Jydnew

My husband was dx at age 26 as well, back in January 2002. Primary melanoma on his upper right arm, microscopic spread to the sentinel axillary lymph nodes. He was dx at 3a, which at the time conferred a 50% survival rate, but we now know was more like 80%. At the time, interferon was the only option other than surgery. He declined it, so surgery with a wide excision and to remove all his axillary lymph nodes was the only measures he took. He turns 48 next week. I was very active on these boards back then, and saw many people with similar dx go through recurrences, but many also go back to their lives with longterm NED. I don’t know what the proper course of action is, given all the medical advances over the past 2 decades, but I wanted to give you a hopeful experience at what I remember as a devastating and confusing time.

That is fantastic!  I hope you don't mind if I piggy-back on your good news…I come on here once a year or so, when I get a little reminder in my head of the fear of going through my husband's melanoma diagnosis, to see what's new in the field as far as treatments go, and when I saw your post right up at the top, I felt compelled to add his story to yours to hopefully keep others' hope up.

My husband is now 14 years NED after a stage 3A diagnosis in January 2002.  His treatment consisted of 2 surgeries – first was to remove the melanoma, and sentinal lymph nodes, and second was a complete lymph node removal after micrometastasis was found in the nodes.  He was 26 at the time of diagnosis – it was just a week after our honeymoon…  It was an incredibly fearful time for years, but we moved ahead and built our little family and keep hoping for continued health for all of us, and all of you who are enduring this terrible diagnosis.

That is fantastic!  I hope you don't mind if I piggy-back on your good news…I come on here once a year or so, when I get a little reminder in my head of the fear of going through my husband's melanoma diagnosis, to see what's new in the field as far as treatments go, and when I saw your post right up at the top, I felt compelled to add his story to yours to hopefully keep others' hope up.

My husband is now 14 years NED after a stage 3A diagnosis in January 2002.  His treatment consisted of 2 surgeries – first was to remove the melanoma, and sentinal lymph nodes, and second was a complete lymph node removal after micrometastasis was found in the nodes.  He was 26 at the time of diagnosis – it was just a week after our honeymoon…  It was an incredibly fearful time for years, but we moved ahead and built our little family and keep hoping for continued health for all of us, and all of you who are enduring this terrible diagnosis.

That is fantastic!  I hope you don't mind if I piggy-back on your good news…I come on here once a year or so, when I get a little reminder in my head of the fear of going through my husband's melanoma diagnosis, to see what's new in the field as far as treatments go, and when I saw your post right up at the top, I felt compelled to add his story to yours to hopefully keep others' hope up.

My husband is now 14 years NED after a stage 3A diagnosis in January 2002.  His treatment consisted of 2 surgeries – first was to remove the melanoma, and sentinal lymph nodes, and second was a complete lymph node removal after micrometastasis was found in the nodes.  He was 26 at the time of diagnosis – it was just a week after our honeymoon…  It was an incredibly fearful time for years, but we moved ahead and built our little family and keep hoping for continued health for all of us, and all of you who are enduring this terrible diagnosis.

I rarely come to the forum – maybe once or twice a year, but your post right at the top caught my attention.  My husband was dx stage 3a in 2002 and at the time, options were limited to observation (which was PET every 3 months for the first 2 years, every 6 months until year 5 and then every year after) or interferon.  Again, at the time, the doctors said interferon might give a small delay in recurrance, but they certainly didn't talk it up.  He chose observation and has remained cancer free.  He stopped getting scans at year 11 (they had switched to CT at year 6 or so – new oncologist, new plan).

He felt strongly that the surgery removed the cancer.  I don't know what else is out there for stage 3. 

Best of luck to you in making your decision.

I rarely come to the forum – maybe once or twice a year, but your post right at the top caught my attention.  My husband was dx stage 3a in 2002 and at the time, options were limited to observation (which was PET every 3 months for the first 2 years, every 6 months until year 5 and then every year after) or interferon.  Again, at the time, the doctors said interferon might give a small delay in recurrance, but they certainly didn't talk it up.  He chose observation and has remained cancer free.  He stopped getting scans at year 11 (they had switched to CT at year 6 or so – new oncologist, new plan).

He felt strongly that the surgery removed the cancer.  I don't know what else is out there for stage 3. 

Best of luck to you in making your decision.

I rarely come to the forum – maybe once or twice a year, but your post right at the top caught my attention.  My husband was dx stage 3a in 2002 and at the time, options were limited to observation (which was PET every 3 months for the first 2 years, every 6 months until year 5 and then every year after) or interferon.  Again, at the time, the doctors said interferon might give a small delay in recurrance, but they certainly didn't talk it up.  He chose observation and has remained cancer free.  He stopped getting scans at year 11 (they had switched to CT at year 6 or so – new oncologist, new plan).

He felt strongly that the surgery removed the cancer.  I don't know what else is out there for stage 3. 

Best of luck to you in making your decision.

