Stage 1a SSM, what to expect??

I had found out I had melanoma in July with a 1.33 mistiosis 8 Clark at 5

had my WLE and SLNB done on 9/16, found out a week ago it was positive, having an complete lymph node done on 2 weeks…   They don't know the stage till you had the WLE and SLNB.  

I am still learning but this groups is amazing. Very supportive and lots of answer.  

I know it not much of an answer but prayers for you! 

I had found out I had melanoma in July with a 1.33 mistiosis 8 Clark at 5

had my WLE and SLNB done on 9/16, found out a week ago it was positive, having an complete lymph node done on 2 weeks…   They don't know the stage till you had the WLE and SLNB.  

I am still learning but this groups is amazing. Very supportive and lots of answer.  

I know it not much of an answer but prayers for you! 

I had found out I had melanoma in July with a 1.33 mistiosis 8 Clark at 5

had my WLE and SLNB done on 9/16, found out a week ago it was positive, having an complete lymph node done on 2 weeks…   They don't know the stage till you had the WLE and SLNB.  

I am still learning but this groups is amazing. Very supportive and lots of answer.  

I know it not much of an answer but prayers for you! 

Hi Maria!

Let me tell you a little of my melanoma experience. I was first diagnosed in January 2013. My doctor removed a mole on my back that he didn't think was anything. He was wrong. I had an excision to get what he missed, and the lymph node biopsy. Wound up back for more surgery a month later because one sentinel node had microscopic cancer cells in it. They were all clear. So at that point I was stage IIIa.

Last summer I noticed several lumps near the orginal excision. A new PET scan confirmed it was more melanoma. My surgeon went back and removed those, and almost as soon as the dressing had come off it could be seen that there were more spots. None of my doctors could believe it. My oncologist said it didn't make sense to him that I would have visible, growing spots on my skin that weren't picked up by a PET scan just 2 months before. But there it was. A new PET scan confirmed that they were melanoma, and there was also a spot on one lung.

I received Yervoy last winter, and got a partial response. When more spots began showing on my skin, and a CT scan found that while the large spot in my lung had shrunk somewhat from the medication, there were several other small spots. My oncolgist started me on Keytruda.

So far, Keytruda has been the miracle drug that I was looking for. A CT scan two weeks ago found that the spots in my lung, and those on my skin (which we could already see the effect on) were shrinking. And there were no new lesions anywhere.

Throughout most of this I have remained active, and continued to do my regular routine. I haven't felt bad at all, except for about a month at the end of the Yervoy treatment. I have a 2-year-old granddaughter who is the light of my world. It is my intention to dance with her at her wedding.

Put the thoughts of a recurrence out of your mind. It happened to me, but from everything I read about the type of melanoma I have, and the thickness of the primary, it was likely to occur. Your tumor thickness puts you at a much less likelihood for recurrence than what I had. But if it does recur, remember that advances are being made every day. With Keytruda, I'm getting a drug that wasn't available outside of clinical trials just over a year ago. And it seems to be working.

I think the most important thing to remember is that you're in control. You have cancer. It doesn't have you.

-Bill

Hi Maria!

Let me tell you a little of my melanoma experience. I was first diagnosed in January 2013. My doctor removed a mole on my back that he didn't think was anything. He was wrong. I had an excision to get what he missed, and the lymph node biopsy. Wound up back for more surgery a month later because one sentinel node had microscopic cancer cells in it. They were all clear. So at that point I was stage IIIa.

Last summer I noticed several lumps near the orginal excision. A new PET scan confirmed it was more melanoma. My surgeon went back and removed those, and almost as soon as the dressing had come off it could be seen that there were more spots. None of my doctors could believe it. My oncologist said it didn't make sense to him that I would have visible, growing spots on my skin that weren't picked up by a PET scan just 2 months before. But there it was. A new PET scan confirmed that they were melanoma, and there was also a spot on one lung.

I received Yervoy last winter, and got a partial response. When more spots began showing on my skin, and a CT scan found that while the large spot in my lung had shrunk somewhat from the medication, there were several other small spots. My oncolgist started me on Keytruda.

So far, Keytruda has been the miracle drug that I was looking for. A CT scan two weeks ago found that the spots in my lung, and those on my skin (which we could already see the effect on) were shrinking. And there were no new lesions anywhere.

