Two things: Weak/dizziness despite clear PET/MRI and sentinel biopsy
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Two things: Weak/dizziness despite clear PET/MRI and sentinel biopsy

› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Two things: Weak/dizziness despite clear PET/MRI and sentinel biopsy

  • Post
    • February 20, 2018 at 6:58 pm
    tedtell1
    Participant

    Hi everybody;

    I have been experiencing significant weakness in my legs and dizziness since a few weeks before my diagnosis (so I don't think it is psychosomatic/stress induced). Today is quite a bit worse. Since my scans were clear, anyone else experience anything like this. Also will have surgery on my shoulder in April to clean up the leftovers since margins weren't clear after original tumor removal. Since my scans were clear, will they still do a sentinel node check? Thoughts?

    Interested in responses. I am feeling pretty miserable today.

    Thanks,

    Ted

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  • Replies
      • February 20, 2018 at 8:56 pm
      Janner
      Participant

      The will go in and do a WLE – wide local excision.  Clear margins aren't enough, they want large margins.  Since they don't consider this the primary site but a metastatic lesion, I don't think the SLNB makes a ton of sense.  It's possible they might do it but it would have limitetd value.  The sentinel node is the first node FROM the primary site TO the lymph node basin – not backward from the metastatic lesion to the lymph basin.  Unless they think this lesion is between the primary and the lymph basin – then it might make sense.  But since they are treating you as stage III/IV already with treatment, not sure why they would add in this surgery with no obvious signs of spread via a scan.

      As for your other symptoms, they don't honestly sound related to your melanoma at all.  Dizziness could be caused by many things

        • February 20, 2018 at 10:16 pm
        tedtell1
        Participant

        Great, thanks for the input!

      • February 21, 2018 at 3:10 pm
      ed williams
      Participant

      Hi Ted, I just read you bio section and have a few questions. You said your scans were clear, did they do a brain MRI, if not then I would share how you are feeling with your Oncology team and ask for MRI. Just to be on the safe side of things, brain mets happen in about 40% of all stage 4 melanoma patients and catching them early usually allows for SRS radiation vs surgery or whole brain radiation. Also, if they find brain mets the oncology team might want to change the Immunotherapy decision to the combination of Ipi+Nivo, early data shows it works on brain mets a lot better than either Pd-1 drugs alone. What kind of LDH levels do you have from you blood tests and have they given you any idea if the melanoma has the Braf mutation? Wishing you the best!!!Ed

        • February 21, 2018 at 3:31 pm
        tedtell1
        Participant

        Ed;

        Thanks, no had MRI and it was clear, I guess so far my news is all good other than the original tumor that had spread from another location! I was worried before the MRI about a possible brain issue, but now I am puzzled. BP is fine too….don't really were to turn about it and it is making me feel really yucky!

         

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