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dwilcox
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dwilcox

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      • November 15, 2018 at 2:56 pm
      dwilcox
      Participant

        It appears there is a lot of debate and gray area when diagnosing a mole as severe or Melanoma in situ. Biopsy results can differ worrying patients and there isn't one clear standard shared by everyone. Also, there is a lot of debate on whether or not in situ is cancer or pre-cancerous cells. There's a lot of debate about whether or not it will come back in a different area or will never come back. At least this has been my experience and what I have found through research. It makes it very confusing for the patient.

        • November 15, 2018 at 2:49 pm
        dwilcox
        Participant

          It appears there is a lot of debate and gray area when dianosing a mole as severe or Melanoma in situ. Biopsy results can differ worrying patients and there isn't one clear standard shared by everyone. Also, there is a lot of debate on whether or not in situ is cancer or pre-canerous cells. There's a lot of debate about whether or not it will come back in a different area or will never come back. At least this has been my experience and what I have found through research. It makes it very confusing for the patient.

          • November 8, 2018 at 9:05 pm
          dwilcox
          Participant

            Thank you very much! I was curious if the lesion had Breslow thickness or depth of invasion. The nurse claims when they excised it, it did not. This was the only thing I was hung up on…if I still need some kind of lymph node biopsy. She said the initial shave biopsy slides showed "Superficial Melanoma."

            • November 8, 2018 at 2:28 pm
            dwilcox
            Participant

              I need some clarification. I had a mole shave (not punched) biopsy from my back by a dermatologist in September 2018 and her pathologist diagnosed it as a "Severe abnormal mole." I decided to go to a second dermatologist where I had it completely excised and received clear margins. Nothing alarming came back on the pathology report after the second dermatologist excised it, they just told me it was gone. The second dermatologist then had their pathologist (who only looks at skin apparently) review the initial slides of the shave biopsy and he diagnosed it as "Melanoma in situ." I'm not sure who/what to believe. It sounds like a difference of opinions with the pathologists. It doesn't change the outcome…it was completely excised, regardless, and I need to watch myself closely and do 6 month follow ups. Right? I’m just confused as to why one pathologist would call it severe abnormal mole and one would call it melanoma in situ. Is there a difference?

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