› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Wait and see hummm
- This topic has 30 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 10 years, 5 months ago by
washoegal.
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- November 14, 2013 at 5:17 am
Wait and see was what my doctor said I have a 60% chance it will come back and at stage 2b its really all we do so just wait humm I am new to melanoma had my surgery October 2 nothing in the limp nodes and got clear margins it was the thickness of the cancer that put me at stage 2b 8 mil I guess I am at a loss of what I should be doing other then going to the doctor and where he sends me to go I feel like I do not have the knowledge as of yet on how or what I do other then making sure I keep a eye out for new things on my body or the old moles looking strange I will say I am concerned because the we just wait to see was told to my brother and when it came back it took him with in 2 years he past in 2005 I would like to not follow him at this time not that I wont love to see him when my time comes I'm just not ready for that for a long while some days I just go around like it was nothing and others Its there big as a bus I know my body and I feel tired all the time and my bones hurt and I just feel like crap all the time but still I work and keep going I just don't want melanoma to take someone els in my family and need more research that don't confuses me even more feeling overwhelmed
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- November 14, 2013 at 5:19 am
meant to say 60% chance it wont come back uggh
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- November 14, 2013 at 10:52 am
Hi! I was diagnosed stage I 11 years ago, surgery and satellite nodes clear of cancer. I was told that the chance of melanoma returning was small and to go to dermatologist every 6 months for check-up. Long story short, I had a few x-rays that were abnormal and did a PET scan which showed 3.5cm mass, a 1mm nodule plus lymph nodes suspicious for metastesis.
Thought it was lung cancer and went to a thoracic surgeon yesterday and he thinks it's melanoma. There is a wealth of knowledge here and I'm sure someone can address your concerns better then I. Just wanted to put it out there that even 11 years after a stage I the beast can come back.
Best wishes for you and I am so sorry about your brother….hang in there!
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- November 14, 2013 at 10:52 am
Hi! I was diagnosed stage I 11 years ago, surgery and satellite nodes clear of cancer. I was told that the chance of melanoma returning was small and to go to dermatologist every 6 months for check-up. Long story short, I had a few x-rays that were abnormal and did a PET scan which showed 3.5cm mass, a 1mm nodule plus lymph nodes suspicious for metastesis.
Thought it was lung cancer and went to a thoracic surgeon yesterday and he thinks it's melanoma. There is a wealth of knowledge here and I'm sure someone can address your concerns better then I. Just wanted to put it out there that even 11 years after a stage I the beast can come back.
Best wishes for you and I am so sorry about your brother….hang in there!
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- November 14, 2013 at 10:52 am
Hi! I was diagnosed stage I 11 years ago, surgery and satellite nodes clear of cancer. I was told that the chance of melanoma returning was small and to go to dermatologist every 6 months for check-up. Long story short, I had a few x-rays that were abnormal and did a PET scan which showed 3.5cm mass, a 1mm nodule plus lymph nodes suspicious for metastesis.
Thought it was lung cancer and went to a thoracic surgeon yesterday and he thinks it's melanoma. There is a wealth of knowledge here and I'm sure someone can address your concerns better then I. Just wanted to put it out there that even 11 years after a stage I the beast can come back.
Best wishes for you and I am so sorry about your brother….hang in there!
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- November 14, 2013 at 4:49 pm
Just for what it is worth i have 2 points.
1. AUG 2012 I was stage 1 or 2A depending on who you ask…my biopsy was shave so the pathology said things like atleast 1.0 mm+ and atleast Clarks IV+ so it was questionable on staging.
I had WLE surgery and Sentinal Node Biopsy which came back clear in SEPT 2012.
JUL 2013 I felt a lump in my neck and by Sept 2013 I had two masses in my neck as melanoma has spread to my lymph nodes in 9 months since surgery.
I am now stage 3B and have just had my 3 surgery in a year.
2. My wife and i are convinced you don't hear alot about people who may have had it at an early stage and had no other reoccurances simply because they are not on this forum any longer. So I do hold out hope and know there are many stage 2 and 3 cases that never progress it is just harder top find those stories.
All the best
Matt
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- November 14, 2013 at 4:49 pm
Just for what it is worth i have 2 points.
1. AUG 2012 I was stage 1 or 2A depending on who you ask…my biopsy was shave so the pathology said things like atleast 1.0 mm+ and atleast Clarks IV+ so it was questionable on staging.
