laurakoco

Hi Dave, I took was diagnosed with 1A too in June. It took about a month for me to feel not terribly messed up about it. We all have our own process; it's a lot to digest. For 1A, there is a good chance it will not spread. As more time passes, we will have more treatment options, more advancements. Without Melanoma, there is not guarantee you'll be here tomorrow. Your insurance company probably estimates there's a 3% chance you'll kick the bucket in the next couple of years unrelated to Melanoma! Try to stay in the present … it gets easier with time.

From my experience here in the US, most doctors would probably not agree to do a SLNB for you. I had 1A and all my Melanoma doctors declined to do it even when I insisted. The chances of complications and a false negative are higher than a true positive. Even with a negative SLNB, the cancer can still spread through the blood. A positive SLNB does not improve prognosis but just improves accuracy of staging. From the research papers I’ve read, the chances of the Melanoma spreading for you is similar to me, probably less than 1-5% based on the growth phase: no ulceration, no mitosis, and very thin. The risk of complications from the surgery is about 5%, and a SLNB has only 97% accuracy. 

I know it’s tough but you may have to just live with the uncertainty. Of course please follow up with your doctors until you feel adequately informed.

One thing my doctor told me was that even without Melanoma, there’s no guarantee I’ll be here in a couple years. According my insurance company they think there’s a 5% chance I’ll kick the bucket unrelated to a Melanoma in the next five years! With or without Melanoma there’s no guarantee any of us will be here tomorrow! So I just try to appreciate every day. It gets easier.

You may be feeling a lymph node under his arm. It may be normal (and you just never noticed it before) or enlarged if he is fighting off a sickness. It could also be Melanoma. No way to know without consulting the doctor! Best of luck!

Given your family history, please get this biopsied/checked by a dermatologist ASAP!

Hi there,

I just had a WLE on my calf about two weeks ago for Melanoma 1A. I normally wear a compression sock up to my knee during the day as the doctor recommended. One day I left the compression sock on overnight and noticed when I took it off, my foot was really cold. I could only warm it up by putting it in a bath of warm water. I think all the compression (which is good for the scar to heal) causes some circulation to be cut off. When the blood returns, your foot might feel cold. Sounds like everything is normal. The deep aches and pains could be related to nerves that were severed. I've had a lot of weird sensations down my leg as it is healing.

-Laura

I think if I had my way I would cut every mole off, but my Melanoma specialist says my moles are ok. They just found a Melanoma 1A a month ago. They told me 20% of Melanomas come from existing moles and 80% from new moles. To have peace of mind I track my moles by taking photos of them on my phone periodically. That’s how I found my primary Melanoma; a mole I had taken a picture of had changed in border and color from six months prior. My dermatologist wouldn’t have noticed it unless I pushed for a biopsy. Remember you know your body best! Now I am seeing my specialist every 3 months so they’ll keep track of any changes too. 

There’s really no way to know without looking at the cells. I’ve had moles that looked scary that were anywhere from totally benign to severely atypical. The mole that really was diagnosed as Melanoma didn’t look alarming to my doctor at all. She only biopsied because I insisted.

Sorry but you must wait for the pathology. The waiting can be grueling. Melanoma is all about waiting … 

-Laura

Melanoma does not grow overnight. I doubt your new nevus is Melanoma. Melanoma takes MONTHS to grow. I was just diagnosed with stage 1 Melanoma and had to wait 3 weeks to get it surgically removed. Waiting up to 4-6 weeks after *diagnosis* for surgery for an early Melanoma is considered fine by the medical community.

Hi there! Really the only way to know what it is is to go to your dermatologist as soon as possible. It’s good you are keeping track of your skin. Best of luck.

There's really no way to know until the test results come back. It is horrible waiting, I know. I am going through the same thing. Hang in there. Watch some reality tv to take your mind off of it : )

Hi there,

I do believe an atypical mole does increase your risk for Melanoma, but I am not a doctor. You should follow-up with your dermatologist with any questions. 

Let me say this: you are NOT guaranteed or doomed to get Melanoma. However, you should still be proactive about monitoring any changes to your skin.

Last year I had a *severely* atypical mole biopsied. My doctor called it pre-cancerous, and I had a lot of skin taken out around it. After that, my dermatologist was straightforward with me and told me that I am now at an increased risk to develop Melanoma because of my severely atypical mole. It was recommended to see the dermatologist every 6-12 months. Because of this, I started tracking my moles on my own with photos. Almost one year later exactly, I have just been diagnosed with Stage 1 Melanoma from a different mole.

Here is my advise to you, which may have saved my life:

Keep track of your moles. This should be easy since you don't have many. Take pictures of all of them every 3-6 months and see if you see a border or color change. This is how I found my Melanoma. To the doctor my Melanoma didn't look like anything out of the ordinary, but I knew because of my photo from 6 months ago that the had border changed. Even the dermatologist wouldn't have spot it. You know your body best, so be your #1 advocate. If you notice any changes get it checked it right away.

FYI, only 20% of Melanoma come from existing moles. If you develop a new mole or freckle keep track of that one. 80% of Melanomas come from new spots/moles.

My point isn't to scare you. You may NEVER develop Melanoma. Just be diligent about any changes to your skin. If caught early, your prognisis is good.

Don't worry too much : )

-Laura