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Biopsy today – scar tissue or melanoma??
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Biopsy today – scar tissue or melanoma??

› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Biopsy today – scar tissue or melanoma??

  • Post
    • August 31, 2010 at 5:43 pm
    Angela C
    Participant

      Hi everyone.

      I haven't posted on here in quite some time. No news is good news, right? =)

      Hi everyone.

      I haven't posted on here in quite some time. No news is good news, right? =)

      My primary melanoma was on my forehead. I have had three wide excision surgeries on my forehead since 2007 because it has recurred twice in the same area. My last surgery was September of 2009. I have had a couple of bumps on the edge of the scar line for as long as I can remember since the last surgery. Over the last couple of months, I noticed that every day they seemed different in size. Some days they seemed more swollen than others and they have also had some slight coloration under the skin. They sort of looked blue. The surgeon that performed the surgery has seen them several times but not been worried about them. My oncologist does not like that they seem to be changing, so he orderd a biopsy.

      The biopsy was performed today at my plastic surgeon's office. He said that the tissue was grissly, which typically means scar tissue. He said it was a little darker in color though. He said it was a little bluish grey. With all of my biopsies in the past, grey has been melanoma. Pink tissue has been benign. Have any of you had an experience where scar tissue looked colored under the skin? My oncologist thought it was possible that I had stitches that had never dissolved from the prior surgery causing these bumps.

      Now I begin the oh so fun waiting game. It's always hurry up and wait isn't it!? Drives me crazy sometimes.  Since there was some color to it, I'm preparing myself for the worst. Sometimes it is easier to expect the worst so that I'm prepared for it. I'm just looking for other people's experiences, thoughts, encouragement. =)

      Thanks!!

    Viewing 5 reply threads
    • Replies
        • August 31, 2010 at 7:19 pm
        Sherron
        Participant

          Angela, I have no advice for you, but am hoping and praying that your results come back okay….

          Take Care,

          Sherron, wife to Jim

          • August 31, 2010 at 7:19 pm
          Sherron
          Participant

            Angela, I have no advice for you, but am hoping and praying that your results come back okay….

            Take Care,

            Sherron, wife to Jim

            • September 1, 2010 at 3:25 am
            Janis B.
            Participant

              Angela, I have had several scares related to suspicious bumps inside scar tissue (I've had two WLE's in the same place, on my right forearm).  Each time, it turned out to be stitches that did not dissolve or were not removed following surgery (and I have a really GREAT surgeon – hate to think what might have been left behind with a poor surgeon:)  Anyway, I hope this gives you some encouragement and relieves some of your fears.  Like most of us, I go on living my life as fully as possible one day at a time, but when something pops up (literally), the fear returns with a vengeance, so I understand what you're going through.

              Praying for you and hoping for the very best.

              Janis

              Stage IIIC  NED since 11/10

                • September 1, 2010 at 1:24 pm
                Angela C
                Participant

                  Janis,

                  Thanks so much for your reply! That does make me feel a little better.

                  These bumps have been there for at least nine months and they have barely changed in shape at all. That makes me feel more confident that it might not be anything. But, the color has me concerned. At the very least, if it is melanoma, I caught it very early.

                  Thanks!

                  • September 1, 2010 at 1:24 pm
                  Angela C
                  Participant

                    Janis,

                    Thanks so much for your reply! That does make me feel a little better.

                    These bumps have been there for at least nine months and they have barely changed in shape at all. That makes me feel more confident that it might not be anything. But, the color has me concerned. At the very least, if it is melanoma, I caught it very early.

                    Thanks!

                  • September 1, 2010 at 3:25 am
                  Janis B.
                  Participant

                    Angela, I have had several scares related to suspicious bumps inside scar tissue (I've had two WLE's in the same place, on my right forearm).  Each time, it turned out to be stitches that did not dissolve or were not removed following surgery (and I have a really GREAT surgeon – hate to think what might have been left behind with a poor surgeon:)  Anyway, I hope this gives you some encouragement and relieves some of your fears.  Like most of us, I go on living my life as fully as possible one day at a time, but when something pops up (literally), the fear returns with a vengeance, so I understand what you're going through.

                    Praying for you and hoping for the very best.

                    Janis

                    Stage IIIC  NED since 11/10

                    • September 2, 2010 at 1:37 am
                    brethlady
                    Participant

                      Hi Angela ..  I'm new to this website but saw your post.  I have something similar going on in my leg where I had surgery.  I've had two surgeries in the same location, the last one in April of this year.  In June, I had a small lump show up in my thigh area.  Went to onc but he didn' t seem too concerned since he couldn't really feel it.  It kept changing size and he insisted that mel doesn't just come and go like that.  Okay …  what do I know!  I'm still freaked out.  Then, since June, I've had three more little lumps show up.  They keep changing size too, sometimes bigger, sometimes smaller.  I think they seem kind of bluish to me, but don't know if it's just my paranoia.  I have been super fatigued since the first one showed up in June though, which has me worried, since that's been a characteristic of my mel the last two times I've had it.  I see my onc in two weeks and I'm hoping he'll schedule a PT scan, or a least a needle biopsy.  Hope yours turn out to be nothing grim.  I can definitely relate to your fear around it.  I worry about mine all the time.  You are in my thoughts and prayers for sure. 

                      brethlady <3

                      • September 2, 2010 at 1:37 am
                      brethlady
                      Participant

                        Hi Angela ..  I'm new to this website but saw your post.  I have something similar going on in my leg where I had surgery.  I've had two surgeries in the same location, the last one in April of this year.  In June, I had a small lump show up in my thigh area.  Went to onc but he didn' t seem too concerned since he couldn't really feel it.  It kept changing size and he insisted that mel doesn't just come and go like that.  Okay …  what do I know!  I'm still freaked out.  Then, since June, I've had three more little lumps show up.  They keep changing size too, sometimes bigger, sometimes smaller.  I think they seem kind of bluish to me, but don't know if it's just my paranoia.  I have been super fatigued since the first one showed up in June though, which has me worried, since that's been a characteristic of my mel the last two times I've had it.  I see my onc in two weeks and I'm hoping he'll schedule a PT scan, or a least a needle biopsy.  Hope yours turn out to be nothing grim.  I can definitely relate to your fear around it.  I worry about mine all the time.  You are in my thoughts and prayers for sure. 

                        brethlady <3

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