2nd opinion on aytpical results in melenoma!

I wish I could think about mine that way. . consider it a warning shot and get on with my life.  Were it in situ, maybe it would be easier.  But mine was early superficially invasive.  So, I feel like a walking cancer ticking time bomb that is going to go off in however many years.  I know it was thin, 0.3mm, but still not in situ.  I know others on this forum would find that enviable, as I find in situ enviable.  But, people can't say "you got it in time" or "it will not spread" like they can say with in situ. 

I wish I could think about mine that way. . consider it a warning shot and get on with my life.  Were it in situ, maybe it would be easier.  But mine was early superficially invasive.  So, I feel like a walking cancer ticking time bomb that is going to go off in however many years.  I know it was thin, 0.3mm, but still not in situ.  I know others on this forum would find that enviable, as I find in situ enviable.  But, people can't say "you got it in time" or "it will not spread" like they can say with in situ. 

I don't know if you're the "Anonymous" who wrote the original post – a problem with posting on this BB is that there can be any number of different "Anonymouses" on a given thread, so it gets confusing.  Anyhow, the original poster said it was confined to the topmost layer of the skin (i.e. the epidermis).  That is in situ.  There are no blood vessels or lymph ducts in the epidermis, so the MM can't spread.

Obviously a 0.3 mm is a different issue, but we are still talking about a very small chance of recurrance (I don't know the current statistics, but I'm sure the survival rate is in the high 90s percentage wise).  Logically, there is no reason to feel like "a walking cancer time bomb."  I would bet that you are not too far out from the diagnosis – you are not going to feel this way in 2 or 3 years.  Heck, I don't feel that way!   And I'm Stage 4 (been there for 12 years) and with lung, bone and soft tissue mets diagnosed over the years.

Best wishes,

Harry

I don't know if you're the "Anonymous" who wrote the original post – a problem with posting on this BB is that there can be any number of different "Anonymouses" on a given thread, so it gets confusing.  Anyhow, the original poster said it was confined to the topmost layer of the skin (i.e. the epidermis).  That is in situ.  There are no blood vessels or lymph ducts in the epidermis, so the MM can't spread.

Obviously a 0.3 mm is a different issue, but we are still talking about a very small chance of recurrance (I don't know the current statistics, but I'm sure the survival rate is in the high 90s percentage wise).  Logically, there is no reason to feel like "a walking cancer time bomb."  I would bet that you are not too far out from the diagnosis – you are not going to feel this way in 2 or 3 years.  Heck, I don't feel that way!   And I'm Stage 4 (been there for 12 years) and with lung, bone and soft tissue mets diagnosed over the years.

Best wishes,

Harry

Ya, sorry, I am a different anonymous that the in situ initial poster.  I'm the 0.3mm Breslow.  I thought though that even 0.3mm is not deep enough yet to have reached blood vessels and lymph ducts.  That is just the superficial papillary dermis at 0.3mm.

Ya, sorry, I am a different anonymous that the in situ initial poster.  I'm the 0.3mm Breslow.  I thought though that even 0.3mm is not deep enough yet to have reached blood vessels and lymph ducts.  That is just the superficial papillary dermis at 0.3mm.

Ya, sorry, I am a different anonymous that the in situ initial poster.  I'm the 0.3mm Breslow.  I thought though that even 0.3mm is not deep enough yet to have reached blood vessels and lymph ducts.  That is just the superficial papillary dermis at 0.3mm.

There is very little chance that a 0.3 mm will go to the blood or lymph system – that's why the extremely good survival rates for a shallow lesion like that.  But of course a tiny fraction of such lesions do metastacize through the blood stream or lymph nodes.  That's why the survival rate is not 100%.  That said, please enjoy your life without worrying about this.  I know it is easier said than done if you are newly diagnosed.  But trust me – in a few years melanoma will be a distant thought for you.

Best wishes,

Harry

There is very little chance that a 0.3 mm will go to the blood or lymph system – that's why the extremely good survival rates for a shallow lesion like that.  But of course a tiny fraction of such lesions do metastacize through the blood stream or lymph nodes.  That's why the survival rate is not 100%.  That said, please enjoy your life without worrying about this.  I know it is easier said than done if you are newly diagnosed.  But trust me – in a few years melanoma will be a distant thought for you.

