› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Diagnosis last Friday, wide excision 2 days ago
- This topic has 15 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 8 years, 7 months ago by
geriakt.
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- October 3, 2015 at 11:55 pm
Brand new to this. Had a shave biopsy come back melanoma 9 days ago and just 2 days ago had wide excision surgery on my right shin. Can someone tell me exactly what path report really means? Like what stage?
Melanoma, level 2, .6mm tumor, T1aNxMx
I fear that I moved to fast and didn't really understand what I even was diagnosed with prior to jumping into surgery. Maybe should have done MOHs instead? Unwrapped bandages today and my leg looks horrible, wondering what others may have encountered with surgery on the tight areas like a shin. Don't know how to attach photos here 🙂
also no testing to nodes,, this ok?
TIA
- Replies
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- October 4, 2015 at 12:56 am
if I read that right
.6mm tumor.
at that size the standard treatment would be a Wide Loal Excision Surgery and verify clean and clear margins (pretty big scar).
They would typically not test nodes unless it was over 1.0mm
Now there will be a 2nd pathology from the surgery basically saying they got good margins etc.
Get copies of everything.
Heal the wound properly…..this will help with the future i god forbid the same area is ever effected plus a clean heal is just healthier to move on.
from here they will probably tell you to see Derm every 6 months
do monthly (weekly) skin checks at home for not only more melanoma but any marks, lumps in scar or in nodes at groin.
hope thst helps a little
M
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- October 4, 2015 at 1:14 am
Thx! Does help. I guess I just don't understand how the know it is .6 when that was from a shave. (Maybe it went deeper?) So is it possible that the path from the wle will show 1 or greater,,, then needing nodes test? And what does level 2 mean? Not stage 2 right?
thx,, sorry I don't know anything 🙂
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- October 4, 2015 at 3:45 am
No you are not stage II. Here is a link to stages where you will see that you got this early, which is good.
Keep watching, make sure your scalps gets checked and remember that if you have another family member that is diagnosed with melanoma that it is very likely that its in your genetics (BRAF gene). It means you and family members need to be extra careful because people with this gene are more likely to develop melanoma and it can be harder to treat.
http://www.cancer.org/cancer/skincancer-melanoma/detailedguide/melanoma-skin-cancer-staging
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- October 5, 2015 at 7:18 pm
I was Just like you. A .6mm tumor on my chest Clark Level 4. MOHs was not recommended to me for Melanoma so I went for the wide excision and I was glad I did. I also elected to have a SLND since I was going to be under anyhow. Glad I did because there was cancer in the sentinel lymph node. Lastly I had a full resection of my lymph nodes under my arm. All were clear.
My Dr said I had to have the dissection of the lymph nodes or down the road no other doctor would consider treating me and I possibly would have issues with insurance (I do not know how true this is, but if you have operable cancer removal is standard protocol).
If you are unsure what should be done to cure your cancer, you need to get second opinion. Go to a specialist. I did as I would not have my dermatologist cut me just because it would be less expensive. My dermatologist sent me to a surgeon as he said melanoma is not to be messed with.
Tom
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- October 5, 2015 at 7:18 pm
I was Just like you. A .6mm tumor on my chest Clark Level 4. MOHs was not recommended to me for Melanoma so I went for the wide excision and I was glad I did. I also elected to have a SLND since I was going to be under anyhow. Glad I did because there was cancer in the sentinel lymph node. Lastly I had a full resection of my lymph nodes under my arm. All were clear.
My Dr said I had to have the dissection of the lymph nodes or down the road no other doctor would consider treating me and I possibly would have issues with insurance (I do not know how true this is, but if you have operable cancer removal is standard protocol).
If you are unsure what should be done to cure your cancer, you need to get second opinion. Go to a specialist. I did as I would not have my dermatologist cut me just because it would be less expensive. My dermatologist sent me to a surgeon as he said melanoma is not to be messed with.
Tom
-
- October 5, 2015 at 7:18 pm
I was Just like you. A .6mm tumor on my chest Clark Level 4. MOHs was not recommended to me for Melanoma so I went for the wide excision and I was glad I did. I also elected to have a SLND since I was going to be under anyhow. Glad I did because there was cancer in the sentinel lymph node. Lastly I had a full resection of my lymph nodes under my arm. All were clear.
My Dr said I had to have the dissection of the lymph nodes or down the road no other doctor would consider treating me and I possibly would have issues with insurance (I do not know how true this is, but if you have operable cancer removal is standard protocol).
If you are unsure what should be done to cure your cancer, you need to get second opinion. Go to a specialist. I did as I would not have my dermatologist cut me just because it would be less expensive. My dermatologist sent me to a surgeon as he said melanoma is not to be messed with.
Tom
-
- October 4, 2015 at 3:45 am
No you are not stage II. Here is a link to stages where you will see that you got this early, which is good.
Keep watching, make sure your scalps gets checked and remember that if you have another family member that is diagnosed with melanoma that it is very likely that its in your genetics (BRAF gene). It means you and family members need to be extra careful because people with this gene are more likely to develop melanoma and it can be harder to treat.
http://www.cancer.org/cancer/skincancer-melanoma/detailedguide/melanoma-skin-cancer-staging
-
- October 4, 2015 at 3:45 am
No you are not stage II. Here is a link to stages where you will see that you got this early, which is good.
Keep watching, make sure your scalps gets checked and remember that if you have another family member that is diagnosed with melanoma that it is very likely that its in your genetics (BRAF gene). It means you and family members need to be extra careful because people with this gene are more likely to develop melanoma and it can be harder to treat.
http://www.cancer.org/cancer/skincancer-melanoma/detailedguide/melanoma-skin-cancer-staging
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- October 4, 2015 at 1:14 am
Thx! Does help. I guess I just don't understand how the know it is .6 when that was from a shave. (Maybe it went deeper?) So is it possible that the path from the wle will show 1 or greater,,, then needing nodes test? And what does level 2 mean? Not stage 2 right?
thx,, sorry I don't know anything 🙂
-
- October 4, 2015 at 1:14 am
Thx! Does help. I guess I just don't understand how the know it is .6 when that was from a shave. (Maybe it went deeper?) So is it possible that the path from the wle will show 1 or greater,,, then needing nodes test? And what does level 2 mean? Not stage 2 right?
thx,, sorry I don't know anything 🙂
-
- October 4, 2015 at 12:56 am
if I read that right
.6mm tumor.
at that size the standard treatment would be a Wide Loal Excision Surgery and verify clean and clear margins (pretty big scar).
They would typically not test nodes unless it was over 1.0mm
Now there will be a 2nd pathology from the surgery basically saying they got good margins etc.
Get copies of everything.
Heal the wound properly…..this will help with the future i god forbid the same area is ever effected plus a clean heal is just healthier to move on.
from here they will probably tell you to see Derm every 6 months
do monthly (weekly) skin checks at home for not only more melanoma but any marks, lumps in scar or in nodes at groin.
hope thst helps a little
M
-
- October 4, 2015 at 12:56 am
if I read that right
.6mm tumor.
at that size the standard treatment would be a Wide Loal Excision Surgery and verify clean and clear margins (pretty big scar).
They would typically not test nodes unless it was over 1.0mm
Now there will be a 2nd pathology from the surgery basically saying they got good margins etc.
Get copies of everything.
Heal the wound properly…..this will help with the future i god forbid the same area is ever effected plus a clean heal is just healthier to move on.
from here they will probably tell you to see Derm every 6 months
do monthly (weekly) skin checks at home for not only more melanoma but any marks, lumps in scar or in nodes at groin.
hope thst helps a little
M
-
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