› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Newly Diagnosed
- This topic has 18 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 11 years, 5 months ago by
summergirl75.
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- September 24, 2013 at 7:36 am
I was diagnosed with Malignant Melanoma on Aug 21st/13. I had a tiny mole on the inside of my thigh that I had never noticed before. The doctor said it looked a bit suspicious but said I should not be concerned. He took it out stating that it would give me peace of mind. Imagine his and my shock when the results came back. It was a clark level three, superficial spreading variant. The tumor thickness was 0.65 mm. No lymph vascular or perineural invasion was identified. The pathological stage was pT1b, pNX, PMX (No idea what that means)…The margins were not clear…so I had the treatment below.
My treatment: I went to a dermatologist who found two basal cell tumors on my face which were removed by sort of a burning treatment…(no pathology report was possible). A wide excision was performed on my leg and the pathology report came back clear. Chest x ray clear, blood work clear.
My questions: I'm nervous that I should have had a pathology report on my basal cell tumors? Please give me your opinions on this but don't scare me too much 🙂
Secondly, I have pain in my left chest and my left hip…I think this is because I had a baby two years ago and I believe that this is just aches and pains related to pregnancy, delivery, holding baby, breast feeding, etc etc…I am going to go to a chiropractor to see if im out of alignment. Doctors ran a chest x ray which was clear and extensive blood work which all came back clear.. Should I be concerned that even though my pathology report said I am clear that I might not be…? Is there any advice considering the information provided above.
Also, are there any links to good reliable natural prevention for this. My oncologist does not believe that this was sun exposure related.
Thanks in advance, I am just having some anxiety right now about the questions above…
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- September 24, 2013 at 5:17 pm
Sorry you have to join us here.
Basal cell? Freezing is a normal treatment. Just watch for any regrowth to make sure it was all removed. Basal cell doesn't metastasize, but it can destroy a lot of tissue locally.
It sounds like you are stage IB. (I've been in a similar stage since 1992). You didn't state your mitosis – that is what distinguishes stage IA from stage IB, but the staging notation shows stage IB so I'm assuming your mitosis is >0.
The wide excision is basically the treatment for this disease at your stage. There isn't anything else out there either medical or "natural". Certainly you can adjust your diet and/or take supplements and whatever makes you feel like you have control, but none have been PROVEN to do anything in regards to preventing another primary or a recurrence.
At your stage, you need to take this statement to heart: "Look for the most likely explanation first, then look for zebras". Melanoma is the zebra in your life. Your hip or back pain is extremely unlikely to be related to anything melanoma. Watch for any pigment regrowth around the scar. Ask your derm how to palpate the lymph nodes in the groin area (same leg as your melanoma). Do a monthly self exam looking for moles that change. Have a regular derm exam. These are the things you have control over with regards to melanoma. Embrace these and try to move on. Your lesion is considered low risk but not no risk. Live life now – don't let melanoma worries take over otherwise melanoma wins whether or not it ever comes back.
Best wishes,
Janner
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- September 24, 2013 at 5:17 pm
Sorry you have to join us here.
Basal cell? Freezing is a normal treatment. Just watch for any regrowth to make sure it was all removed. Basal cell doesn't metastasize, but it can destroy a lot of tissue locally.
It sounds like you are stage IB. (I've been in a similar stage since 1992). You didn't state your mitosis – that is what distinguishes stage IA from stage IB, but the staging notation shows stage IB so I'm assuming your mitosis is >0.
The wide excision is basically the treatment for this disease at your stage. There isn't anything else out there either medical or "natural". Certainly you can adjust your diet and/or take supplements and whatever makes you feel like you have control, but none have been PROVEN to do anything in regards to preventing another primary or a recurrence.
At your stage, you need to take this statement to heart: "Look for the most likely explanation first, then look for zebras". Melanoma is the zebra in your life. Your hip or back pain is extremely unlikely to be related to anything melanoma. Watch for any pigment regrowth around the scar. Ask your derm how to palpate the lymph nodes in the groin area (same leg as your melanoma). Do a monthly self exam looking for moles that change. Have a regular derm exam. These are the things you have control over with regards to melanoma. Embrace these and try to move on. Your lesion is considered low risk but not no risk. Live life now – don't let melanoma worries take over otherwise melanoma wins whether or not it ever comes back.
Best wishes,
Janner
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- September 24, 2013 at 5:17 pm
Sorry you have to join us here.
Basal cell? Freezing is a normal treatment. Just watch for any regrowth to make sure it was all removed. Basal cell doesn't metastasize, but it can destroy a lot of tissue locally.
It sounds like you are stage IB. (I've been in a similar stage since 1992). You didn't state your mitosis – that is what distinguishes stage IA from stage IB, but the staging notation shows stage IB so I'm assuming your mitosis is >0.
The wide excision is basically the treatment for this disease at your stage. There isn't anything else out there either medical or "natural". Certainly you can adjust your diet and/or take supplements and whatever makes you feel like you have control, but none have been PROVEN to do anything in regards to preventing another primary or a recurrence.
At your stage, you need to take this statement to heart: "Look for the most likely explanation first, then look for zebras". Melanoma is the zebra in your life. Your hip or back pain is extremely unlikely to be related to anything melanoma. Watch for any pigment regrowth around the scar. Ask your derm how to palpate the lymph nodes in the groin area (same leg as your melanoma). Do a monthly self exam looking for moles that change. Have a regular derm exam. These are the things you have control over with regards to melanoma. Embrace these and try to move on. Your lesion is considered low risk but not no risk. Live life now – don't let melanoma worries take over otherwise melanoma wins whether or not it ever comes back.
