› Forums › Cutaneous Melanoma Community › Just diagnosed
- This topic has 30 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 11 years, 5 months ago by
Mjp.
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- August 9, 2014 at 4:31 pm
I had a mole biopsied last week and my doctor said it is malignant melanoma. When he called with the news I was in shock, and didn't ask any questions. If anyone here can provide me with and advice or information I'd appreciate it. My doctor is gone for this next week so I can't reach him now.
My doctor said that they "got all the melanoma out" during the biopsy and the surgery to remove the surrounding tissue is just a precaution. I'm confused because the entire mole wasn't removed during the shave biopsy, so how do they know they got all of it?
What is the surgery like, will I be back to normal the following day? The mole is on my stomach.
I'm 30 years old. I have not been taking care of myself- I don't exercise and I'm not on any kind of a diet. This has scared the hell out of me. I'm going to make changes and be as healthy as I possibly can be. I have so many other moles on my body and I know this is going to happen again. Doctor wants to see me every 3-6 months to biopsy the two worst moles each time and take it from there. I did this to myself, I'm fair skinned with blue eyes and red hair, I used tanning beds regularly in high school and never wore sun screen outdoors. Are there any vitamins I should take, or anything I should avoid? Same with foods, anything that would help? I know it can't prevent cancer, but I feel like I need to do something to help myself.
- Replies
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- August 9, 2014 at 9:23 pm
Did they stage you? I would think they'd do some scans just as a precaution..Good luck! I'm stage 3C failed interferon and am now on Yervoy..
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- August 9, 2014 at 9:23 pm
Did they stage you? I would think they'd do some scans just as a precaution..Good luck! I'm stage 3C failed interferon and am now on Yervoy..
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- August 10, 2014 at 12:43 am
If all the doctor discussed is having larger margins taken, this is likely a very early lesion. The pathology report (get a copy) will say whether or not all the melanoma was removed. Removing extra margins is standard protocol for every melanoma. Maybe what you are seeing left behind is more likely blood or something related to the healing process. You want the pathology report to call the shots on what they see there, however. The pathologist is the one looking at exactly where all the melanoma cells are.
As for the surgery, if it is truly a stage 0/1 lesion as I suspect, the surgery is just an inconvenience. I've had 8+ WLE (wide local excisions) at various times and locations and they just used a local anethetic. It will definitely be a bigger scar than you probably expect, but some times that is based on the anatomy. Personally, I think the stomach is a good place. If it is on your waist line, however, you might consider clothing that won't pinch or rub during healing. My very first surgery on my leg, I went back to work after it was done. I've since learned that staying home that day is probably a better option. But I wouldn't spend much time stressing about it.
When you get your pathology report, post it here. We're happy to help you understand it a bit better.
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- August 10, 2014 at 12:43 am
If all the doctor discussed is having larger margins taken, this is likely a very early lesion. The pathology report (get a copy) will say whether or not all the melanoma was removed. Removing extra margins is standard protocol for every melanoma. Maybe what you are seeing left behind is more likely blood or something related to the healing process. You want the pathology report to call the shots on what they see there, however. The pathologist is the one looking at exactly where all the melanoma cells are.
As for the surgery, if it is truly a stage 0/1 lesion as I suspect, the surgery is just an inconvenience. I've had 8+ WLE (wide local excisions) at various times and locations and they just used a local anethetic. It will definitely be a bigger scar than you probably expect, but some times that is based on the anatomy. Personally, I think the stomach is a good place. If it is on your waist line, however, you might consider clothing that won't pinch or rub during healing. My very first surgery on my leg, I went back to work after it was done. I've since learned that staying home that day is probably a better option. But I wouldn't spend much time stressing about it.
When you get your pathology report, post it here. We're happy to help you understand it a bit better.
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- August 10, 2014 at 12:43 am
If all the doctor discussed is having larger margins taken, this is likely a very early lesion. The pathology report (get a copy) will say whether or not all the melanoma was removed. Removing extra margins is standard protocol for every melanoma. Maybe what you are seeing left behind is more likely blood or something related to the healing process. You want the pathology report to call the shots on what they see there, however. The pathologist is the one looking at exactly where all the melanoma cells are.
As for the surgery, if it is truly a stage 0/1 lesion as I suspect, the surgery is just an inconvenience. I've had 8+ WLE (wide local excisions) at various times and locations and they just used a local anethetic. It will definitely be a bigger scar than you probably expect, but some times that is based on the anatomy. Personally, I think the stomach is a good place. If it is on your waist line, however, you might consider clothing that won't pinch or rub during healing. My very first surgery on my leg, I went back to work after it was done. I've since learned that staying home that day is probably a better option. But I wouldn't spend much time stressing about it.
