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Help!!!

› Forums › Cutaneous Melanoma Community › Help!!!

  • Post
    • September 26, 2017 at 2:33 am
    Dwilkinson
    Participant

      Any advice?

      I need to get my path report tomorrow to see it with my own eyes. But I had a mole removed for suspected melanoma on 8/28. Path went off to Mayo for several weeks, had cytogenetic testing, melanoma FISH, not sure what else and came back the dermatologist told me today "Severely Atypical Sptiz Nevis, Malignant Melanoma can not be ruled out"

      She found 2 other moles she didn't like that she shaved off and sent off to Mayo. She told me I'm in a rare "grey" area where no one knows how to treat me because people my age typically don't get these moles? I'm 34 and my mole appeared after a month in the tanning bed 2 years ago. It started as a scab and when it healed it was a mole. It was on my leg and I couldn't see it so I just never did anything about it. I did already have a wide excision and she said my margins were clear but weren't 1 cm.

      She said that 20% of people who have a lymph node biopsy will get a false positive for melanoma and could cause me to get unnecessary treatment. If I want a second opinion, where do I go? Oncologist? Another dermatologist? 

       

      Thank you you for your help! I feel confused and lost. 

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        • September 26, 2017 at 10:53 pm
        Julie in SoCal
        Participant

          Hi Dwilkinson,

          It's not uncommon to have a report of  Atypical Spitz Nevis or Melanoma.  They are very similar and reading the pathology slides is a bit of an art, as well as science.

          You don't tell us how deep your mole was, so it's hard to chime in and give recommendations.  I've never heard of a false positive on a lymph node biopsy, let alone a 20% statistic.  Maybe it's a thing.  But I've not heard of it.  

          If your mole was less than .75 – 1 cm deep, than you won't need a sentinel node biopsy.  But you will need a wide local excision at the spot where your mole was.  This will remove any stray atypical cells and is true whether or not you have a diagnosis of melanoma.  It's standard of care for any atypical mole.

          It sounds to me like you're doing the right thing in getting a second opinion from Mayo.  They see a lot of atypical Spitz and melanomas.  If the path report comes back melanoma, then find a melanoma specialist (someone who deals with A LOT of melanoma patients).  If you need helping finding one this group is a good resource. 

          Hoping the biopsy comes back atypical!

          Shalom,

          Julie

            • September 27, 2017 at 2:34 am
            Dwilkinson
            Participant

              Thanks for your help! I need to get my path report back and look at it for the things you mentioned. My derm called me today and said she doesn't feel comfortable handling my case and referred me on to Dr. Marr at UNMC. She's the Melanoma specialist there, for a second opinion. 

              Hopefully she will be able to help me with further treatment options. 

               

              Thanks again!

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