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Cutaneous/Mucosal
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Cutaneous/Mucosal

› Forums › Cutaneous Melanoma Community › Cutaneous/Mucosal

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    • May 30, 2018 at 11:00 pm
    HeidiZ
    Participant

      Can cutaneous melanoma spread to the mouth, and if it can does that mean you now have mucosal melanoma too?  My original melanoma was on my scalp but my melanoma surgeon always looks into my mouth during my exam?  He says he is checking for melanoma.  If he did find melanoma in my mouth, let's say my tonsils, wouldn't that mean that I now have mucosal melanoma too? Thanks. HeidiZ

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        • June 1, 2018 at 2:12 am
        Becky
        Participant

          My son's primary was in his mouth ( tongue) although I never saw the words "mucosal" on any of the reports. From what I have heard, once melanoma has spread it does not really matter, treatments are all pretty much the same. In my sons case, the primary was oral, it had spread to one lymph node and so was treated as any other stage 3 melanoma

            • June 1, 2018 at 2:16 am
            Becky
            Participant

              Not to say there are not some differences between a primary cutanious and mucosal…but I also think that it is pretty rare for primary on the skin to spread to oral so maybe your doctor is just extra cautious …which is a good thing!

            • June 18, 2018 at 4:15 pm
            cancersnewnormal
            Participant

              Primary cutaneous melanoma can spread ANYWHERE. Mucosal melanoma is a "whole different breed" with different genetic mutations. So, IF your cutaneous melanoma were to metastisize to your mouth or tonsils, you would then still have cutaneous melanoma… it would now just be classified as metastisized, but would NOT be "mucosal melanoma". 🙂 

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