When you get your pathology report, post it here. We're happy to help you understand it a bit better.
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- August 10, 2014 at 5:43 am
Thank you
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- August 10, 2014 at 5:43 am
Thank you
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- August 10, 2014 at 5:43 am
Thank you
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- August 10, 2014 at 12:48 am
FYI, scans most likely would only be suggested if the SNB were positive (Stage III or Stage IV). It doesn't appear that his doc discussed having a SNB, which translates to me "very early lesion". Scans wouldn't be done for early stage. Sometimes, reading between the lines tells you more than what the person actually writes. But scans are rarely done for stage 0/1/2 — unless there are symptoms.
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- August 10, 2014 at 12:48 am
FYI, scans most likely would only be suggested if the SNB were positive (Stage III or Stage IV). It doesn't appear that his doc discussed having a SNB, which translates to me "very early lesion". Scans wouldn't be done for early stage. Sometimes, reading between the lines tells you more than what the person actually writes. But scans are rarely done for stage 0/1/2 — unless there are symptoms.
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- August 10, 2014 at 12:48 am
FYI, scans most likely would only be suggested if the SNB were positive (Stage III or Stage IV). It doesn't appear that his doc discussed having a SNB, which translates to me "very early lesion". Scans wouldn't be done for early stage. Sometimes, reading between the lines tells you more than what the person actually writes. But scans are rarely done for stage 0/1/2 — unless there are symptoms.
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- August 9, 2014 at 9:23 pm
Did they stage you? I would think they'd do some scans just as a precaution..Good luck! I'm stage 3C failed interferon and am now on Yervoy..
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- August 10, 2014 at 12:54 am
Don't be so sure that you can't avoid cancer by changing what you eat. The jury is still out on that one. Clean eating can clear up lots of medical issues for people (for example, some diabetics can remove their dependence on insulin by changing their diet, people with high cholesterol can often change their numbers through diet, etc.). Your immune system is in charge of recognizing and repairing or destroying damaged cells in your body that might turn into cancer. If your immune system is comprimised, that's when those damaged cells can take root. Some of the things that can compromise your immune system are: Poor diet/nutrition, chronic stress, lack of exercise, lack of sleep, allergies. Addressing these areas greatly improve your immune system and overall health and energy levels. I like the website Whole9 (google it) which focuses on 9 areas of life to focus on for maximum health. Their book is called "It Starts with Food" which is about $20 on Amazon (read the reviews there). I confess I haven't read the book (I hate spending money on that stuff unless I'm convinced its not a scam). Instead I gathered the gist of the eating rules by reading around their site and googling Paleo. Now that I've seen the improvements in my own health, I'm thinking I owe them the 20 bucks.
As for supplements, there are so many possibilities that I would advise you to do your own research or see a Naturopath to guide you with your personal health. One supplement that has loads of evidence behind it as a cancer fighter is Curcumin (found in Turmeric). I take four 750 mg tablets per day, but I have active disease (Stage IV melanoma) so I think that would be overkill for someone like yourself.
Try not to worry as you wait to hear more from your doctor. I have loads of moles myself and I used to have the "2 worst" removed at each visit. This is a somewhat lazy approach from a doctor that doesn't want to actually map and track your moles. I was left with lots of little scars and they still missed the one with melanoma. If you can't find a dermatologist willing to map your moles for you, you can do it yourself by having a friend (you trust) take photos. An overview photo of major areas and close-ups of suspicious moles with a ruler next to them. Number those moles in ink on your skin so its shows up in the photo and write down the location in a log. The photos will help you identify changes anytime you want to check and photograph again. Don't forget the ruler in the shot as the photos might be taken from different distances. Below is a helpful pdf file for tracking your moles. You are the best person to identify a change in your moles.
http://www.aad.org/File%20Library/Global%20navigation/For%20the%20public/aad-body-mole-map.pdf
Best of health to you!
