› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Melanoma Yikes!!!
- This topic has 15 replies, 2 voices, and was last updated 10 years, 5 months ago by
Janner.
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- December 12, 2013 at 8:15 am
I was just diagnosed with melanoma Dec.6,2013. Here is what my pathology report says: Malignant Melanoma Breslow thickness .30mm, no ulceration,mitotic index per mm square 0, peripheral margins negative, deep margins negative, lymphovascular NIL, AJCC/TNM classification: pT1a NX MX. My doctor said he got all of the melanoma out during my intial biopsy. So with that said will I have to have a SNB and WLE? Any information will be greatly appreciated.
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- December 12, 2013 at 2:42 pm
A SNB is not typically done for a stage IA lesion – especially one as thin as yours. 1mm is usually the cutoff and you are way below that. Typically, the WLE is all that is needed. Stage IA has an extremely high survival rate. You're in great shape for someone who has to be diagnosed with cancer. Get the surgery taken care of, practice sun safety, watch for CHANGE on any of your other moles (<10% have another primary melanoma) and LIVE LIFE!
Best wishes,
Janner
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- December 12, 2013 at 7:38 pm
Thanks Janner I appreciate the quick reply. 🙂 I'm a little nervous because I go Monday to have some more areas to be removed and biopsied. I think things like well thank God the first one wasn't as bad as it could have been and then I think wow what if these are melanoma too and worst than the first one. How many more moles have you had to have removed(if any) and did they come back ok?
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- December 12, 2013 at 9:32 pm
I never went on a "mole rampage" as I call it. I am one of the small minority with multiple primaries. (I have a genetic defect that give me a high likelihood for that (2-4%)). I only biopsy things that CHANGE. I have photographs taken of my atypical looking moles. I watch for change – anything that seems to bother me, comes to my attention or obviously changes is biopsied. Nothing else. I don't see the point. My doc and facility utilize photographs and mole mapping (sophisticated photos and software) to determine what changes and those moles are removed. I don't remove any moles that aren't changing. It's unlikely that any of your other moles are melanoma – as I said before, less than 10% ever have another melanoma primary. Your outlook is really good. Are any of the moles you are having removed tomorrow changing (or itching)? To me, that is #1. If it isn't changing, I'm not biopsying. That's me. YOU get to do what works for you!
Janner
Stage IB since 1992, 3 MM primaries
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- December 13, 2013 at 9:20 pm
One of the moles isn't bothering me at all. I have had it all of my life, but the doctor said it concerned him. The other mole does itch and it bothers me, but it might be becuae it's in an area where my seat belt and clothes rubb up against it. It doesn't itch all the time or anything, just enough to make me want it off.
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- December 14, 2013 at 5:37 pm
I had a mole on my ankle that had been there forever – it actually looked more like melanoma than my 3 primaries. So looks were "ugly". We only removed it because it appeared to change. We weren't sure, the pictures were a little tough to interpret. One of those situations where just a change in lighting might make things look different. So it was removed "just in case". It was mildly atypical. Not remotely close to being melanoma or changing to become melanoma. So, the fact that you don't thing the mole has changed is a good thing. As for the other one that gets rubbed, I'd remove that. Any mole that gets irritated a lot – just makes sense to have it gone.
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- December 14, 2013 at 5:37 pm
I had a mole on my ankle that had been there forever – it actually looked more like melanoma than my 3 primaries. So looks were "ugly". We only removed it because it appeared to change. We weren't sure, the pictures were a little tough to interpret. One of those situations where just a change in lighting might make things look different. So it was removed "just in case". It was mildly atypical. Not remotely close to being melanoma or changing to become melanoma. So, the fact that you don't thing the mole has changed is a good thing. As for the other one that gets rubbed, I'd remove that. Any mole that gets irritated a lot – just makes sense to have it gone.
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- December 14, 2013 at 5:37 pm
I had a mole on my ankle that had been there forever – it actually looked more like melanoma than my 3 primaries. So looks were "ugly". We only removed it because it appeared to change. We weren't sure, the pictures were a little tough to interpret. One of those situations where just a change in lighting might make things look different. So it was removed "just in case". It was mildly atypical. Not remotely close to being melanoma or changing to become melanoma. So, the fact that you don't thing the mole has changed is a good thing. As for the other one that gets rubbed, I'd remove that. Any mole that gets irritated a lot – just makes sense to have it gone.
