› Forums › Cutaneous Melanoma Community › Toe excisional biopsy – waiting for results
- This topic has 3 replies, 1 voice, and was last updated 9 years, 11 months ago by
casagrayson.
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- February 5, 2016 at 7:10 am
Hi everyone,Firstly, sending my very best wishes to everyone here who is fighting their own battle.
I’m Jen. I have been browsing this forum for a couple of weeks but feel now I would like to introduce myself in the hopes of finding support from others going through similar. Sadly, we have a lot of history of cancer in our family but no skin cancer as yet, so it helps to be amongst others who can relate.
I had an excisional biopsy yesterday on my 4th left toe, for a suspicious mole to be removed. I have known for years about a small freckle-like mark in this place, but in recent months I took a closer look and my husband agreed it needed checking out. It has increased in size, raised from the skin, and changed in appearance quite significantly. Not sure about everyone else, but between my toes is certainly not a place I look at much!!
It is now 6-7mm, a mixture of colours, with a dark network when you look closely, pinky areas, dots, lines. Very different compared to my other freckles and moles (I have quite a lot).
I saw my GP in December who did an urgent referral, saw Dermatologist on Christmas eve, then plastic surgeon in Jan, followed by surgery yesterday. All the people I’ve seen so far haven’t said much about it, just that it has concerning features and needs to be excised. Makes me worry more that it can only be one thing due to the lack of discussion. Surgeon said up to two weeks for results, and I am booked for a follow up appointment on 24th Feb.
I am in a lot of pain today, but it’s nothing compared to the worry and anxiousness I am feeling.
I’m not expecting a great amount back, as I’m sure its quite an unusual place to have a mole removed from! Just wondered if anyone may be experiencing similar, and how you all cope with waiting for results?
Kind regards
Jen
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- February 5, 2016 at 5:51 pm
Welcome, and sorry you need to be here! You will find lots of help and support if you need it … but let's hope the biopsy took care of it and you don't need any additional information!
The location of the lesion really doesn't make much difference (although some head and neck cancers tend to be more difficult to treat). If this turns out to be Superficial Spreading Melanoma the treatment is the same whether on the toe or the arm. When the biopsy comes back, if it is SSM, the doctor will decide treatment based on depth and mitosis rate. Anything over 1mm will most likely require a Wide Local Excision and a Sentinel Node Biopsy. The SNB is to determine if the lymph nodes have been affected. Some lesions that are thinner than 1mm but have a high mitotic rate will also need a SNB. If the lesion is less than 1mm with no mitosis, most likely the only thing that will be required is a WLE. Once that is done, no other treatment or diagnostics (scans, xrays, etc) are required and you will never have to think about it again. And that is, of course, if this turns out to be melanoma. Chances are it is something completely benign.
Best thing to do while waiting? Stay off the internet! Even this forum, which is one of the best, doesn't paint a true picture. MOST people who get melanoma are Stage 1, have the WLE, and then neve return to post about how great their health is. 🙂 Also, most of the melanoma statistics on the internet are outdated because there are multiple new treatments for later stage melanoma that are very, very promising. For the next two weeks, try to put this out of your mind, and don't play the "what if" game.
Do come back and let us know how it turns out, though!!
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- February 5, 2016 at 5:51 pm
Welcome, and sorry you need to be here! You will find lots of help and support if you need it … but let's hope the biopsy took care of it and you don't need any additional information!
The location of the lesion really doesn't make much difference (although some head and neck cancers tend to be more difficult to treat). If this turns out to be Superficial Spreading Melanoma the treatment is the same whether on the toe or the arm. When the biopsy comes back, if it is SSM, the doctor will decide treatment based on depth and mitosis rate. Anything over 1mm will most likely require a Wide Local Excision and a Sentinel Node Biopsy. The SNB is to determine if the lymph nodes have been affected. Some lesions that are thinner than 1mm but have a high mitotic rate will also need a SNB. If the lesion is less than 1mm with no mitosis, most likely the only thing that will be required is a WLE. Once that is done, no other treatment or diagnostics (scans, xrays, etc) are required and you will never have to think about it again. And that is, of course, if this turns out to be melanoma. Chances are it is something completely benign.
Best thing to do while waiting? Stay off the internet! Even this forum, which is one of the best, doesn't paint a true picture. MOST people who get melanoma are Stage 1, have the WLE, and then neve return to post about how great their health is. 🙂 Also, most of the melanoma statistics on the internet are outdated because there are multiple new treatments for later stage melanoma that are very, very promising. For the next two weeks, try to put this out of your mind, and don't play the "what if" game.
Do come back and let us know how it turns out, though!!
-
- February 5, 2016 at 5:51 pm
Welcome, and sorry you need to be here! You will find lots of help and support if you need it … but let's hope the biopsy took care of it and you don't need any additional information!
The location of the lesion really doesn't make much difference (although some head and neck cancers tend to be more difficult to treat). If this turns out to be Superficial Spreading Melanoma the treatment is the same whether on the toe or the arm. When the biopsy comes back, if it is SSM, the doctor will decide treatment based on depth and mitosis rate. Anything over 1mm will most likely require a Wide Local Excision and a Sentinel Node Biopsy. The SNB is to determine if the lymph nodes have been affected. Some lesions that are thinner than 1mm but have a high mitotic rate will also need a SNB. If the lesion is less than 1mm with no mitosis, most likely the only thing that will be required is a WLE. Once that is done, no other treatment or diagnostics (scans, xrays, etc) are required and you will never have to think about it again. And that is, of course, if this turns out to be melanoma. Chances are it is something completely benign.
Best thing to do while waiting? Stay off the internet! Even this forum, which is one of the best, doesn't paint a true picture. MOST people who get melanoma are Stage 1, have the WLE, and then neve return to post about how great their health is. 🙂 Also, most of the melanoma statistics on the internet are outdated because there are multiple new treatments for later stage melanoma that are very, very promising. For the next two weeks, try to put this out of your mind, and don't play the "what if" game.
Do come back and let us know how it turns out, though!!
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Tagged: cutaneous melanoma
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