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tage One on Upper Back, Diagnosis dependant on body site??
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tage One on Upper Back, Diagnosis dependant on body site??

› Forums › General Melanoma Community › tage One on Upper Back, Diagnosis dependant on body site??

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    • May 1, 2020 at 8:47 am
    Butterfly74
    Participant
      Hi I have been diagnosed with Stage One Melanoma on my upper back. I am very worried. I have read that body site can influence prognosis and that when found on the back it does not have a good prognosis as compared with extremities. Can anyone explain this and also are there any Stage One people who have had no spread from a primary melanoma on their back to give me some hope?
      Thank you for your help.
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    • Replies
        • May 1, 2020 at 2:24 pm
        KAP715
        Participant
          My primary was on my upper back also and yes you are correct primaries on the trunk have a worse prognosis but the vast majority of stage one disease is handled with a wide excision and SLNB. As long as your lymph nodes are clear you probably will be done with this. Just be sure to follow up with your derm on a regular basis.
            • May 1, 2020 at 4:50 pm
            Butterfly74
            Participant
              Thank you for your reply. I asked about having a SLNB but was told I did not need it as the depth was .7mm, I have only had a WLE. I hope this will be enough.
              • May 1, 2020 at 6:38 pm
              KAP715
              Participant
                I know it’s impossible not to worry but keep a close eye on your skin and check your lymph nodes in your neck, armpits, and groin on a regular basis. Any hard lumps should be checked by your doctor immediately. Other than that try to live your life as normal as possible. Best of luck to you!
                • May 1, 2020 at 10:12 pm
                Butterfly74
                Participant
                  Thank you, I see from your profile you had it on your back also and was Stage one, not sure if a or b? Can I ask what your breslow depth was?
                  Thanks
                  • May 3, 2020 at 8:43 pm
                  KAP715
                  Participant
                    Honestly it was so long ago I don’t remember the details of my primary. I was clear for almost 5 years until I felt a lump right above my collar bone. I knew immediately what that meant. Best advice I can give is to not obsess too much over it because their is nothing you can do to prevent a recurrence. Just stay out of the sun, wear sunscreen, and remain vigilant about checking your skin and lymph nodes.
                    • May 4, 2020 at 9:44 pm
                    Butterfly74
                    Participant
                      Thank you. How are you doing now and what treatment did you have to have? It must have been really scary especially nearly five years out to have found the lump, this is yet another case of it recuring in patients with Stage one. I read so many, it’s scary. I know I need to stop obsessing, it is all so overwhelming.
                      • May 6, 2020 at 4:05 am
                      KAP715
                      Participant
                        I had a modified radical neck dissection on the left side. Surgeon removed my melanoma lymph node along with all the lymph nodes that he was able to get to. I had neoadjuvant and adjuvant pembro which I progressed on. So now I’m having a WLE on my neck next week with a skin graft followed by tafinlar/mekinist targeted therapy as an adjuvant. It sounds terrible but I’m relatively young(39) and have handled the surgeries and treatments without too many adverse effects.
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