Could someone expain this to me?

Most oncologists won't see a stage 0 patient.  In situ is confined to the epidermis only and basically has close to a 100% survival rate.  You can insist, but there isn't anything an oncologist can do for them.  A derm is really just fine.  Surgical removal is the standard of care, then regular skin checks.  The risk for another primary is higher than the risk for recurrence from this type of lesion.  In the end, it's whatever your sisters feel comfortable doing!

Most oncologists won't see a stage 0 patient.  In situ is confined to the epidermis only and basically has close to a 100% survival rate.  You can insist, but there isn't anything an oncologist can do for them.  A derm is really just fine.  Surgical removal is the standard of care, then regular skin checks.  The risk for another primary is higher than the risk for recurrence from this type of lesion.  In the end, it's whatever your sisters feel comfortable doing!

Most oncologists won't see a stage 0 patient.  In situ is confined to the epidermis only and basically has close to a 100% survival rate.  You can insist, but there isn't anything an oncologist can do for them.  A derm is really just fine.  Surgical removal is the standard of care, then regular skin checks.  The risk for another primary is higher than the risk for recurrence from this type of lesion.  In the end, it's whatever your sisters feel comfortable doing!

Mary,

You didn't say whether their in situ was cutaneous or mucosal?  I too have been dealing with mucosal melanoma, and if these were my sisters and the in situ was mucosal, I would push them to see an oncologist, even at stage 0, no question.

But even with cutaneous melanoma in situ, if you pushed toward recommending an oncologist, that wouldn't make you crazy. Having had melanoma that is not at all sun related and is thought to have a genetic etiology, I do tend to wonder if my relatives, including my kids, may be more at risk for this riskier form of melanoma that it is not all sun related too.  And having a first-degree relative with mucosal melanoma, and having now shown that their bodies have produced a melanoma once, does that warrant closer followup?  It might not hurt to have them to discuss some of this with an oncologist.  Or if that seems drastic, do you still follow up with a melanoma specialist you could ask?

Mary,

You didn't say whether their in situ was cutaneous or mucosal?  I too have been dealing with mucosal melanoma, and if these were my sisters and the in situ was mucosal, I would push them to see an oncologist, even at stage 0, no question.

But even with cutaneous melanoma in situ, if you pushed toward recommending an oncologist, that wouldn't make you crazy. Having had melanoma that is not at all sun related and is thought to have a genetic etiology, I do tend to wonder if my relatives, including my kids, may be more at risk for this riskier form of melanoma that it is not all sun related too.  And having a first-degree relative with mucosal melanoma, and having now shown that their bodies have produced a melanoma once, does that warrant closer followup?  It might not hurt to have them to discuss some of this with an oncologist.  Or if that seems drastic, do you still follow up with a melanoma specialist you could ask?

Mary,

You didn't say whether their in situ was cutaneous or mucosal?  I too have been dealing with mucosal melanoma, and if these were my sisters and the in situ was mucosal, I would push them to see an oncologist, even at stage 0, no question.

But even with cutaneous melanoma in situ, if you pushed toward recommending an oncologist, that wouldn't make you crazy. Having had melanoma that is not at all sun related and is thought to have a genetic etiology, I do tend to wonder if my relatives, including my kids, may be more at risk for this riskier form of melanoma that it is not all sun related too.  And having a first-degree relative with mucosal melanoma, and having now shown that their bodies have produced a melanoma once, does that warrant closer followup?  It might not hurt to have them to discuss some of this with an oncologist.  Or if that seems drastic, do you still follow up with a melanoma specialist you could ask?