› Forums › General Melanoma Community › ….generally speaking….
- This topic has 16 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 13 years, 8 months ago by
Lisa13.
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- April 4, 2011 at 8:41 pm
Hey Everyone….
generally speaking, do melanoma primaries have pigment. We noticed a small pencil-eraser-sized non-pigmented 'lesion' near the temple by the hairline last night and I don't know to be concerned or not. She sees the derm in a few weeks, but sometimes a few weeks can be a really long time. Do melanomas tend to be pigmented ?
Thanks to all
peter
Hey Everyone….
generally speaking, do melanoma primaries have pigment. We noticed a small pencil-eraser-sized non-pigmented 'lesion' near the temple by the hairline last night and I don't know to be concerned or not. She sees the derm in a few weeks, but sometimes a few weeks can be a really long time. Do melanomas tend to be pigmented ?
Thanks to all
peter
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- April 4, 2011 at 9:24 pm
No, not necessarily, desmoplastic melanoma is a rare form of melanoma that is locally aggressive and it may arise from a preexisting lesion or without a precursor. These lesions may be pigmented or flesh-colored.
If you are concerned, the best way to tell is a biopsy.
Betting this is nothing though.
Michael stage 1b
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- April 4, 2011 at 10:03 pm
Hi Peter,
Nodular melanoma can sometimes have no pigment. It is probably nothing to worry about, but I highly recommend seeing the derm this week or ASAP as nodular melanoma grows in weeks, not months or years. I went to a derm in November who told me the lump on my back was a "sebaceous cyst". In January (my appointment to have it removed) a biopsy confirmed melanoma. It was nodular and if I had known in November, it may not have ended up in a lymph node. Mine was very red, but after much research and speaking with my surgical oncologist, they sometimes don't have pigment.
Don't wait – even if it's nothing 🙂
Lisa – Stage 3c
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- April 4, 2011 at 10:03 pm
Hi Peter,
Nodular melanoma can sometimes have no pigment. It is probably nothing to worry about, but I highly recommend seeing the derm this week or ASAP as nodular melanoma grows in weeks, not months or years. I went to a derm in November who told me the lump on my back was a "sebaceous cyst". In January (my appointment to have it removed) a biopsy confirmed melanoma. It was nodular and if I had known in November, it may not have ended up in a lymph node. Mine was very red, but after much research and speaking with my surgical oncologist, they sometimes don't have pigment.
Don't wait – even if it's nothing 🙂
Lisa – Stage 3c
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- April 4, 2011 at 9:24 pm
No, not necessarily, desmoplastic melanoma is a rare form of melanoma that is locally aggressive and it may arise from a preexisting lesion or without a precursor. These lesions may be pigmented or flesh-colored.
If you are concerned, the best way to tell is a biopsy.
Betting this is nothing though.
Michael stage 1b
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- April 4, 2011 at 10:48 pm
In general, most primaries have pigment. And if her first primary had pigment, she is most likely to have a 2nd primary with pigment. Not a hard and fast rule, but generally the way things go. Remember, only about 8% of the melanoma population ever have more than one primary. My 3 primaries were all pigmented, all superficial spreading and all changing.
When you have a history of melanoma, and you see something new and non-pigmented on the face (sun exposed area), my mind also goes to the other types of skin cancers. She would be at higher risk for the other types of skin cancer because of her melanoma diagnosis. I had a little bump pop up above my eyebrow. Looked almost like a non-pigmented mole but maybe 3mm wide. Smooth, too. Mine ended up being squamous cell carcinoma.
Anything new that appears different from other lesions, or anything changing is always a candidate for biopsy. Doesn't mean it will be anything to worry about, but those types of lesions are more suspicious.
Hoping this is nothing but a blip on the radar!
Janner
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- April 4, 2011 at 10:48 pm
In general, most primaries have pigment. And if her first primary had pigment, she is most likely to have a 2nd primary with pigment. Not a hard and fast rule, but generally the way things go. Remember, only about 8% of the melanoma population ever have more than one primary. My 3 primaries were all pigmented, all superficial spreading and all changing.
When you have a history of melanoma, and you see something new and non-pigmented on the face (sun exposed area), my mind also goes to the other types of skin cancers. She would be at higher risk for the other types of skin cancer because of her melanoma diagnosis. I had a little bump pop up above my eyebrow. Looked almost like a non-pigmented mole but maybe 3mm wide. Smooth, too. Mine ended up being squamous cell carcinoma.
Anything new that appears different from other lesions, or anything changing is always a candidate for biopsy. Doesn't mean it will be anything to worry about, but those types of lesions are more suspicious.
Hoping this is nothing but a blip on the radar!
Janner
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- April 5, 2011 at 5:43 am
Hi Peter,
Mine was on my foot and was the EXACT same color as my skin, perfectly symmetrical and about the size of a pencil eraser. Was told it was a dermatofibroma and a bug bite by 4 different doctors over 4 months…turned out to be stage 2 melanoma. Your wife's could be nothing but i would get it checked out……I wish i would have known that melanoma could not follow the abcs…
would have saved myself from being stage 3 at 26 years old..
Jen
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- April 5, 2011 at 5:43 am
Hi Peter,
Mine was on my foot and was the EXACT same color as my skin, perfectly symmetrical and about the size of a pencil eraser. Was told it was a dermatofibroma and a bug bite by 4 different doctors over 4 months…turned out to be stage 2 melanoma. Your wife's could be nothing but i would get it checked out……I wish i would have known that melanoma could not follow the abcs…
would have saved myself from being stage 3 at 26 years old..
Jen
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- April 5, 2011 at 9:23 pm
my wife (Stage 4) had what was viewed as a sebaceous cyst or lypoma on her back that had zero pigment and for three years her dermatolgist and primary care doc said it was nothing. Until another lump popped up on her chest. After that was found to be malignant they went back and took out the original lump – sure enough melanoma. Now spread throughout her body and has failed numerous treatments and we are off to clincial trial land. My advice – do not settle for any pure physical exam – get a biopsy or get it removed.
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- April 5, 2011 at 11:05 pm
This sounds like my story and it angers me that some dermatologist don't seem to know what melanoma looks like. I had my "cyst" sitting on my back for almost 10 months and of course it was growing vertical. By the time my derm said it was nothing (October) and booked me an appointment to have it "popped" (January) , it has already grown 2cm across!.
I agree with you, do not settle for anything other to get it removed and biopsied.
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- April 5, 2011 at 11:05 pm
This sounds like my story and it angers me that some dermatologist don't seem to know what melanoma looks like. I had my "cyst" sitting on my back for almost 10 months and of course it was growing vertical. By the time my derm said it was nothing (October) and booked me an appointment to have it "popped" (January) , it has already grown 2cm across!.
I agree with you, do not settle for anything other to get it removed and biopsied.
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- April 5, 2011 at 9:23 pm
my wife (Stage 4) had what was viewed as a sebaceous cyst or lypoma on her back that had zero pigment and for three years her dermatolgist and primary care doc said it was nothing. Until another lump popped up on her chest. After that was found to be malignant they went back and took out the original lump – sure enough melanoma. Now spread throughout her body and has failed numerous treatments and we are off to clincial trial land. My advice – do not settle for any pure physical exam – get a biopsy or get it removed.
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