I had WLE surgery and Sentinal Node Biopsy which came back clear in SEPT 2012.
JUL 2013 I felt a lump in my neck and by Sept 2013 I had two masses in my neck as melanoma has spread to my lymph nodes in 9 months since surgery.
I am now stage 3B and have just had my 3 surgery in a year.
2. My wife and i are convinced you don't hear alot about people who may have had it at an early stage and had no other reoccurances simply because they are not on this forum any longer. So I do hold out hope and know there are many stage 2 and 3 cases that never progress it is just harder top find those stories.
All the best
Matt
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- November 14, 2013 at 4:49 pm
Just for what it is worth i have 2 points.
1. AUG 2012 I was stage 1 or 2A depending on who you ask…my biopsy was shave so the pathology said things like atleast 1.0 mm+ and atleast Clarks IV+ so it was questionable on staging.
I had WLE surgery and Sentinal Node Biopsy which came back clear in SEPT 2012.
JUL 2013 I felt a lump in my neck and by Sept 2013 I had two masses in my neck as melanoma has spread to my lymph nodes in 9 months since surgery.
I am now stage 3B and have just had my 3 surgery in a year.
2. My wife and i are convinced you don't hear alot about people who may have had it at an early stage and had no other reoccurances simply because they are not on this forum any longer. So I do hold out hope and know there are many stage 2 and 3 cases that never progress it is just harder top find those stories.
All the best
Matt
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- November 14, 2013 at 6:47 pm
Matt, I agree. For every 5 people diagnosed with invasive melanoma each year across all stages, one person will die from melanoma. This means that four people out of five will not die from melanoma.
Stage 1 varies in depth from 0.1mm to 1.9mm so that's a huge difference in depth and prognosis so it would be more helpful if, when posting, people give the depth of their original melanoma and not just the stage.
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- November 14, 2013 at 6:47 pm
Matt, I agree. For every 5 people diagnosed with invasive melanoma each year across all stages, one person will die from melanoma. This means that four people out of five will not die from melanoma.
Stage 1 varies in depth from 0.1mm to 1.9mm so that's a huge difference in depth and prognosis so it would be more helpful if, when posting, people give the depth of their original melanoma and not just the stage.
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- November 14, 2013 at 6:47 pm
Matt, I agree. For every 5 people diagnosed with invasive melanoma each year across all stages, one person will die from melanoma. This means that four people out of five will not die from melanoma.
Stage 1 varies in depth from 0.1mm to 1.9mm so that's a huge difference in depth and prognosis so it would be more helpful if, when posting, people give the depth of their original melanoma and not just the stage.
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- November 15, 2013 at 12:11 am
My daughter (24) was originally stage 2b with 3.5 mm depth and nodular type melanoma. Wide excision and SLN came back clear. Within a month of her first surgery a lymph node in the same area became enlarged. Fine needle biopsy and CT scan showed melanoma. Lymph node disection (right neck) showed all other lymph nodes clear (26 taken in total). Her choices were wait and see or 3 courses of biochemotherapy. We chose to go aggressive early and treat the melanoma systemically so she did the biochemotherapy. Really difficult treatment but we are so thankful it was offerred to her. She has been NED since January 31, 2013 (date of last surgery) so she is coming up on a year. Unfortunately at stage 2 they don't offer anything as the treatments are pretty expensive and the side effects can be extreme. Also some treatments can't be done again so they save them for when you might really need them. I know that is not very comforting. The majority of people find their primary melanomas and recurrances so being diligent with skin checks is essential. Maybe you can push for a PET scan for peace of mind since your melanoma was deep which definitely increases risk of metastasis.
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- November 15, 2013 at 12:11 am
My daughter (24) was originally stage 2b with 3.5 mm depth and nodular type melanoma. Wide excision and SLN came back clear. Within a month of her first surgery a lymph node in the same area became enlarged. Fine needle biopsy and CT scan showed melanoma. Lymph node disection (right neck) showed all other lymph nodes clear (26 taken in total). Her choices were wait and see or 3 courses of biochemotherapy. We chose to go aggressive early and treat the melanoma systemically so she did the biochemotherapy. Really difficult treatment but we are so thankful it was offerred to her. She has been NED since January 31, 2013 (date of last surgery) so she is coming up on a year. Unfortunately at stage 2 they don't offer anything as the treatments are pretty expensive and the side effects can be extreme. Also some treatments can't be done again so they save them for when you might really need them. I know that is not very comforting. The majority of people find their primary melanomas and recurrances so being diligent with skin checks is essential. Maybe you can push for a PET scan for peace of mind since your melanoma was deep which definitely increases risk of metastasis.
