ksmith27

Apologies if I'm a little late to this thread. I would definitely have the WLE and then press hard to establish a regular, ongoing relationship with a dermatologist. Preferably you want one who is properly equipped to do excisions in the office, and who will take the time to explain all the data in your pathology report. This makes a huge difference in your outlook and interpretation of your diagnosis.

Like you, I was just diagnosed IA (Breslow .54mm, Clark II, no mitosis, clear margins, no ulceration) and will be getting a WLE as pro forma. These lesions are considered, in the words of my derm, "very early, very thin, very low risk." She really went out of her way to explain every detail, what she thought was most important (mitotic activity per square mm – that's how fast cells are reproducing) and what she thought was less (Clark level). 

The most important thing for you is to take ownership of your treatment. Any diagnosis of early melanoma should be taken seriously — not to the point of panic, but certainly more than "don't worry about it." You'll want to do regular checkups, at least every 6 months (and perhaps every three for the first year) with a derm you trust and knows your history. That way, any little speck that even hints at recurrence will be swiftly handled.

And with all respect — your friends are misinformed. This is a great opportunity to educate them on the essentials of regular body screenings. The diagnosis for you and me is unsettling, but we should be thankful that we've caught it at such an early stage.

Hope this helps.

Apologies if I'm a little late to this thread. I would definitely have the WLE and then press hard to establish a regular, ongoing relationship with a dermatologist. Preferably you want one who is properly equipped to do excisions in the office, and who will take the time to explain all the data in your pathology report. This makes a huge difference in your outlook and interpretation of your diagnosis.

Like you, I was just diagnosed IA (Breslow .54mm, Clark II, no mitosis, clear margins, no ulceration) and will be getting a WLE as pro forma. These lesions are considered, in the words of my derm, "very early, very thin, very low risk." She really went out of her way to explain every detail, what she thought was most important (mitotic activity per square mm – that's how fast cells are reproducing) and what she thought was less (Clark level). 

The most important thing for you is to take ownership of your treatment. Any diagnosis of early melanoma should be taken seriously — not to the point of panic, but certainly more than "don't worry about it." You'll want to do regular checkups, at least every 6 months (and perhaps every three for the first year) with a derm you trust and knows your history. That way, any little speck that even hints at recurrence will be swiftly handled.

And with all respect — your friends are misinformed. This is a great opportunity to educate them on the essentials of regular body screenings. The diagnosis for you and me is unsettling, but we should be thankful that we've caught it at such an early stage.

Hope this helps.

Apologies if I'm a little late to this thread. I would definitely have the WLE and then press hard to establish a regular, ongoing relationship with a dermatologist. Preferably you want one who is properly equipped to do excisions in the office, and who will take the time to explain all the data in your pathology report. This makes a huge difference in your outlook and interpretation of your diagnosis.

Like you, I was just diagnosed IA (Breslow .54mm, Clark II, no mitosis, clear margins, no ulceration) and will be getting a WLE as pro forma. These lesions are considered, in the words of my derm, "very early, very thin, very low risk." She really went out of her way to explain every detail, what she thought was most important (mitotic activity per square mm – that's how fast cells are reproducing) and what she thought was less (Clark level). 

The most important thing for you is to take ownership of your treatment. Any diagnosis of early melanoma should be taken seriously — not to the point of panic, but certainly more than "don't worry about it." You'll want to do regular checkups, at least every 6 months (and perhaps every three for the first year) with a derm you trust and knows your history. That way, any little speck that even hints at recurrence will be swiftly handled.

And with all respect — your friends are misinformed. This is a great opportunity to educate them on the essentials of regular body screenings. The diagnosis for you and me is unsettling, but we should be thankful that we've caught it at such an early stage.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for this. Was just diagnosed with my first, a 1A Clarke II (Breslow .54mm) with 0 mitoses, so the prognosis is very encouraging. (Probably wil not even need an SNB). However, it's always a shock when the news is received, no matter how cheerful the outlook. I really appreciate folks like you who share their stories.

Thanks for this. Was just diagnosed with my first, a 1A Clarke II (Breslow .54mm) with 0 mitoses, so the prognosis is very encouraging. (Probably wil not even need an SNB). However, it's always a shock when the news is received, no matter how cheerful the outlook. I really appreciate folks like you who share their stories.

Thanks for this. Was just diagnosed with my first, a 1A Clarke II (Breslow .54mm) with 0 mitoses, so the prognosis is very encouraging. (Probably wil not even need an SNB). However, it's always a shock when the news is received, no matter how cheerful the outlook. I really appreciate folks like you who share their stories.