I usually see a dermatologist twice a year for a general exam but, because of COVID and the retirement of my long time dermatologist, I didn’t see anyone for over a year. After getting vaccinated for COVID, I decided to stop putting it off and saw a new dermatologist. She expressed concern about an area in my scalp and suggested a biopsy. I was skeptical and almost refused . From my experience, many skin biopsies come up negative and, as one retired dermatologist told me, can be a way for the doctor to make more money. I was shocked when she called me two days later to report that it was a shallow melanoma (0.44) . She referred me to another doctor who saw me the next day. He did lots of cutting, stapling and stitching and I now have a very large, ugly, painful wound. The pathology report came back in less than 24 hours and shows they removed it all. I go back next week to have the staples removed but the doctors tell me that, other than exams every 6-12 months, no further tests or treatments are necessary. I feel very fortunate that 1)I finally saw a dermatologist 2) she found the melanoma although it was covered by hair 3) the path report on the biopsy came back in two days 3) the second dermatologist/surgeon saw me on one day notice 4) the final pathology report came back in less than 24 hours showing it was completely gone. I was impressed with how efficiently the clinic (UCSF ) handled it. The moral, of course, is to get examined regularly, wear sunscreen and a hat outside (I drive a beautiful convertible which doesn’t help). Reading about the danger of scalp melanomas is pretty scary. I may do most of my driving with the top up.
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