› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Melanoma of Scalp Just Diagnosed – Tiny Black Dot Was There for 6+ months and I did nothing about it!
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JerryfromFauq.
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- March 21, 2011 at 6:24 pm
My Mom had no idea there was a tiny black dot at the top of her head. I only noticed it when I blew-dry her hair. I brought it to the attention of her Derm. Mohs Surgeon two weeks ago. Report came back melanoma. My Mom has had 3 melanomas over 15+ years. They were all in situ. This one isn't.
My Mom had no idea there was a tiny black dot at the top of her head. I only noticed it when I blew-dry her hair. I brought it to the attention of her Derm. Mohs Surgeon two weeks ago. Report came back melanoma. My Mom has had 3 melanomas over 15+ years. They were all in situ. This one isn't.
The surgeon says it is 2.2mm deep, so she is going to do a wide and deep excision this week or next (about 2" all around). Tomorrow I bring my Mom for blood tests and CT Scan of Abdomen, Brain, Chest, Throat, Lungs. Oh Lord, why did I not do anything about this back in September when I first noticed it?
My Mom is 85. Some people I'm sure will think, "Oh well, she's up there in age. Has to go with something." But my Mom looks, acts, feels like 65! And I need her to have some happy years ahead–she's had a tough life with anxiety and depression (agoraphobia for years).
As I write this, I am shaking because the results of the tests won't be back for about 48 hours.
Has anyone had this experience (maybe where it did not metastisize)? Everything I read on the Internet seems like we're doomed.
Thank you in advance.
Olivia
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- March 21, 2011 at 6:35 pm
Hi Olivia,
Sorry to hear about your Mom. If you read below, I have posted about my 86 year old Dad. He was diagnosed with a similar depth lesion (2.22mm) 5 years ago. Unfortunately, his has metastasized but it has taken 5 years to show up in just one lymph node so far. At that age, things tend to move slower – even cancer cells replicating. Is she planning to have a sentinel node biopsy to see if it has spread to her lymph nodes?
Wishing you and your Mom the best,
Janner
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- March 21, 2011 at 6:42 pm
Thank you, Janner. I am very sorry to learn about your Dad's lymph node—but I am really surprised that when people get older, things like this are slower to spread.
I don't know about a sentinel node biopsy, but I will ask the surgeon's office tomorrow when we go in for the prelim. tests.
I wish you and your Dad only good things and will keep him in my heart. Let me (us) know how he is doing?
Thanks again for responding.
Olivia
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- March 21, 2011 at 6:42 pm
Thank you, Janner. I am very sorry to learn about your Dad's lymph node—but I am really surprised that when people get older, things like this are slower to spread.
I don't know about a sentinel node biopsy, but I will ask the surgeon's office tomorrow when we go in for the prelim. tests.
I wish you and your Dad only good things and will keep him in my heart. Let me (us) know how he is doing?
Thanks again for responding.
Olivia
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- March 21, 2011 at 6:35 pm
Hi Olivia,
Sorry to hear about your Mom. If you read below, I have posted about my 86 year old Dad. He was diagnosed with a similar depth lesion (2.22mm) 5 years ago. Unfortunately, his has metastasized but it has taken 5 years to show up in just one lymph node so far. At that age, things tend to move slower – even cancer cells replicating. Is she planning to have a sentinel node biopsy to see if it has spread to her lymph nodes?
Wishing you and your Mom the best,
Janner
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- March 21, 2011 at 11:53 pm
Hi Olivia,
I too can confirm, from my father's experience, that melanoma grows more slowly in the elderly — at least it did with him. He had a very large growth under his toenail, which the doctors said had almost certainly spread. However the SNB was negative! They were shocked. Several years later he had a second primary, which turned out differently, but still, be optimistic that this will be a slow one and if she is in good health she will have as many treatment options as younger people.
Good luck to you and your mother.
ellen – dad's daughter
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- March 21, 2011 at 11:53 pm
Hi Olivia,
I too can confirm, from my father's experience, that melanoma grows more slowly in the elderly — at least it did with him. He had a very large growth under his toenail, which the doctors said had almost certainly spread. However the SNB was negative! They were shocked. Several years later he had a second primary, which turned out differently, but still, be optimistic that this will be a slow one and if she is in good health she will have as many treatment options as younger people.
Good luck to you and your mother.
ellen – dad's daughter
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- March 22, 2011 at 4:39 pm
Hi Olivia,
So sorry to hear about your mom. My dad's melanoma was also on his scalp. He is 58 years old now. His head was itching one evening, my mom's birthday to be precise, so mom and I looked at it and we knew it was not good.
His lesion was 1.1mm, so not as deep as your mother's, but I wanted to share that he had a wide excision done and SNB. They removed many lymph nodes from his neck area, right behind/below his ear, and thankfully all nodes were negative. PET and CT scans was clear of metastasis to any other locations as well.
That was nearly a year and a half ago. Follow-up scans have been clear as well. We continue to pray for clear scans and continued NED status for him. Due to his staging he did not need any other treatment, nor was he elgible for any other treatment.
Prayers for your mother. Waiting is the hardest.
Mary
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- March 22, 2011 at 4:39 pm
Hi Olivia,
So sorry to hear about your mom. My dad's melanoma was also on his scalp. He is 58 years old now. His head was itching one evening, my mom's birthday to be precise, so mom and I looked at it and we knew it was not good.
His lesion was 1.1mm, so not as deep as your mother's, but I wanted to share that he had a wide excision done and SNB. They removed many lymph nodes from his neck area, right behind/below his ear, and thankfully all nodes were negative. PET and CT scans was clear of metastasis to any other locations as well.
That was nearly a year and a half ago. Follow-up scans have been clear as well. We continue to pray for clear scans and continued NED status for him. Due to his staging he did not need any other treatment, nor was he elgible for any other treatment.
Prayers for your mother. Waiting is the hardest.
Mary
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- March 25, 2011 at 2:33 am
Reccomend having C-kit and BRAF tests run on the removed tumor. If positive for either of these DNA tumor cell mutations there are easy to take drugs that stand a fair chance of helping if the melanoma were to ever metastise.(getting them may be a different problem)
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- March 25, 2011 at 2:33 am
Reccomend having C-kit and BRAF tests run on the removed tumor. If positive for either of these DNA tumor cell mutations there are easy to take drugs that stand a fair chance of helping if the melanoma were to ever metastise.(getting them may be a different problem)
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