Fintan's Fight: Stage 3C Metastatic Melanoma
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***The best support you can give us is to protect yourself and your loved ones from sun damage so you don't have to go through what we are experiencing. Melanoma is one of the most deadly cancers out there -if something doesn't look right, please see a doctor right away.
In the event that any funds are not used, they will be donated to the Canadian Cancer Society. ***
My name is Katie and I am writing this on behalf of my husband & best friend, Fintan Ward.
On August 15, Fintan had a suspicious mole removed for biopsy from his left chest. Within a matter of days, we learned the mole came back positive for melanoma at a 2.6mm depth - staging him at 2a.
He was referred to an oncologist who performed major surgery on September 25. The surgery was a wide excision of the left chest as well as removal of three sentinel nodes from the left armpit.
On October 15, our lives changed when we received the news that no one wants to hear. Extracted from the oncology report:
"Pathology showed quite significant findings. There is no residual melanoma on the chest wall; however, there was metastatic melanoma in two out of the three lymph nodes with quite significant burden of disease".
We left with heavy hearts as Fintan was staged at a 3C, an extremely advanced and aggressive stage of melanoma. He is only 39 years old.
Shortly after, Fintan underwent a PET scan, MRI scan, as well as additional node testing to determine whether he is B-RAF negative or positive. The B-RAF mutation is genetic and occurs in about half of melanoma patients.
On November 19, during a consult with our surgical oncologist, we were relieved to find out that both the PET and MRI scans showed no visible signs of metastasis through the body. The relief was short lived - we also learned that Fintan's case had been presented at oncology rounds and given the aggressive nature and concerning results of pathology, a unanimous decision was made that he needed another major surgery to remove all lymph nodes from the left armpit. This surgery is scheduled for December 10.
Radiation may be required, but we won't know more until the results of the upcoming surgery are relayed to us.
On November 21, during a consult with our medical oncologist, we were given Fintan's treatment plan (to begin as soon as possible after surgery). His B-RAF mutation came back negative, which is both good and bad. New research is showing that B-RAF negative patients do have a slightly better overall prognosis that B-RAF positive patients. However, there is only one treatment option available to B-RAF negative patients - immunotherapy. Immunotherapy is administered every 2 weeks by IV for 1 year.
We had yet another blow when we learned that Immunotherapy is not covered by OHIP. The treatment costs $100, 000/year. The team of drug navigators at the Queensway Carleton Hospital are currently working to find alternate ways of coverage for the costs for Fintan.
Just days before we learned what we were about to embark on earlier this fall, Fintan was excited to start a new job. Shortly after starting, it became quickly apparent that he would not be able to maintain employment for the imminent future. Because we got the news while he was still in a probationary period, there was no short term or long term disability insurance available to him.
Any donations we receive will be used to help with some of the many expenses we will be faced with over the coming months. We appreciate your support and will never be able to express our continued gratitude.
If you happen to know the guy who coined the term "luck of the Irish", let me know, so I can give him a good hard kick in the shins.
I would like to thank Dr. Anne-Marie Pelletier, Dr. Kate Kelly, Dr. Carolyn Nessim, Dr Sandeep Sehdev, all of their staff and nurses we have worked with and will continue to work with at the The Ottawa General Hospital Cancer Center & Queensway Carleton Cancer Center.
Hold the people you love a little tighter tonight & remember... we are all just walking each other home.
In the event that any funds are not used, they will be donated to the Canadian Cancer Society. ***
My name is Katie and I am writing this on behalf of my husband & best friend, Fintan Ward.
On August 15, Fintan had a suspicious mole removed for biopsy from his left chest. Within a matter of days, we learned the mole came back positive for melanoma at a 2.6mm depth - staging him at 2a.
He was referred to an oncologist who performed major surgery on September 25. The surgery was a wide excision of the left chest as well as removal of three sentinel nodes from the left armpit.
On October 15, our lives changed when we received the news that no one wants to hear. Extracted from the oncology report:
"Pathology showed quite significant findings. There is no residual melanoma on the chest wall; however, there was metastatic melanoma in two out of the three lymph nodes with quite significant burden of disease".
We left with heavy hearts as Fintan was staged at a 3C, an extremely advanced and aggressive stage of melanoma. He is only 39 years old.
Shortly after, Fintan underwent a PET scan, MRI scan, as well as additional node testing to determine whether he is B-RAF negative or positive. The B-RAF mutation is genetic and occurs in about half of melanoma patients.
On November 19, during a consult with our surgical oncologist, we were relieved to find out that both the PET and MRI scans showed no visible signs of metastasis through the body. The relief was short lived - we also learned that Fintan's case had been presented at oncology rounds and given the aggressive nature and concerning results of pathology, a unanimous decision was made that he needed another major surgery to remove all lymph nodes from the left armpit. This surgery is scheduled for December 10.
Radiation may be required, but we won't know more until the results of the upcoming surgery are relayed to us.
On November 21, during a consult with our medical oncologist, we were given Fintan's treatment plan (to begin as soon as possible after surgery). His B-RAF mutation came back negative, which is both good and bad. New research is showing that B-RAF negative patients do have a slightly better overall prognosis that B-RAF positive patients. However, there is only one treatment option available to B-RAF negative patients - immunotherapy. Immunotherapy is administered every 2 weeks by IV for 1 year.
We had yet another blow when we learned that Immunotherapy is not covered by OHIP. The treatment costs $100, 000/year. The team of drug navigators at the Queensway Carleton Hospital are currently working to find alternate ways of coverage for the costs for Fintan.
Just days before we learned what we were about to embark on earlier this fall, Fintan was excited to start a new job. Shortly after starting, it became quickly apparent that he would not be able to maintain employment for the imminent future. Because we got the news while he was still in a probationary period, there was no short term or long term disability insurance available to him.
Any donations we receive will be used to help with some of the many expenses we will be faced with over the coming months. We appreciate your support and will never be able to express our continued gratitude.
If you happen to know the guy who coined the term "luck of the Irish", let me know, so I can give him a good hard kick in the shins.
I would like to thank Dr. Anne-Marie Pelletier, Dr. Kate Kelly, Dr. Carolyn Nessim, Dr Sandeep Sehdev, all of their staff and nurses we have worked with and will continue to work with at the The Ottawa General Hospital Cancer Center & Queensway Carleton Cancer Center.
Hold the people you love a little tighter tonight & remember... we are all just walking each other home.
Organizer
Ward Family
Organizer
Burritts Rapids, ON