Maggie
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- August 10, 2014 at 12:54 am
Don't be so sure that you can't avoid cancer by changing what you eat. The jury is still out on that one. Clean eating can clear up lots of medical issues for people (for example, some diabetics can remove their dependence on insulin by changing their diet, people with high cholesterol can often change their numbers through diet, etc.). Your immune system is in charge of recognizing and repairing or destroying damaged cells in your body that might turn into cancer. If your immune system is comprimised, that's when those damaged cells can take root. Some of the things that can compromise your immune system are: Poor diet/nutrition, chronic stress, lack of exercise, lack of sleep, allergies. Addressing these areas greatly improve your immune system and overall health and energy levels. I like the website Whole9 (google it) which focuses on 9 areas of life to focus on for maximum health. Their book is called "It Starts with Food" which is about $20 on Amazon (read the reviews there). I confess I haven't read the book (I hate spending money on that stuff unless I'm convinced its not a scam). Instead I gathered the gist of the eating rules by reading around their site and googling Paleo. Now that I've seen the improvements in my own health, I'm thinking I owe them the 20 bucks.
As for supplements, there are so many possibilities that I would advise you to do your own research or see a Naturopath to guide you with your personal health. One supplement that has loads of evidence behind it as a cancer fighter is Curcumin (found in Turmeric). I take four 750 mg tablets per day, but I have active disease (Stage IV melanoma) so I think that would be overkill for someone like yourself.
Try not to worry as you wait to hear more from your doctor. I have loads of moles myself and I used to have the "2 worst" removed at each visit. This is a somewhat lazy approach from a doctor that doesn't want to actually map and track your moles. I was left with lots of little scars and they still missed the one with melanoma. If you can't find a dermatologist willing to map your moles for you, you can do it yourself by having a friend (you trust) take photos. An overview photo of major areas and close-ups of suspicious moles with a ruler next to them. Number those moles in ink on your skin so its shows up in the photo and write down the location in a log. The photos will help you identify changes anytime you want to check and photograph again. Don't forget the ruler in the shot as the photos might be taken from different distances. Below is a helpful pdf file for tracking your moles. You are the best person to identify a change in your moles.
http://www.aad.org/File%20Library/Global%20navigation/For%20the%20public/aad-body-mole-map.pdf
Best of health to you!
Maggie
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- August 10, 2014 at 2:20 am
Didn't even think about mapping my moles. If my dermo won't do it, i'll find one that will and also take photos myself. I'll check out the book and website. I definitely have chronic stress, poor diet, lack of exercise and sleep. Improving my immune system should've been a priority before, it absolutely is now. Great advice, thank you!
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- August 10, 2014 at 2:20 am
Didn't even think about mapping my moles. If my dermo won't do it, i'll find one that will and also take photos myself. I'll check out the book and website. I definitely have chronic stress, poor diet, lack of exercise and sleep. Improving my immune system should've been a priority before, it absolutely is now. Great advice, thank you!
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- August 10, 2014 at 2:20 am
Didn't even think about mapping my moles. If my dermo won't do it, i'll find one that will and also take photos myself. I'll check out the book and website. I definitely have chronic stress, poor diet, lack of exercise and sleep. Improving my immune system should've been a priority before, it absolutely is now. Great advice, thank you!
-
- August 10, 2014 at 12:54 am
Don't be so sure that you can't avoid cancer by changing what you eat. The jury is still out on that one. Clean eating can clear up lots of medical issues for people (for example, some diabetics can remove their dependence on insulin by changing their diet, people with high cholesterol can often change their numbers through diet, etc.). Your immune system is in charge of recognizing and repairing or destroying damaged cells in your body that might turn into cancer. If your immune system is comprimised, that's when those damaged cells can take root. Some of the things that can compromise your immune system are: Poor diet/nutrition, chronic stress, lack of exercise, lack of sleep, allergies. Addressing these areas greatly improve your immune system and overall health and energy levels. I like the website Whole9 (google it) which focuses on 9 areas of life to focus on for maximum health. Their book is called "It Starts with Food" which is about $20 on Amazon (read the reviews there). I confess I haven't read the book (I hate spending money on that stuff unless I'm convinced its not a scam). Instead I gathered the gist of the eating rules by reading around their site and googling Paleo. Now that I've seen the improvements in my own health, I'm thinking I owe them the 20 bucks.
As for supplements, there are so many possibilities that I would advise you to do your own research or see a Naturopath to guide you with your personal health. One supplement that has loads of evidence behind it as a cancer fighter is Curcumin (found in Turmeric). I take four 750 mg tablets per day, but I have active disease (Stage IV melanoma) so I think that would be overkill for someone like yourself.
