› Forums › General Melanoma Community › More waiting on BRAF tests, fingers crossed; questions about the primary
- This topic has 6 replies, 2 voices, and was last updated 12 years, 6 months ago by
dearfoam.
- Post
-
- October 20, 2011 at 2:30 am
So I took dad to his followup with his Oncologist last week. He and the neurosuregeon had decided right now it was too risky to do a needle biopsy of any brain tumors to test for the BRAF mutation. So I brought up his moles. I thought maybe it would be too obvious of an answer to the biopsy question, but dad had a mole that was starting to bleed (since his last visit). A referral to the dermatologist was made for a few das later, and she took three moles off his torso and back, which ALL came back positive for melanoma.
So I took dad to his followup with his Oncologist last week. He and the neurosuregeon had decided right now it was too risky to do a needle biopsy of any brain tumors to test for the BRAF mutation. So I brought up his moles. I thought maybe it would be too obvious of an answer to the biopsy question, but dad had a mole that was starting to bleed (since his last visit). A referral to the dermatologist was made for a few das later, and she took three moles off his torso and back, which ALL came back positive for melanoma. They were all sent off from BRAF testing and we will hear back in a week or two. I was sleeping when she called, but I recall she said that two seemed to be in situ, but could also possibly be mets from the current melanoma. The ulcerated one seemed colorless. That spooks me out. I guess I need to call back and ask them to repeat the report.
Background: Dad's primary is to me unknown. He apparently had some type of melanoma removed form his neck in 2003 or so, but I don't have that information. It was not something he remembered being melanoma, but his ex from that time told me over the phone that it was. It was all after we got his biopsy (via lung tumors) in April. Dad was never proactive in his health, and says his doctor never told him and his wife must've hidden the facts from him. Dad was also having memory problems due to the brain mets so I didn't know if he really believed that or not. He always makes light of serious situations, so I tend to not believe him.
Regardless, since we had a new clear biopsy in April for something that APPEARED was gogin to be ending his life very quickly, I never pushed for this old information. Now things are more stable and I am curious. What did this doctor communicate to my dad? What went to the ex? Why were there no follow ups? I know he went in for two procedures – there is a wide scar on his neck where I assume the got clear margins, or something.
Do multiples moles develop from one instance of melanoma, or are they individual melanomas? Will some be BRAF positive and other not? I just wonder if the will match the melanoma in his brain, lungs, and elsewhere. Also, why don't these moles show up on the 8 or so CT scans he has had since March?
Thanks,
DF
- Replies
-
-
- October 20, 2011 at 11:02 am
DF, you ask some good questions but unfortunately I don't have all the answers.
Sometimes things get forgotten and doctors neglect to ask the patient to return for follow up assessments. If the doctor concerned is not a melanoma specialist, the potential seriousness of the situation might not be considered.
Melanoma can spread superficially and/or internally. One can also have multiple primaries. If a tumour has the BRAF gene mutation, then I expect that they all will. I don't know if it is possible for different types of melanoma to be present in a patient.
CT scans are good at detecting solid tumours. However, the results are often checked against the corresponding PET scan to see if they are possibly malignant. Lesions such as moles are often too small to be successfully detected on general whole body scans.
Hope this helps.
Frank from Australia
-
- October 20, 2011 at 11:02 am
DF, you ask some good questions but unfortunately I don't have all the answers.
Sometimes things get forgotten and doctors neglect to ask the patient to return for follow up assessments. If the doctor concerned is not a melanoma specialist, the potential seriousness of the situation might not be considered.
Melanoma can spread superficially and/or internally. One can also have multiple primaries. If a tumour has the BRAF gene mutation, then I expect that they all will. I don't know if it is possible for different types of melanoma to be present in a patient.
CT scans are good at detecting solid tumours. However, the results are often checked against the corresponding PET scan to see if they are possibly malignant. Lesions such as moles are often too small to be successfully detected on general whole body scans.
Hope this helps.
Frank from Australia
-
- October 20, 2011 at 11:02 am
DF, you ask some good questions but unfortunately I don't have all the answers.
Sometimes things get forgotten and doctors neglect to ask the patient to return for follow up assessments. If the doctor concerned is not a melanoma specialist, the potential seriousness of the situation might not be considered.
Melanoma can spread superficially and/or internally. One can also have multiple primaries. If a tumour has the BRAF gene mutation, then I expect that they all will. I don't know if it is possible for different types of melanoma to be present in a patient.
CT scans are good at detecting solid tumours. However, the results are often checked against the corresponding PET scan to see if they are possibly malignant. Lesions such as moles are often too small to be successfully detected on general whole body scans.
Hope this helps.
Frank from Australia
-
Tagged: cutaneous melanoma
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.