› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Recently diagnosed as T1b
- This topic has 15 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 8 years, 3 months ago by
btcedarr.
- Post
-
- January 18, 2016 at 6:08 pm
Hi. I am new to this site and have been following it awhile before posting. I was diagnosed on 10/13/15 with melanoma on my calf after a shave biopsy. The mole had been there my whole life and I saw no considerable changes, never itched or anything, but the dermatologist suggested it be biopsied during my annual exam. I had a WLE and SLNB on 10/22/15. I am healing well with after a bad cellulites at the SLNB incision and some stitch spitting at the WLE. I was staged T1b, at least .59mm, mitotic rate of 3, breslow III/IV. Nevoid and desmoplastic. WLE had clear margins and SLNB was negative. I now have checks every 3 months.
My question is in response to some posts of very similiar experiences and then finding it in the lymph nodes years later. If it wasn't there initially, is this usually another primary or it was missed initially. As you can tell, I am confused…..
- Replies
-
-
- January 18, 2016 at 8:58 pm
I was first diagnosed stage Ib in August 2013. I had a mole that was 1.95 mm on my left calf. PET and SLNB were both clear. In July 2014 I found a lump in my left groin during a self-check. I knew right away my melanoma had spread. I was 20 weeks pregnant at the time. There is no way of knowing if it was missed, if there were trace amounts in my blood, or if my pregnancy caused the rapid progression.
Here's what you need to know (this is the same thing I tell my brother who was diagnosed as stage Ia in October): the odds are in your favor that you caught it early and it will never progress. Be smart. Practice good sun safety. Do monthly self checks and see your derm regularly.
Best of luck,
Ashley
-
- January 18, 2016 at 8:58 pm
I was first diagnosed stage Ib in August 2013. I had a mole that was 1.95 mm on my left calf. PET and SLNB were both clear. In July 2014 I found a lump in my left groin during a self-check. I knew right away my melanoma had spread. I was 20 weeks pregnant at the time. There is no way of knowing if it was missed, if there were trace amounts in my blood, or if my pregnancy caused the rapid progression.
Here's what you need to know (this is the same thing I tell my brother who was diagnosed as stage Ia in October): the odds are in your favor that you caught it early and it will never progress. Be smart. Practice good sun safety. Do monthly self checks and see your derm regularly.
Best of luck,
Ashley
-
- January 18, 2016 at 8:58 pm
I was first diagnosed stage Ib in August 2013. I had a mole that was 1.95 mm on my left calf. PET and SLNB were both clear. In July 2014 I found a lump in my left groin during a self-check. I knew right away my melanoma had spread. I was 20 weeks pregnant at the time. There is no way of knowing if it was missed, if there were trace amounts in my blood, or if my pregnancy caused the rapid progression.
Here's what you need to know (this is the same thing I tell my brother who was diagnosed as stage Ia in October): the odds are in your favor that you caught it early and it will never progress. Be smart. Practice good sun safety. Do monthly self checks and see your derm regularly.
Best of luck,
Ashley
-
- January 19, 2016 at 8:24 am
Hi
Sorry to hear about your experience. You've had a thin melanoma, totally excised with WLE complete, and a SLNB for good measure. You've done everything right, and everything that you can do. Now, like all melanoma patients, you'll now need to factor in regular checks for:
new primary melanomas, totally unrelated to your first melanoma (for example, I've had three primary melanomas, all unrelated to each other)
recurrence of your original melanoma at the same site or at the nearest lymph node (eg swollen node)
The odds of either happening are quite small percentages, but you need to be aware of the possibility.
By regular checks, I think for T1B you'd need 6-monthly skin checks at your derm's office, he will probably also feel your nodes. In between that you'll just be looking at your skin monthly for any changes or new stuff, and having a little feel around the nearest nodes. Make it a monthly thing, perhaps take photos of your skin to help compare/identify changes. Five minutes a month. Then 1/2 hr with your derm every six months (or whatever interval he recommends, but no more than six monthly for a while).
-
- January 20, 2016 at 1:58 am
According to my doc (and my understanding), the only melanomas with no potential to spread to nodes are the in situ/stage 0 melanomas. Stage 1 and beyond all have some potential to spread. Risk for stage 1 is very low, and more or less relates directly to Breslow thickness. Under 1mm is considered very low risk.
-
- January 20, 2016 at 1:58 am
According to my doc (and my understanding), the only melanomas with no potential to spread to nodes are the in situ/stage 0 melanomas. Stage 1 and beyond all have some potential to spread. Risk for stage 1 is very low, and more or less relates directly to Breslow thickness. Under 1mm is considered very low risk.
-
- January 20, 2016 at 1:58 am
According to my doc (and my understanding), the only melanomas with no potential to spread to nodes are the in situ/stage 0 melanomas. Stage 1 and beyond all have some potential to spread. Risk for stage 1 is very low, and more or less relates directly to Breslow thickness. Under 1mm is considered very low risk.
-
- January 19, 2016 at 8:24 am
Hi
Sorry to hear about your experience. You've had a thin melanoma, totally excised with WLE complete, and a SLNB for good measure. You've done everything right, and everything that you can do. Now, like all melanoma patients, you'll now need to factor in regular checks for:
new primary melanomas, totally unrelated to your first melanoma (for example, I've had three primary melanomas, all unrelated to each other)
recurrence of your original melanoma at the same site or at the nearest lymph node (eg swollen node)
The odds of either happening are quite small percentages, but you need to be aware of the possibility.
By regular checks, I think for T1B you'd need 6-monthly skin checks at your derm's office, he will probably also feel your nodes. In between that you'll just be looking at your skin monthly for any changes or new stuff, and having a little feel around the nearest nodes. Make it a monthly thing, perhaps take photos of your skin to help compare/identify changes. Five minutes a month. Then 1/2 hr with your derm every six months (or whatever interval he recommends, but no more than six monthly for a while).
-
- January 19, 2016 at 8:24 am
Hi
Sorry to hear about your experience. You've had a thin melanoma, totally excised with WLE complete, and a SLNB for good measure. You've done everything right, and everything that you can do. Now, like all melanoma patients, you'll now need to factor in regular checks for:
new primary melanomas, totally unrelated to your first melanoma (for example, I've had three primary melanomas, all unrelated to each other)
recurrence of your original melanoma at the same site or at the nearest lymph node (eg swollen node)
The odds of either happening are quite small percentages, but you need to be aware of the possibility.
By regular checks, I think for T1B you'd need 6-monthly skin checks at your derm's office, he will probably also feel your nodes. In between that you'll just be looking at your skin monthly for any changes or new stuff, and having a little feel around the nearest nodes. Make it a monthly thing, perhaps take photos of your skin to help compare/identify changes. Five minutes a month. Then 1/2 hr with your derm every six months (or whatever interval he recommends, but no more than six monthly for a while).
-
Tagged: cutaneous melanoma
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.