Re: in situ advice please

Thanks Janner,

That certainly complicates things! I specifically asked the plastic surgeon if a type of melanoma had been diagnosed and he said that at the in situ stage there are no types. He went on to say that the various types are only diagnosed once the melanoma is invasive. That is very different from what you are saying and also very different from what I had read.

I only have the first 2 pathology reports so far. On neither of those is there a mention of the degree of atypia (or type of melanoma). The original biopsy report states "there is a residual proliferation of atypical melanocytes noted along the deraml-epidermal junction". The first wider excision states "in block 3, the residual proliferation of melanocytes is virtually transected at a lateral margin".  I have asked for the 3rd patho report to be sent to me and am waiting for it. All three of the reports were prepared by Cleveland Skin Pathology lab in Ohio and I was told that the doctors there are dermopathologists.

Thanks for your response. Any other experiences with something like this out there?

Jennifer