Throughout most of this I have remained active, and continued to do my regular routine. I haven't felt bad at all, except for about a month at the end of the Yervoy treatment. I have a 2-year-old granddaughter who is the light of my world. It is my intention to dance with her at her wedding.

Put the thoughts of a recurrence out of your mind. It happened to me, but from everything I read about the type of melanoma I have, and the thickness of the primary, it was likely to occur. Your tumor thickness puts you at a much less likelihood for recurrence than what I had. But if it does recur, remember that advances are being made every day. With Keytruda, I'm getting a drug that wasn't available outside of clinical trials just over a year ago. And it seems to be working.

I think the most important thing to remember is that you're in control. You have cancer. It doesn't have you.

-Bill

Hi Maria!

Let me tell you a little of my melanoma experience. I was first diagnosed in January 2013. My doctor removed a mole on my back that he didn't think was anything. He was wrong. I had an excision to get what he missed, and the lymph node biopsy. Wound up back for more surgery a month later because one sentinel node had microscopic cancer cells in it. They were all clear. So at that point I was stage IIIa.

Last summer I noticed several lumps near the orginal excision. A new PET scan confirmed it was more melanoma. My surgeon went back and removed those, and almost as soon as the dressing had come off it could be seen that there were more spots. None of my doctors could believe it. My oncologist said it didn't make sense to him that I would have visible, growing spots on my skin that weren't picked up by a PET scan just 2 months before. But there it was. A new PET scan confirmed that they were melanoma, and there was also a spot on one lung.

I received Yervoy last winter, and got a partial response. When more spots began showing on my skin, and a CT scan found that while the large spot in my lung had shrunk somewhat from the medication, there were several other small spots. My oncolgist started me on Keytruda.

So far, Keytruda has been the miracle drug that I was looking for. A CT scan two weeks ago found that the spots in my lung, and those on my skin (which we could already see the effect on) were shrinking. And there were no new lesions anywhere.

Throughout most of this I have remained active, and continued to do my regular routine. I haven't felt bad at all, except for about a month at the end of the Yervoy treatment. I have a 2-year-old granddaughter who is the light of my world. It is my intention to dance with her at her wedding.

Put the thoughts of a recurrence out of your mind. It happened to me, but from everything I read about the type of melanoma I have, and the thickness of the primary, it was likely to occur. Your tumor thickness puts you at a much less likelihood for recurrence than what I had. But if it does recur, remember that advances are being made every day. With Keytruda, I'm getting a drug that wasn't available outside of clinical trials just over a year ago. And it seems to be working.

I think the most important thing to remember is that you're in control. You have cancer. It doesn't have you.

-Bill

I really wish Janner were still active on this board to reply to you.  Maybe Stars or Brian or Paul or Celeste?  The statistics are in your favor.  Most people whose melanoma is caught at stage I don't have a recurrence.  However, of the few that do, you'll see them on this board.  This can make recurrence seem much higher than it really is.  You've had a big scare but you found it early and you are very likely cured.  Keep an eye on your moles for changes and watch the excision for changes too.  See your dermatalogist regularly but really, the odds are in your favor.  I wish I could remember them, I'm sure one of the others will chime in with more helpful information.

Good luck to you,

Maggie

I really wish Janner were still active on this board to reply to you.  Maybe Stars or Brian or Paul or Celeste?  The statistics are in your favor.  Most people whose melanoma is caught at stage I don't have a recurrence.  However, of the few that do, you'll see them on this board.  This can make recurrence seem much higher than it really is.  You've had a big scare but you found it early and you are very likely cured.  Keep an eye on your moles for changes and watch the excision for changes too.  See your dermatalogist regularly but really, the odds are in your favor.  I wish I could remember them, I'm sure one of the others will chime in with more helpful information.

Good luck to you,

Maggie

I really wish Janner were still active on this board to reply to you.  Maybe Stars or Brian or Paul or Celeste?  The statistics are in your favor.  Most people whose melanoma is caught at stage I don't have a recurrence.  However, of the few that do, you'll see them on this board.  This can make recurrence seem much higher than it really is.  You've had a big scare but you found it early and you are very likely cured.  Keep an eye on your moles for changes and watch the excision for changes too.  See your dermatalogist regularly but really, the odds are in your favor.  I wish I could remember them, I'm sure one of the others will chime in with more helpful information.

