what does melanoma cells mean on biopsy?

First of all, let me say I'm so sorry of your fathers recent passing and now your brother's diagnosis. Since the path confirmed melanoma cells, it sounds like they've found melanoma during the biopsy and now need another procedure to cut the remaining melanoma out as well as surrounding tissue to get to clear margins. Hang in there – even if it's melanoma, he could very well be in the beginning stages and have a great prognosis. Until you know the stage and what you're dealing with, it's hard to know the diagnosis.

You're in good hands with this site and the people on it.  You'll find many people with tons of experience and education about this beast they call melanoma.

Wishing you nothing much to worry about.

Lisa

First of all, let me say I'm so sorry of your fathers recent passing and now your brother's diagnosis. Since the path confirmed melanoma cells, it sounds like they've found melanoma during the biopsy and now need another procedure to cut the remaining melanoma out as well as surrounding tissue to get to clear margins. Hang in there – even if it's melanoma, he could very well be in the beginning stages and have a great prognosis. Until you know the stage and what you're dealing with, it's hard to know the diagnosis.

You're in good hands with this site and the people on it.  You'll find many people with tons of experience and education about this beast they call melanoma.

Wishing you nothing much to worry about.

Lisa

Did the path report say melanoma cells or did it use another term that sounded like that?  There is a similar term that does not mean melanoma.  Please make sure you have the correct terminology.

Did the path report say melanoma cells or did it use another term that sounded like that?  There is a similar term that does not mean melanoma.  Please make sure you have the correct terminology.

I'm sorry about your Dad. You've both got a family history so I hope you, like your brother, are keeping a check on yourself. I do want to caution you on blowing this up all out of proportion until you know more. If the path came back melanoma cells and you're sure that's what it said, and could be since dr is doing follow-up procedure, hopefully it's caught early. That's important. Equally important is for you not to decide he's sick as a dog and scare you both to pieces.

The waiting game is hard, but you really don't know enough to do anything more right now.

That said, by all means, if your brother's OK with you going with him then do. It's a good idea for him to take someone on all appts and that the person go everywhere he goes and hear everything he hears.

One piece of advice that he'll love you for, if this is melanoma, I don't care what they say about "getting it all" etc, you make sure he takes his records and goes to a melanoma specialist, and that includes a dermatologist that's a melanoma specialsit as well as onc and surgical onc.  That's crucial.

Frankly, if you're positive that the path said melanoma and he needs another procedure, I'd get to a specialist for that now. That way you'll know that the right amount of tissue is removed, etc and he won't be put through more than he needs to be. Melanoma needs to be taken care of by specialists beginning as soon as possible.

All the best to you both.

Grace and peace,

Carol stage 3b

I'm sorry about your Dad. You've both got a family history so I hope you, like your brother, are keeping a check on yourself. I do want to caution you on blowing this up all out of proportion until you know more. If the path came back melanoma cells and you're sure that's what it said, and could be since dr is doing follow-up procedure, hopefully it's caught early. That's important. Equally important is for you not to decide he's sick as a dog and scare you both to pieces.

The waiting game is hard, but you really don't know enough to do anything more right now.

That said, by all means, if your brother's OK with you going with him then do. It's a good idea for him to take someone on all appts and that the person go everywhere he goes and hear everything he hears.

One piece of advice that he'll love you for, if this is melanoma, I don't care what they say about "getting it all" etc, you make sure he takes his records and goes to a melanoma specialist, and that includes a dermatologist that's a melanoma specialsit as well as onc and surgical onc.  That's crucial.

Frankly, if you're positive that the path said melanoma and he needs another procedure, I'd get to a specialist for that now. That way you'll know that the right amount of tissue is removed, etc and he won't be put through more than he needs to be. Melanoma needs to be taken care of by specialists beginning as soon as possible.

All the best to you both.

Grace and peace,

Carol stage 3b

If you can get your brother to request the pathology report on the biopsy, that would be as good as going to the next appointment.  Then you KNOW what you are dealing with.  If you posted the report here, we could also help interpret it for you.  But without more concrete information, we can only generalize.

Best wishes,

Janner

If you can get your brother to request the pathology report on the biopsy, that would be as good as going to the next appointment.  Then you KNOW what you are dealing with.  If you posted the report here, we could also help interpret it for you.  But without more concrete information, we can only generalize.

Best wishes,

Janner