I'm so glad to read this!  My husband is coming in on 13 years NED after stage 3a dx.  It's still in the back of our minds, and we still practice sun-safety for both ourselves and our 2 girls who have been born since his diagnosis.  This is the first year my husband won't see an oncologist – they parted ways over the winter.  We're still watchful, but a once a year visit with bloodwork wasn't really going to catch a recurrence anyway.

I continue to hope for a cure, as I look at my one daughter who shares my husband's coloring and propensity for moles, and my other daughter who inherited her red hair, blue eyes and pale skin from me…. I hope they never confront melanoma in their lives.

I'm so glad to read this!  My husband is coming in on 13 years NED after stage 3a dx.  It's still in the back of our minds, and we still practice sun-safety for both ourselves and our 2 girls who have been born since his diagnosis.  This is the first year my husband won't see an oncologist – they parted ways over the winter.  We're still watchful, but a once a year visit with bloodwork wasn't really going to catch a recurrence anyway.

I continue to hope for a cure, as I look at my one daughter who shares my husband's coloring and propensity for moles, and my other daughter who inherited her red hair, blue eyes and pale skin from me…. I hope they never confront melanoma in their lives.

I'm so glad to read this!  My husband is coming in on 13 years NED after stage 3a dx.  It's still in the back of our minds, and we still practice sun-safety for both ourselves and our 2 girls who have been born since his diagnosis.  This is the first year my husband won't see an oncologist – they parted ways over the winter.  We're still watchful, but a once a year visit with bloodwork wasn't really going to catch a recurrence anyway.

I continue to hope for a cure, as I look at my one daughter who shares my husband's coloring and propensity for moles, and my other daughter who inherited her red hair, blue eyes and pale skin from me…. I hope they never confront melanoma in their lives.

Hi,

I don't know what a sub-micrometastasis means, but I think I have a similar case for you.  My husband was dx 12.5 years ago with stage 3a, at age 26.  Originally, we got the call that his lymph nodes were clear.  They did some more staining on them and found micromets in 1 lymph node.  I remember the path report said something like "loose collection of cells" in one part of that lymph node, and in another it said "not more than 10 cells."  So, apparently, a very small amount of the cancer had spread.

He has been NED since, with observation only.  He was scanned 4x a year for the first 2 years, and then 2x a year for the next 3 years, and then 1x a year until 11 years out from the dx, and now he is not scanned at all, which scares the crap out of me, but so be it.  His doctor said that at this point, the damage from the scans is greater than the chance of recurrance.  He gets yearly bloodwork, sees the oncologist once a year and the dermatologist twice a year.

Take care…

Hi,

I don't know what a sub-micrometastasis means, but I think I have a similar case for you.  My husband was dx 12.5 years ago with stage 3a, at age 26.  Originally, we got the call that his lymph nodes were clear.  They did some more staining on them and found micromets in 1 lymph node.  I remember the path report said something like "loose collection of cells" in one part of that lymph node, and in another it said "not more than 10 cells."  So, apparently, a very small amount of the cancer had spread.

He has been NED since, with observation only.  He was scanned 4x a year for the first 2 years, and then 2x a year for the next 3 years, and then 1x a year until 11 years out from the dx, and now he is not scanned at all, which scares the crap out of me, but so be it.  His doctor said that at this point, the damage from the scans is greater than the chance of recurrance.  He gets yearly bloodwork, sees the oncologist once a year and the dermatologist twice a year.

Take care…

Hi,

I don't know what a sub-micrometastasis means, but I think I have a similar case for you.  My husband was dx 12.5 years ago with stage 3a, at age 26.  Originally, we got the call that his lymph nodes were clear.  They did some more staining on them and found micromets in 1 lymph node.  I remember the path report said something like "loose collection of cells" in one part of that lymph node, and in another it said "not more than 10 cells."  So, apparently, a very small amount of the cancer had spread.

He has been NED since, with observation only.  He was scanned 4x a year for the first 2 years, and then 2x a year for the next 3 years, and then 1x a year until 11 years out from the dx, and now he is not scanned at all, which scares the crap out of me, but so be it.  His doctor said that at this point, the damage from the scans is greater than the chance of recurrance.  He gets yearly bloodwork, sees the oncologist once a year and the dermatologist twice a year.

Take care…

Congratulations on your continued NED-ness!!! 🙂

I'm going to piggy back on your post here and add the good news that my husband is approaching 12 years NED after stage iii.  Out of the blue, I thought to come here today and see what was going on, saw your post and realized how much I appreciated posts like this in the early days after my husband's diagnosis, and wanted to add his own NED success to boost other's morale.

Congratulations on your continued NED-ness!!! 🙂

I'm going to piggy back on your post here and add the good news that my husband is approaching 12 years NED after stage iii.  Out of the blue, I thought to come here today and see what was going on, saw your post and realized how much I appreciated posts like this in the early days after my husband's diagnosis, and wanted to add his own NED success to boost other's morale.