Good luck to you,

Maggie

Hi Maria

It's a huge shock being diagnosed with melanoma.  Be kind to yourself and give yourself time and space to get used to it all, but please don't torture yourself reading all kinds of horror stories. You don't need to know all about stage 4 disease and most likely never will.

The most important thing is that you have found this melanoma and had it excised. Have you had your wide level excision yet?

What I can see from your pathology is that its a superficial spreading melanoma (good – often very slow to grow), Breslow 0.6mm (good – very low risk of this being deep enough to spread, so no sentinel node biopsy recommended – not in Australia at least), mitosis less than 1 (good – zero would be better, but one means your melanoma cells were slowly dividing and growing but at a very slow rate), clavicle (not good – axial is better, but reall with a stage 1a it's not a big deal).

So what you have is a very favourable diagnosis needing nothing more than a wide level excision – mine was done under local anaesthetic, took about 45min, healed in two weeks and left a 9cm scar). From then on it's three monthly skin checks (for me – you might get by with six monthly – I need three monthly as I had three, yes three thin melanomas all at the same time). These regular skin checks are your ticket to peace of mind – any future melanoma, and there may be none at all, is likely to be found early and treated quickly.

There is a small chance your melanoma has spread – but its a very tiny chance, the odds are very much in your favour (gee that sounds like The Hunger Games…).

It is a huge game changer being diagnosed with melanoma but hopefully over time you can see some positives in having a thin melanoma with an amazingly high 'cure' rate like yours.

Stars

Hi Maria

It's a huge shock being diagnosed with melanoma.  Be kind to yourself and give yourself time and space to get used to it all, but please don't torture yourself reading all kinds of horror stories. You don't need to know all about stage 4 disease and most likely never will.

The most important thing is that you have found this melanoma and had it excised. Have you had your wide level excision yet?

What I can see from your pathology is that its a superficial spreading melanoma (good – often very slow to grow), Breslow 0.6mm (good – very low risk of this being deep enough to spread, so no sentinel node biopsy recommended – not in Australia at least), mitosis less than 1 (good – zero would be better, but one means your melanoma cells were slowly dividing and growing but at a very slow rate), clavicle (not good – axial is better, but reall with a stage 1a it's not a big deal).

So what you have is a very favourable diagnosis needing nothing more than a wide level excision – mine was done under local anaesthetic, took about 45min, healed in two weeks and left a 9cm scar). From then on it's three monthly skin checks (for me – you might get by with six monthly – I need three monthly as I had three, yes three thin melanomas all at the same time). These regular skin checks are your ticket to peace of mind – any future melanoma, and there may be none at all, is likely to be found early and treated quickly.

There is a small chance your melanoma has spread – but its a very tiny chance, the odds are very much in your favour (gee that sounds like The Hunger Games…).

It is a huge game changer being diagnosed with melanoma but hopefully over time you can see some positives in having a thin melanoma with an amazingly high 'cure' rate like yours.

Stars

Hi Maria

It's a huge shock being diagnosed with melanoma.  Be kind to yourself and give yourself time and space to get used to it all, but please don't torture yourself reading all kinds of horror stories. You don't need to know all about stage 4 disease and most likely never will.

The most important thing is that you have found this melanoma and had it excised. Have you had your wide level excision yet?

What I can see from your pathology is that its a superficial spreading melanoma (good – often very slow to grow), Breslow 0.6mm (good – very low risk of this being deep enough to spread, so no sentinel node biopsy recommended – not in Australia at least), mitosis less than 1 (good – zero would be better, but one means your melanoma cells were slowly dividing and growing but at a very slow rate), clavicle (not good – axial is better, but reall with a stage 1a it's not a big deal).

So what you have is a very favourable diagnosis needing nothing more than a wide level excision – mine was done under local anaesthetic, took about 45min, healed in two weeks and left a 9cm scar). From then on it's three monthly skin checks (for me – you might get by with six monthly – I need three monthly as I had three, yes three thin melanomas all at the same time). These regular skin checks are your ticket to peace of mind – any future melanoma, and there may be none at all, is likely to be found early and treated quickly.

There is a small chance your melanoma has spread – but its a very tiny chance, the odds are very much in your favour (gee that sounds like The Hunger Games…).

It is a huge game changer being diagnosed with melanoma but hopefully over time you can see some positives in having a thin melanoma with an amazingly high 'cure' rate like yours.

Stars