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- December 13, 2013 at 9:20 pm
One of the moles isn't bothering me at all. I have had it all of my life, but the doctor said it concerned him. The other mole does itch and it bothers me, but it might be becuae it's in an area where my seat belt and clothes rubb up against it. It doesn't itch all the time or anything, just enough to make me want it off.
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- December 13, 2013 at 9:20 pm
One of the moles isn't bothering me at all. I have had it all of my life, but the doctor said it concerned him. The other mole does itch and it bothers me, but it might be becuae it's in an area where my seat belt and clothes rubb up against it. It doesn't itch all the time or anything, just enough to make me want it off.
-
- December 12, 2013 at 9:32 pm
I never went on a "mole rampage" as I call it. I am one of the small minority with multiple primaries. (I have a genetic defect that give me a high likelihood for that (2-4%)). I only biopsy things that CHANGE. I have photographs taken of my atypical looking moles. I watch for change – anything that seems to bother me, comes to my attention or obviously changes is biopsied. Nothing else. I don't see the point. My doc and facility utilize photographs and mole mapping (sophisticated photos and software) to determine what changes and those moles are removed. I don't remove any moles that aren't changing. It's unlikely that any of your other moles are melanoma – as I said before, less than 10% ever have another melanoma primary. Your outlook is really good. Are any of the moles you are having removed tomorrow changing (or itching)? To me, that is #1. If it isn't changing, I'm not biopsying. That's me. YOU get to do what works for you!
Janner
Stage IB since 1992, 3 MM primaries
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- December 12, 2013 at 9:32 pm
I never went on a "mole rampage" as I call it. I am one of the small minority with multiple primaries. (I have a genetic defect that give me a high likelihood for that (2-4%)). I only biopsy things that CHANGE. I have photographs taken of my atypical looking moles. I watch for change – anything that seems to bother me, comes to my attention or obviously changes is biopsied. Nothing else. I don't see the point. My doc and facility utilize photographs and mole mapping (sophisticated photos and software) to determine what changes and those moles are removed. I don't remove any moles that aren't changing. It's unlikely that any of your other moles are melanoma – as I said before, less than 10% ever have another melanoma primary. Your outlook is really good. Are any of the moles you are having removed tomorrow changing (or itching)? To me, that is #1. If it isn't changing, I'm not biopsying. That's me. YOU get to do what works for you!
Janner
Stage IB since 1992, 3 MM primaries
-
- December 12, 2013 at 7:38 pm
Thanks Janner I appreciate the quick reply. 🙂 I'm a little nervous because I go Monday to have some more areas to be removed and biopsied. I think things like well thank God the first one wasn't as bad as it could have been and then I think wow what if these are melanoma too and worst than the first one. How many more moles have you had to have removed(if any) and did they come back ok?
-
- December 12, 2013 at 7:38 pm
Thanks Janner I appreciate the quick reply. 🙂 I'm a little nervous because I go Monday to have some more areas to be removed and biopsied. I think things like well thank God the first one wasn't as bad as it could have been and then I think wow what if these are melanoma too and worst than the first one. How many more moles have you had to have removed(if any) and did they come back ok?
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- December 12, 2013 at 2:42 pm
A SNB is not typically done for a stage IA lesion – especially one as thin as yours. 1mm is usually the cutoff and you are way below that. Typically, the WLE is all that is needed. Stage IA has an extremely high survival rate. You're in great shape for someone who has to be diagnosed with cancer. Get the surgery taken care of, practice sun safety, watch for CHANGE on any of your other moles (<10% have another primary melanoma) and LIVE LIFE!
Best wishes,
Janner
-
- December 12, 2013 at 2:42 pm
A SNB is not typically done for a stage IA lesion – especially one as thin as yours. 1mm is usually the cutoff and you are way below that. Typically, the WLE is all that is needed. Stage IA has an extremely high survival rate. You're in great shape for someone who has to be diagnosed with cancer. Get the surgery taken care of, practice sun safety, watch for CHANGE on any of your other moles (<10% have another primary melanoma) and LIVE LIFE!
Best wishes,
Janner
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