MRF-Logo2019-Horizontal-RGB
Going to Mayo next Wed
REGISTER
The information on this site is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Content within the patient forum is user-generated and has not been reviewed by medical professionals. Other sections of the Melanoma Research Foundation website include information that has been reviewed by medical professionals as appropriate. All medical decisions should be made in consultation with your doctor or other qualified medical professional.

Going to Mayo next Wed

› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Going to Mayo next Wed

  • Post
    • November 18, 2010 at 11:16 pm
    davekarrie
    Participant

      I was diagnosed last Fri with Breslow depth 1.5 mm and Clarks level IV. I have my path report and it says on there that I am a stage Ib, t2a so far. Does anyone know exactly what that means.  I have mitosis of 4/mm2, no ulceration, no regression, no tumor infiltrating lymphocytes. it does say radial and vertical margins negative, so that sounds good I think.  Just hate waiting and want to get the WLE and SLNB next Fri most likely. Do folks think they will do the SLNB and how long of a surgery in my case?  Thanks for any help/insight.

      I was diagnosed last Fri with Breslow depth 1.5 mm and Clarks level IV. I have my path report and it says on there that I am a stage Ib, t2a so far. Does anyone know exactly what that means.  I have mitosis of 4/mm2, no ulceration, no regression, no tumor infiltrating lymphocytes. it does say radial and vertical margins negative, so that sounds good I think.  Just hate waiting and want to get the WLE and SLNB next Fri most likely. Do folks think they will do the SLNB and how long of a surgery in my case?  Thanks for any help/insight.

    Viewing 3 reply threads
    • Replies
        • November 19, 2010 at 12:37 am
        lhaley
        Participant

          Dave,

          With a Breslow of 1.5 I would think you would be having a SNB. I would call and ask to make sure they are going to do it. I believe that standard practice for a SNB is now 1mm and larger without ulceration, and .75 and larger with ulceration. You will be sore but give yourself a few days and you'll be feeling better.  Some people do take longer than others.

          Good luck!

          Linda

          • November 19, 2010 at 12:37 am
          lhaley
          Participant

            Dave,

            With a Breslow of 1.5 I would think you would be having a SNB. I would call and ask to make sure they are going to do it. I believe that standard practice for a SNB is now 1mm and larger without ulceration, and .75 and larger with ulceration. You will be sore but give yourself a few days and you'll be feeling better.  Some people do take longer than others.

            Good luck!

            Linda

            • November 19, 2010 at 12:55 am
            ChristineL
            Participant

              Hi Dave,

              Your initial staging is clinical staging, which is a starting point.   They will be able to give you more information (the pathological staging) after the SNB (which will include the first one or several nodes), and hopefully you will remain Stage 1!!  They usually do the SNB on depths >1mm (and sometimes less, depending on ulceration/mitoses), so they will probably do it in your case.  Ulceration or mitoses >1/mm2 indicates that the tumor is a bit more "active".   Not sure about how long the surgery will take, but mine took about an hour and a half.  Before the SNB, they will inject a radioactive substance near the tumor site to see where it goes, i.e. which node(s) take it up first (these are the Sentinals).  This may be more information than you care to know, but I have found information to be extremely helpful in understanding what's going on with me, the disease, etc, and actually puts my mind at ease.  Not so much for others, though.  I know the waiting is the hardest part, but try to get some sleep, and do the best you can to relax.  Remember that you have many people on this board pulling for you as well.  Please let us know when you get your results!!!

              Take care,

              ChristineL

              • November 19, 2010 at 12:55 am
              ChristineL
              Participant

                Hi Dave,

                Your initial staging is clinical staging, which is a starting point.   They will be able to give you more information (the pathological staging) after the SNB (which will include the first one or several nodes), and hopefully you will remain Stage 1!!  They usually do the SNB on depths >1mm (and sometimes less, depending on ulceration/mitoses), so they will probably do it in your case.  Ulceration or mitoses >1/mm2 indicates that the tumor is a bit more "active".   Not sure about how long the surgery will take, but mine took about an hour and a half.  Before the SNB, they will inject a radioactive substance near the tumor site to see where it goes, i.e. which node(s) take it up first (these are the Sentinals).  This may be more information than you care to know, but I have found information to be extremely helpful in understanding what's going on with me, the disease, etc, and actually puts my mind at ease.  Not so much for others, though.  I know the waiting is the hardest part, but try to get some sleep, and do the best you can to relax.  Remember that you have many people on this board pulling for you as well.  Please let us know when you get your results!!!

                Take care,

                ChristineL

            Viewing 3 reply threads
            • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
            About the MRF Patient Forum

            The MRF Patient Forum is the oldest and largest online community of people affected by melanoma. It is designed to provide peer support and information to caregivers, patients, family and friends. There is no better place to discuss different parts of your journey with this cancer and find the friends and support resources to make that journey more bearable.

            The information on the forum is open and accessible to everyone. To add a new topic or to post a reply, you must be a registered user. Please note that you will be able to post both topics and replies anonymously even though you are logged in. All posts must abide by MRF posting policies.

            Popular Topics