Best wishes,

Harry

There is very little chance that a 0.3 mm will go to the blood or lymph system – that's why the extremely good survival rates for a shallow lesion like that.  But of course a tiny fraction of such lesions do metastacize through the blood stream or lymph nodes.  That's why the survival rate is not 100%.  That said, please enjoy your life without worrying about this.  I know it is easier said than done if you are newly diagnosed.  But trust me – in a few years melanoma will be a distant thought for you.

Best wishes,

Harry

Are there any examples of people diagnosed with thin melanomas in their 20s or 30s that went on to live normal life expectancies into their 70s or 80s? 

I'm sure there were, are and will be many thousands of long term survivors of thin melanomas.  You won't find any statistics – there was no statistical tracking of people for such long periods, approaching 50 years.  Perhaps there will be in the future.  Enjoy life for the next 50 years, and then look back at the statistics!

Best wishes,

Harry

I'm sure there were, are and will be many thousands of long term survivors of thin melanomas.  You won't find any statistics – there was no statistical tracking of people for such long periods, approaching 50 years.  Perhaps there will be in the future.  Enjoy life for the next 50 years, and then look back at the statistics!

Best wishes,

Harry

I'm sure there were, are and will be many thousands of long term survivors of thin melanomas.  You won't find any statistics – there was no statistical tracking of people for such long periods, approaching 50 years.  Perhaps there will be in the future.  Enjoy life for the next 50 years, and then look back at the statistics!

Best wishes,

Harry

Are there any examples of people diagnosed with thin melanomas in their 20s or 30s that went on to live normal life expectancies into their 70s or 80s? 

Are there any examples of people diagnosed with thin melanomas in their 20s or 30s that went on to live normal life expectancies into their 70s or 80s? 

My situation is very similiar to yours. Breslow 0.2 , severely atypical with no all characteristics of melanoma.

I am afraid of  reccurance as well.

Yesterday I was on the seaside with my friend first time after my diagnosys ,felt like disabled person who need to stay in shade when everyone relaxing on the sun.

But I was tld by my Doctors I have 99.9 % chanse to survive

My situation is very similiar to yours. Breslow 0.2 , severely atypical with no all characteristics of melanoma.

I am afraid of  reccurance as well.

Yesterday I was on the seaside with my friend first time after my diagnosys ,felt like disabled person who need to stay in shade when everyone relaxing on the sun.

But I was tld by my Doctors I have 99.9 % chanse to survive

Mine was definitely melanoma, nobody was on the fence at all between severely atypical or melanoma. . definitely melanoma, superficially invasive into papillary dermis. 

Mine was definitely melanoma, nobody was on the fence at all between severely atypical or melanoma. . definitely melanoma, superficially invasive into papillary dermis. 

But you said melanoma was diagnosed only after second pathology ?

So first pathology was not sure in your case?

I think 0.3 is one of the best places to be then we talking about melanoma.

Not all cancers are dead sentence . My father was diagnosed at 35 years ago , early stage.He is alive and 65 now.

But you said melanoma was diagnosed only after second pathology ?

So first pathology was not sure in your case?

I think 0.3 is one of the best places to be then we talking about melanoma.

Not all cancers are dead sentence . My father was diagnosed at 35 years ago , early stage.He is alive and 65 now.

But you said melanoma was diagnosed only after second pathology ?

So first pathology was not sure in your case?

I think 0.3 is one of the best places to be then we talking about melanoma.

Not all cancers are dead sentence . My father was diagnosed at 35 years ago , early stage.He is alive and 65 now.

No, the original initial poster on this thread was the one that had it diagnosed after 2nd path.  I'm a different person. Mine was diagnosed from the first path, no doubt.

Oh sorry ,it is difficult to understand sometimes who is who ,if anonymous. Why don't you want to create a profile ?Will be much easy to communicate.

Even if yours was diagnosed as melanoma from 1st pathology ,0.3 Breslow is  very early stage ,as mine 0.2 as well.

