Jenney Bitner Reaches No Evidence of Disease After Stage IV Melanoma Spread to Her Brain
Updated
Updated · CBS New York · Jul 11
Jenney Bitner Reaches No Evidence of Disease After Stage IV Melanoma Spread to Her Brain
1 articles · Updated · CBS New York · Jul 11
Summary
October 2020 brought Jenney Bitner a "no evidence of disease" result after Stage IV melanoma was found in a brain tumor during her pregnancy and later spread concerns appeared near her lung, thigh and brain.
22 weeks pregnant in 2020, Bitner sought care for headaches, nausea and falls that urgent cares initially treated as pregnancy symptoms until an ER MRI found a giant brain tumor.
34 weeks into the pregnancy, doctors delivered her son by C-section so she could start aggressive treatment; a scan days earlier showed the tumor had regrown to full size, requiring a second brain surgery.
Early June 2020 immunotherapy quickly shrank visible cancerous lumps, and scans confirmed what doctors called a remarkable response, though Bitner was hospitalized with an allergic reaction and encephalitis.
Nearly six years later, Bitner says she is focused on family and raising awareness of immunotherapy, which cancer specialists say has transformed survival prospects for some metastatic melanoma patients.
Why do powerful immunotherapies, which saved this mother, still fail for many other Stage IV cancer patients?
How do doctors weigh a mother’s survival against risks to her unborn child when choosing cancer treatments?
As 'cures' for Stage IV cancer emerge, who can actually afford these life-saving immunotherapy treatments?
From Stage IV Melanoma with Brain Metastases to Six Years Remission: The Jenney Bitner Immunotherapy Case
Overview
Jenney Bitner’s story highlights the power of modern immunotherapy in treating advanced cancer. After an initial misdiagnosis during pregnancy, she was found to have Stage IV metastatic melanoma with brain involvement. Her treatment began in June 2020 with immunotherapy, which aimed to boost her immune system to attack cancer cells throughout her body and brain. Despite early concerns from new tumor findings and the anxiety they caused, Jenney’s immune system responded well. Now, as of July 2026, she remains in enduring remission, showing hope for others facing similar diagnoses.