Thank you,
Jeff
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