Oh sorry ,it is difficult to understand sometimes who is who ,if anonymous. Why don't you want to create a profile ?Will be much easy to communicate.

Even if yours was diagnosed as melanoma from 1st pathology ,0.3 Breslow is  very early stage ,as mine 0.2 as well.

Oh sorry ,it is difficult to understand sometimes who is who ,if anonymous. Why don't you want to create a profile ?Will be much easy to communicate.

Even if yours was diagnosed as melanoma from 1st pathology ,0.3 Breslow is  very early stage ,as mine 0.2 as well.

No, the original initial poster on this thread was the one that had it diagnosed after 2nd path.  I'm a different person. Mine was diagnosed from the first path, no doubt.

No, the original initial poster on this thread was the one that had it diagnosed after 2nd path.  I'm a different person. Mine was diagnosed from the first path, no doubt.

Your father was diagnosed 35 years ago with early stage melanoma?

Your father was diagnosed 35 years ago with early stage melanoma?

Your father was diagnosed 35 years ago with early stage melanoma?

My father was diagnosed at age of 30 , he is 65 now. He has early tumor in anal . It was Soveit Union time and he lived where and all treatment he received was just surgery. They even did not explain him properly what it was , just cancer.He was thinking he will dye.

We think now it was melanoma early stage.After diagnosys and surgery he had me in 1 year time 🙂 He is still alive and healthy

My father was diagnosed at age of 30 , he is 65 now. He has early tumor in anal . It was Soveit Union time and he lived where and all treatment he received was just surgery. They even did not explain him properly what it was , just cancer.He was thinking he will dye.

We think now it was melanoma early stage.After diagnosys and surgery he had me in 1 year time 🙂 He is still alive and healthy

My father was diagnosed at age of 30 , he is 65 now. He has early tumor in anal . It was Soveit Union time and he lived where and all treatment he received was just surgery. They even did not explain him properly what it was , just cancer.He was thinking he will dye.

We think now it was melanoma early stage.After diagnosys and surgery he had me in 1 year time 🙂 He is still alive and healthy

Mine was definitely melanoma, nobody was on the fence at all between severely atypical or melanoma. . definitely melanoma, superficially invasive into papillary dermis. 

My situation is very similiar to yours. Breslow 0.2 , severely atypical with no all characteristics of melanoma.

I am afraid of  reccurance as well.

Yesterday I was on the seaside with my friend first time after my diagnosys ,felt like disabled person who need to stay in shade when everyone relaxing on the sun.

But I was tld by my Doctors I have 99.9 % chanse to survive

Harry,

God bless you for responding! You give me hope!

Cindy

Harry,

God bless you for responding! You give me hope!

Cindy

Harry,

God bless you for responding! You give me hope!

Cindy

I don't know if you're the "Anonymous" who wrote the original post – a problem with posting on this BB is that there can be any number of different "Anonymouses" on a given thread, so it gets confusing.  Anyhow, the original poster said it was confined to the topmost layer of the skin (i.e. the epidermis).  That is in situ.  There are no blood vessels or lymph ducts in the epidermis, so the MM can't spread.

Obviously a 0.3 mm is a different issue, but we are still talking about a very small chance of recurrance (I don't know the current statistics, but I'm sure the survival rate is in the high 90s percentage wise).  Logically, there is no reason to feel like "a walking cancer time bomb."  I would bet that you are not too far out from the diagnosis – you are not going to feel this way in 2 or 3 years.  Heck, I don't feel that way!   And I'm Stage 4 (been there for 12 years) and with lung, bone and soft tissue mets diagnosed over the years.

Best wishes,

Harry

I wish I could think about mine that way. . consider it a warning shot and get on with my life.  Were it in situ, maybe it would be easier.  But mine was early superficially invasive.  So, I feel like a walking cancer ticking time bomb that is going to go off in however many years.  I know it was thin, 0.3mm, but still not in situ.  I know others on this forum would find that enviable, as I find in situ enviable.  But, people can't say "you got it in time" or "it will not spread" like they can say with in situ. 