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- November 15, 2013 at 2:41 pm
Wait and see is a hard one. I was diagnosed stage 2 in 2010 on the back of my head. My doctors were very agressive and suggested radiation and interferon. I did not like the wait and see so I did both and have been NED for 3 years this past October. After all that I'm still wait and watch but I feel like I diid everything that was available. I see my dermatologist every four months and oncologist every 6 months. Insurance won't allow pet scans so I have been getting ct scans. The people on thsi board are a great inspiration for and wheter they new it or not help me get through a very tough time and continue to help. Thanks to evyone that contributes to this board. You have come to a great place.
Scot
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- November 15, 2013 at 2:41 pm
Wait and see is a hard one. I was diagnosed stage 2 in 2010 on the back of my head. My doctors were very agressive and suggested radiation and interferon. I did not like the wait and see so I did both and have been NED for 3 years this past October. After all that I'm still wait and watch but I feel like I diid everything that was available. I see my dermatologist every four months and oncologist every 6 months. Insurance won't allow pet scans so I have been getting ct scans. The people on thsi board are a great inspiration for and wheter they new it or not help me get through a very tough time and continue to help. Thanks to evyone that contributes to this board. You have come to a great place.
Scot
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- November 15, 2013 at 2:41 pm
Wait and see is a hard one. I was diagnosed stage 2 in 2010 on the back of my head. My doctors were very agressive and suggested radiation and interferon. I did not like the wait and see so I did both and have been NED for 3 years this past October. After all that I'm still wait and watch but I feel like I diid everything that was available. I see my dermatologist every four months and oncologist every 6 months. Insurance won't allow pet scans so I have been getting ct scans. The people on thsi board are a great inspiration for and wheter they new it or not help me get through a very tough time and continue to help. Thanks to evyone that contributes to this board. You have come to a great place.
Scot
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- November 15, 2013 at 12:11 am
My daughter (24) was originally stage 2b with 3.5 mm depth and nodular type melanoma. Wide excision and SLN came back clear. Within a month of her first surgery a lymph node in the same area became enlarged. Fine needle biopsy and CT scan showed melanoma. Lymph node disection (right neck) showed all other lymph nodes clear (26 taken in total). Her choices were wait and see or 3 courses of biochemotherapy. We chose to go aggressive early and treat the melanoma systemically so she did the biochemotherapy. Really difficult treatment but we are so thankful it was offerred to her. She has been NED since January 31, 2013 (date of last surgery) so she is coming up on a year. Unfortunately at stage 2 they don't offer anything as the treatments are pretty expensive and the side effects can be extreme. Also some treatments can't be done again so they save them for when you might really need them. I know that is not very comforting. The majority of people find their primary melanomas and recurrances so being diligent with skin checks is essential. Maybe you can push for a PET scan for peace of mind since your melanoma was deep which definitely increases risk of metastasis.
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- November 16, 2013 at 2:44 am
Beth,
I am stage 3a, almost the same place as you. I have been NED (no evidence of disease) since March 2013. I chose Wait and Watch. One of the earlier posters was correct, most stage 2 and 3's do tend to drift off after a while to go on and live their lives. I try to stay active to let people like you know there is hope.
Staying educated is a good way to stay in control. Good luck,
Mary.
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- November 16, 2013 at 2:44 am
Beth,
I am stage 3a, almost the same place as you. I have been NED (no evidence of disease) since March 2013. I chose Wait and Watch. One of the earlier posters was correct, most stage 2 and 3's do tend to drift off after a while to go on and live their lives. I try to stay active to let people like you know there is hope.
Staying educated is a good way to stay in control. Good luck,
Mary.
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- November 16, 2013 at 2:44 am
Beth,
I am stage 3a, almost the same place as you. I have been NED (no evidence of disease) since March 2013. I chose Wait and Watch. One of the earlier posters was correct, most stage 2 and 3's do tend to drift off after a while to go on and live their lives. I try to stay active to let people like you know there is hope.
Staying educated is a good way to stay in control. Good luck,
Mary.
Tagged: cutaneous melanoma
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