Try not to worry as you wait to hear more from your doctor. I have loads of moles myself and I used to have the "2 worst" removed at each visit. This is a somewhat lazy approach from a doctor that doesn't want to actually map and track your moles. I was left with lots of little scars and they still missed the one with melanoma. If you can't find a dermatologist willing to map your moles for you, you can do it yourself by having a friend (you trust) take photos. An overview photo of major areas and close-ups of suspicious moles with a ruler next to them. Number those moles in ink on your skin so its shows up in the photo and write down the location in a log. The photos will help you identify changes anytime you want to check and photograph again. Don't forget the ruler in the shot as the photos might be taken from different distances. Below is a helpful pdf file for tracking your moles. You are the best person to identify a change in your moles.
http://www.aad.org/File%20Library/Global%20navigation/For%20the%20public/aad-body-mole-map.pdf
Best of health to you!
Maggie
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- August 10, 2014 at 2:33 am
I really can't comment on the biopsy and I should get a little more educated the next time I see my own dermatologist about the melanoma that I had removed 2 1/2 years ago…
However, what I can tell you is something I wish I'd known then. If you have two cases of melanoma in the family there is a much greater risk that it is genetic. In my case, my sister and I both had melanoma, which was found within 2 years of each other. Then my Mom was diagnosed with stage IV. – A bump on her head was found and within 3 months she was diagnosed as stage IV. – Her sister was diagnosed the next month with melanoma. We were 39 and 41 when we were diagnosed. They were 77 and 79 when they were diagnosed. – My Mom is known to be BRAF positive. It is likely that we all have the gene and in general most people who have the gene will get melanoma when they are in their 30's and 40's not late 70's…
Knowing what I know now I share my Mom's story and mention the genetics factor. I wish I'd known.
Tanning beds are now known to really increase the risk of melanoma. So, stay away from them and put on sunscreen.
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- August 10, 2014 at 2:33 am
I really can't comment on the biopsy and I should get a little more educated the next time I see my own dermatologist about the melanoma that I had removed 2 1/2 years ago…
However, what I can tell you is something I wish I'd known then. If you have two cases of melanoma in the family there is a much greater risk that it is genetic. In my case, my sister and I both had melanoma, which was found within 2 years of each other. Then my Mom was diagnosed with stage IV. – A bump on her head was found and within 3 months she was diagnosed as stage IV. – Her sister was diagnosed the next month with melanoma. We were 39 and 41 when we were diagnosed. They were 77 and 79 when they were diagnosed. – My Mom is known to be BRAF positive. It is likely that we all have the gene and in general most people who have the gene will get melanoma when they are in their 30's and 40's not late 70's…
Knowing what I know now I share my Mom's story and mention the genetics factor. I wish I'd known.
Tanning beds are now known to really increase the risk of melanoma. So, stay away from them and put on sunscreen.
-
- August 10, 2014 at 2:33 am
I really can't comment on the biopsy and I should get a little more educated the next time I see my own dermatologist about the melanoma that I had removed 2 1/2 years ago…
However, what I can tell you is something I wish I'd known then. If you have two cases of melanoma in the family there is a much greater risk that it is genetic. In my case, my sister and I both had melanoma, which was found within 2 years of each other. Then my Mom was diagnosed with stage IV. – A bump on her head was found and within 3 months she was diagnosed as stage IV. – Her sister was diagnosed the next month with melanoma. We were 39 and 41 when we were diagnosed. They were 77 and 79 when they were diagnosed. – My Mom is known to be BRAF positive. It is likely that we all have the gene and in general most people who have the gene will get melanoma when they are in their 30's and 40's not late 70's…
Knowing what I know now I share my Mom's story and mention the genetics factor. I wish I'd known.
Tanning beds are now known to really increase the risk of melanoma. So, stay away from them and put on sunscreen.
-
- August 10, 2014 at 4:53 pm
That's horrible! I can't imagine going through it myself and then having to worry about my family having cancer too. No one on my moms side has had it. My mom had breast cancer 5 years ago. My dads side is a mystery… I'll get in touch with him and ask.
Got my SPF 50 yesterday, never leaving home without it.
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- August 10, 2014 at 4:53 pm
That's horrible! I can't imagine going through it myself and then having to worry about my family having cancer too. No one on my moms side has had it. My mom had breast cancer 5 years ago. My dads side is a mystery… I'll get in touch with him and ask.
Got my SPF 50 yesterday, never leaving home without it.
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- August 10, 2014 at 4:53 pm
That's horrible! I can't imagine going through it myself and then having to worry about my family having cancer too. No one on my moms side has had it. My mom had breast cancer 5 years ago. My dads side is a mystery… I'll get in touch with him and ask.
Got my SPF 50 yesterday, never leaving home without it.
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Tagged: cutaneous melanoma
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