Your husband's metastatic melanoma was from the initial in situ?  Or, from a different other primary?

 That One Mole.  Melanoma In Situ with clean margins, found on his temple was all there was to it., that was in 2006 or 2007, I forget.  No other primary.  No lesions on the skin anywhere to this date. 

We lived our lives knowing that In Situ was nothing to worry about, until the 2011 xray showed mets on the lung, and subsequent PET, MRI, and CT scans showed it in the lungs, adrenal, and bone.

It is "rare".  I wonder if "rare" is becoming the norm, as I see more and more children who've grown up covered in sunscreen getting it.  Babies getting it.  Asians getting it (rare in their skin type).  What is going on w/our world.  I digress.

Note: I think I had the dates wrong on the diagnosis in my previous post.  He was diagnosed metastatic stage IV when the mets were found in April 2011.  It has been a year now, living in Melanomaville and in treatment, and it was around 5 years after the removal of the In Situ melanoma that the metastases were found.

We really lived a lot in those years between the "in situ" and the Stage IV discovery.  This past year we have been in constant treatment, Ipi, and LGK phase I trial, (washed out of both) and now yet another Phase I chemo combo.

Moral is….  Keep getting checked.  Keep getting the exams and tests and diagnostics, get other opinions, but for pete's sake, live your life.  You are feeling good enough to do stuff, so do stuff!!!!!

On bad days, when you can't help but have your mind wander into scary territory, put on old videos of episodes of "Friends" or whatever makes you laugh (or get distracted).  We've never watched as much "escapist" TV in our lives as we have since the diagnosis, but it does take the mind off things.

Wow.  And, that initial in situ did not show extensive regression?  Or, it's not possible it was an incorrect pathology and it was more than in situe initially?  Only reason I am surprised is I've always ready about in situ being 100% curable.  So, it's scary to know otherwise.

Wow.  And, that initial in situ did not show extensive regression?  Or, it's not possible it was an incorrect pathology and it was more than in situe initially?  Only reason I am surprised is I've always ready about in situ being 100% curable.  So, it's scary to know otherwise.

Yes, of course it was rechecked.  The University of Michigan is pretty good at pathology.

Yes, of course it was rechecked.  The University of Michigan is pretty good at pathology.

Yes, of course it was rechecked.  The University of Michigan is pretty good at pathology.

Wow.  And, that initial in situ did not show extensive regression?  Or, it's not possible it was an incorrect pathology and it was more than in situe initially?  Only reason I am surprised is I've always ready about in situ being 100% curable.  So, it's scary to know otherwise.

Dear PlantLady !

It is so upsetting to read your story .I am sorry .

But I think deep down it is high possability of incorrect pathology .Did you have second opinion?

But ,from another side , it is difficult for expierensed pathologist to mistake in situ and thick tumor which can metastaze.

Dear PlantLady !

It is so upsetting to read your story .I am sorry .

But I think deep down it is high possability of incorrect pathology .Did you have second opinion?

But ,from another side , it is difficult for expierensed pathologist to mistake in situ and thick tumor which can metastaze.

Pathology was in situ, stage 0, clear margins, the whole 9 yards of good results.  The slides were re-examined by University of Michigan.  First path was done at Bronson Hospital in Kalamazoo. 

It doesn't matter now, does it?  Past is gone.  Sometimes things that "shouldn't be" , Are.

IF we'd known the eventual outcome, we would never have taken 2 long trips to Europe, living in apartments, shopping with locals.  We would have spent years consumed with the anxiety that envelops us now. 

Sometimes things just happen.  Ron accepts that he is a freak of nature.  A Oner.  And he'll fight the good fight.

Pathology was in situ, stage 0, clear margins, the whole 9 yards of good results.  The slides were re-examined by University of Michigan.  First path was done at Bronson Hospital in Kalamazoo. 

It doesn't matter now, does it?  Past is gone.  Sometimes things that "shouldn't be" , Are.

IF we'd known the eventual outcome, we would never have taken 2 long trips to Europe, living in apartments, shopping with locals.  We would have spent years consumed with the anxiety that envelops us now. 

