How Does Immunotherapy for Melanoma in Israel Inspire Hope?
Melanoma – Common Facts
Over the past 30 years, the incidence of melanoma – the deadliest of all skin cancers – has doubled in the United States, according to CDC statistics.
- A look at the American Cancer Society’s estimates for 2020 can be frightening:
- Approximately 100,350 new cases of melanoma will be diagnosed.
- Approximately 6,850 people are expected to die as a result of melanoma.
But fortunately, new innovative treatments have led to exciting outcomes that have made advanced stage metastatic melanoma a survivable disease. One of the most effective new treatments is tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) immunotherapy for melanoma.

Mike & Michaela – How Immunotherapy Was Life-Saving
High school sweethearts, Mike and Michaela Herstig, refused to give up hope when Mike was diagnosed with metastatic melanoma. Ten years after his original diagnosis, a PET-CT scan in Bangkok revealed that Mike had stage 4 melanoma. Michaela responded by going online to research every bit of information available about his disease, available treatments, and outcomes. Her dedication to saving the love of her life led her to book a consultation about TIL immunotherapy with the experts at Sheba Medical Center in Israel, and they met with Prof. Jacob Schachter, Director Emeritus of the Ella Lemelbaum Institute for Immuno-Oncology, and Dr. Ronnie Shapira-Frommer, senior oncologist at the institute.
Fast forward to present day: Since May 2013, a month after Mike underwent TIL immunotherapy at Sheba, he has been free of cancer.
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