Best wishes,
Janner
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- September 24, 2013 at 5:59 pm
As normal, Janner gave a great response. The only thing I will say is to stress that VIGILANCE not Paranoia is your password. Live and enjoy life while being vigilant!
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- September 25, 2013 at 1:28 am
Nope. You don't need scans or bloodwork or an oncologist. Most oncologists probably wouldn't even see you because there is nothing left for them to cure. You might as well go to an orthopedic surgeon and ask them to put a cast on a leg that is not broken!
You were LUCKY!! Your doctor was SMART and OBSERVANT so he caught it EARLY! (Are you taking this in?) You do not have melanoma now. You now know, however, have you a genetic makeup that makes it possible that you might someday get another melanoma. So do what Janner suggested–watch for changing moles or anything funny-looking near the excision site. If you're really anxious, take a photo of the excision site and any moles once a month or so. Put something like a dime next to the spot as a scale of reference so you can actually see changes. And keep seeing that dermatologist on whatever schedule he recommends. He sounds like he knows his stuff.
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- September 25, 2013 at 3:52 am
Your odds are (statistically) close to 95% that you will never have another problem with melanoma. The only other thing at your stage is to keep an eye on your body for changing spots and if you have any swelling lymph nodes get to a doctor and emphasize that you have had a melanoma in your past. The GP will likely try antibiotics and the lymph node will most likely go down. If it doesn't, then ask for follow up scans of the lymph node area and most likely the lungs.
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- October 9, 2014 at 7:03 am
I wrote the above post over a year ago and things seem to be fine but the pain in my left hip is worsening….this is where the wide excision took place. I am going to get it checked out but would like to know what to ask and is there a chance that this could have spread????I have no idea how mm spreads. Thanks for any advice and feedback. Mostly I want to know if I should have a follow up appt since it's been a year since my diagnosis and my pain in my left hip left chest is not subsiding.
Thanks
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- October 9, 2014 at 7:03 am
I wrote the above post over a year ago and things seem to be fine but the pain in my left hip is worsening….this is where the wide excision took place. I am going to get it checked out but would like to know what to ask and is there a chance that this could have spread????I have no idea how mm spreads. Thanks for any advice and feedback. Mostly I want to know if I should have a follow up appt since it's been a year since my diagnosis and my pain in my left hip left chest is not subsiding.
Thanks
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- October 9, 2014 at 7:03 am
I wrote the above post over a year ago and things seem to be fine but the pain in my left hip is worsening….this is where the wide excision took place. I am going to get it checked out but would like to know what to ask and is there a chance that this could have spread????I have no idea how mm spreads. Thanks for any advice and feedback. Mostly I want to know if I should have a follow up appt since it's been a year since my diagnosis and my pain in my left hip left chest is not subsiding.
Thanks
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- September 25, 2013 at 3:52 am
Your odds are (statistically) close to 95% that you will never have another problem with melanoma. The only other thing at your stage is to keep an eye on your body for changing spots and if you have any swelling lymph nodes get to a doctor and emphasize that you have had a melanoma in your past. The GP will likely try antibiotics and the lymph node will most likely go down. If it doesn't, then ask for follow up scans of the lymph node area and most likely the lungs.
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- September 25, 2013 at 3:52 am
Your odds are (statistically) close to 95% that you will never have another problem with melanoma. The only other thing at your stage is to keep an eye on your body for changing spots and if you have any swelling lymph nodes get to a doctor and emphasize that you have had a melanoma in your past. The GP will likely try antibiotics and the lymph node will most likely go down. If it doesn't, then ask for follow up scans of the lymph node area and most likely the lungs.
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- September 25, 2013 at 1:28 am
Nope. You don't need scans or bloodwork or an oncologist. Most oncologists probably wouldn't even see you because there is nothing left for them to cure. You might as well go to an orthopedic surgeon and ask them to put a cast on a leg that is not broken!
You were LUCKY!! Your doctor was SMART and OBSERVANT so he caught it EARLY! (Are you taking this in?) You do not have melanoma now. You now know, however, have you a genetic makeup that makes it possible that you might someday get another melanoma. So do what Janner suggested–watch for changing moles or anything funny-looking near the excision site. If you're really anxious, take a photo of the excision site and any moles once a month or so. Put something like a dime next to the spot as a scale of reference so you can actually see changes. And keep seeing that dermatologist on whatever schedule he recommends. He sounds like he knows his stuff.
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- September 25, 2013 at 1:28 am
Nope. You don't need scans or bloodwork or an oncologist. Most oncologists probably wouldn't even see you because there is nothing left for them to cure. You might as well go to an orthopedic surgeon and ask them to put a cast on a leg that is not broken!
You were LUCKY!! Your doctor was SMART and OBSERVANT so he caught it EARLY! (Are you taking this in?) You do not have melanoma now. You now know, however, have you a genetic makeup that makes it possible that you might someday get another melanoma. So do what Janner suggested–watch for changing moles or anything funny-looking near the excision site. If you're really anxious, take a photo of the excision site and any moles once a month or so. Put something like a dime next to the spot as a scale of reference so you can actually see changes. And keep seeing that dermatologist on whatever schedule he recommends. He sounds like he knows his stuff.
-
- September 24, 2013 at 5:59 pm
As normal, Janner gave a great response. The only thing I will say is to stress that VIGILANCE not Paranoia is your password. Live and enjoy life while being vigilant!
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- September 24, 2013 at 5:59 pm
As normal, Janner gave a great response. The only thing I will say is to stress that VIGILANCE not Paranoia is your password. Live and enjoy life while being vigilant!
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Tagged: cutaneous melanoma
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