Sometimes things just happen.  Ron accepts that he is a freak of nature.  A Oner.  And he'll fight the good fight.

Pathology was in situ, stage 0, clear margins, the whole 9 yards of good results.  The slides were re-examined by University of Michigan.  First path was done at Bronson Hospital in Kalamazoo. 

It doesn't matter now, does it?  Past is gone.  Sometimes things that "shouldn't be" , Are.

IF we'd known the eventual outcome, we would never have taken 2 long trips to Europe, living in apartments, shopping with locals.  We would have spent years consumed with the anxiety that envelops us now. 

Sometimes things just happen.  Ron accepts that he is a freak of nature.  A Oner.  And he'll fight the good fight.

Dear PlantLady !

It is so upsetting to read your story .I am sorry .

But I think deep down it is high possability of incorrect pathology .Did you have second opinion?

But ,from another side , it is difficult for expierensed pathologist to mistake in situ and thick tumor which can metastaze.

 That One Mole.  Melanoma In Situ with clean margins, found on his temple was all there was to it., that was in 2006 or 2007, I forget.  No other primary.  No lesions on the skin anywhere to this date. 

We lived our lives knowing that In Situ was nothing to worry about, until the 2011 xray showed mets on the lung, and subsequent PET, MRI, and CT scans showed it in the lungs, adrenal, and bone.

It is "rare".  I wonder if "rare" is becoming the norm, as I see more and more children who've grown up covered in sunscreen getting it.  Babies getting it.  Asians getting it (rare in their skin type).  What is going on w/our world.  I digress.

Note: I think I had the dates wrong on the diagnosis in my previous post.  He was diagnosed metastatic stage IV when the mets were found in April 2011.  It has been a year now, living in Melanomaville and in treatment, and it was around 5 years after the removal of the In Situ melanoma that the metastases were found.

We really lived a lot in those years between the "in situ" and the Stage IV discovery.  This past year we have been in constant treatment, Ipi, and LGK phase I trial, (washed out of both) and now yet another Phase I chemo combo.

Moral is….  Keep getting checked.  Keep getting the exams and tests and diagnostics, get other opinions, but for pete's sake, live your life.  You are feeling good enough to do stuff, so do stuff!!!!!

On bad days, when you can't help but have your mind wander into scary territory, put on old videos of episodes of "Friends" or whatever makes you laugh (or get distracted).  We've never watched as much "escapist" TV in our lives as we have since the diagnosis, but it does take the mind off things.

 That One Mole.  Melanoma In Situ with clean margins, found on his temple was all there was to it., that was in 2006 or 2007, I forget.  No other primary.  No lesions on the skin anywhere to this date. 

We lived our lives knowing that In Situ was nothing to worry about, until the 2011 xray showed mets on the lung, and subsequent PET, MRI, and CT scans showed it in the lungs, adrenal, and bone.

It is "rare".  I wonder if "rare" is becoming the norm, as I see more and more children who've grown up covered in sunscreen getting it.  Babies getting it.  Asians getting it (rare in their skin type).  What is going on w/our world.  I digress.

Note: I think I had the dates wrong on the diagnosis in my previous post.  He was diagnosed metastatic stage IV when the mets were found in April 2011.  It has been a year now, living in Melanomaville and in treatment, and it was around 5 years after the removal of the In Situ melanoma that the metastases were found.

We really lived a lot in those years between the "in situ" and the Stage IV discovery.  This past year we have been in constant treatment, Ipi, and LGK phase I trial, (washed out of both) and now yet another Phase I chemo combo.

Moral is….  Keep getting checked.  Keep getting the exams and tests and diagnostics, get other opinions, but for pete's sake, live your life.  You are feeling good enough to do stuff, so do stuff!!!!!

On bad days, when you can't help but have your mind wander into scary territory, put on old videos of episodes of "Friends" or whatever makes you laugh (or get distracted).  We've never watched as much "escapist" TV in our lives as we have since the diagnosis, but it does take the mind off things.

Your husband's metastatic melanoma was from the initial in situ?  Or, from a different other primary?

Your husband's metastatic melanoma was from the initial in situ?  Or, from a different other primary?