› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Just got the news…not good.
- This topic has 9 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 9 years, 11 months ago by
Sukibear.
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- April 2, 2016 at 6:16 am
Hi, everyone. I'm new and just received news that my biopsy revealed that my mole was, in fact melanoma – stage 2. It's on the back of my left arm. It was a newer mole…maybe 8 years ago I noticed it. But, in December I woke up with it itching and swollen. (And the parameters were lighter brown and spreader out beyond the black raised mole, but not the size of a pencil eraser )The itching was maddening! …even waking me up. Because it was a mole, I was afraid to scratch it. So, I left it alone. It took me till two weeks ago (3months) to be seen by the dermatologist from my referring doc. They did a biopsy..but I saw three dark dots left behind in the hole. I tried to stay optimistic, thinking that it was just part of a normal mole left behind. I was wrong.
I got the news today and they want me in for the excision on Monday. I'm glad it's fast– I want this thing out of me! I have a couple of questions..If they cut into the cancer during the biopsy, can those cells travel into my bloodstream? (They left a portion of the nevus behind) And what happens next? After surgery…what is my followup? What is the prognosis?
Thanks to you all for your help, advice, stories, etc. I'm just in a daze I think right now. I me very thought it would happen to me…
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- April 2, 2016 at 6:26 am
One of the commonost errors doctors make is to say you are stage whatever when often they are refering to the Clark's level.
If indeed you are a stage 2, don't do anything further until a sentinal node biopsy is done FIRST! At the same time but after the sentinal node removal, they can do the wide excision. If you are a Clark level II you probably caught it early and are actually a stage I.
Get a copy of your pathology report and post it here. We can better determine what you need to have done next.
I trusted my dermatologist who failed me. I really really was a stage II with a tumor depth of 2.06 mm and Clark leve IV, more than past the threshold of doing a SNB, yet it was never mentioned. Did we really test my SNB AFTER the fact? One will never know.
In my case the idiot didn't take enough out for a proper wide excision so we attempted the SNB anyway which was negative.
8 years later I did progress to stage IV straight from stage 2A, but that is another story all together.
The WTF, OMG, deer in the headlight stage is normal and really will get better with time. In the meantime take someone with you to your appointments since you will probably only remember half of what is said. Or at least record it so you can go over your visit.
Best of luck,
KK
BTW – I have been cancer free from stage IV for almost 6 years now and treatments have come a long way in that short period of time. Don't read old statistics as we here are setting the new survival curves which should be improved by a good bit.
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- April 2, 2016 at 6:26 am
One of the commonost errors doctors make is to say you are stage whatever when often they are refering to the Clark's level.
If indeed you are a stage 2, don't do anything further until a sentinal node biopsy is done FIRST! At the same time but after the sentinal node removal, they can do the wide excision. If you are a Clark level II you probably caught it early and are actually a stage I.
Get a copy of your pathology report and post it here. We can better determine what you need to have done next.
I trusted my dermatologist who failed me. I really really was a stage II with a tumor depth of 2.06 mm and Clark leve IV, more than past the threshold of doing a SNB, yet it was never mentioned. Did we really test my SNB AFTER the fact? One will never know.
In my case the idiot didn't take enough out for a proper wide excision so we attempted the SNB anyway which was negative.
8 years later I did progress to stage IV straight from stage 2A, but that is another story all together.
The WTF, OMG, deer in the headlight stage is normal and really will get better with time. In the meantime take someone with you to your appointments since you will probably only remember half of what is said. Or at least record it so you can go over your visit.
Best of luck,
KK
BTW – I have been cancer free from stage IV for almost 6 years now and treatments have come a long way in that short period of time. Don't read old statistics as we here are setting the new survival curves which should be improved by a good bit.
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- April 2, 2016 at 6:26 am
One of the commonost errors doctors make is to say you are stage whatever when often they are refering to the Clark's level.
If indeed you are a stage 2, don't do anything further until a sentinal node biopsy is done FIRST! At the same time but after the sentinal node removal, they can do the wide excision. If you are a Clark level II you probably caught it early and are actually a stage I.
Get a copy of your pathology report and post it here. We can better determine what you need to have done next.
I trusted my dermatologist who failed me. I really really was a stage II with a tumor depth of 2.06 mm and Clark leve IV, more than past the threshold of doing a SNB, yet it was never mentioned. Did we really test my SNB AFTER the fact? One will never know.
In my case the idiot didn't take enough out for a proper wide excision so we attempted the SNB anyway which was negative.
8 years later I did progress to stage IV straight from stage 2A, but that is another story all together.
The WTF, OMG, deer in the headlight stage is normal and really will get better with time. In the meantime take someone with you to your appointments since you will probably only remember half of what is said. Or at least record it so you can go over your visit.
Best of luck,
KK
BTW – I have been cancer free from stage IV for almost 6 years now and treatments have come a long way in that short period of time. Don't read old statistics as we here are setting the new survival curves which should be improved by a good bit.
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- April 2, 2016 at 3:37 pm
As Kim said, Clark's Level 2 and stage 2 are often confused in the newly diagnosed but mean two entirely different things. If this is a Clark's Level 2, have the excision on Monday. Clark's level 2 lesions are stage 1, in general. If this is truly Stage 2, do NOT have the excision on Monday. Stage 2 requires a sentinel node biopsy and that HAS to be done before the wide excision. You want to see a surgical oncologist if this is stage 2, not a derm. This IS IMPORTANT! Your pathology report would have this info. Having the excision first will compromise results of the sentinel node biopsy and leave true staging in limbo. We can't comment on treatment or follow up without knowing the exact details (path report) of your lesion. Hurrying to get this removed without understanding the true consequences is not in your best interest. The surgery can wait but you can't recover lost staging info if you proceed and this is truly stage 2.
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- April 2, 2016 at 3:37 pm
As Kim said, Clark's Level 2 and stage 2 are often confused in the newly diagnosed but mean two entirely different things. If this is a Clark's Level 2, have the excision on Monday. Clark's level 2 lesions are stage 1, in general. If this is truly Stage 2, do NOT have the excision on Monday. Stage 2 requires a sentinel node biopsy and that HAS to be done before the wide excision. You want to see a surgical oncologist if this is stage 2, not a derm. This IS IMPORTANT! Your pathology report would have this info. Having the excision first will compromise results of the sentinel node biopsy and leave true staging in limbo. We can't comment on treatment or follow up without knowing the exact details (path report) of your lesion. Hurrying to get this removed without understanding the true consequences is not in your best interest. The surgery can wait but you can't recover lost staging info if you proceed and this is truly stage 2.
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- April 13, 2016 at 9:34 pm
You both were right! (To little info was shared with the results of the biopsy and doc’s rush to get the excision) It was not deep enough to warrant a sentinel node biopsy! I had the excision and another mole biopsy. I look like a shark took a bite out of the back of my arm, but it’s healing. (Stitches out later this month) I figure is a battle scar that might serve as a warning to others to beware of the harmful rays of the sun and to keep an eye on your skin. Thank you both for your replies! (I will be getting a copy of the pathology report Friday) Congratulations on your recovery from stage IV! Valiant!
Sukibear -
- April 13, 2016 at 9:34 pm
You both were right! (To little info was shared with the results of the biopsy and doc’s rush to get the excision) It was not deep enough to warrant a sentinel node biopsy! I had the excision and another mole biopsy. I look like a shark took a bite out of the back of my arm, but it’s healing. (Stitches out later this month) I figure is a battle scar that might serve as a warning to others to beware of the harmful rays of the sun and to keep an eye on your skin. Thank you both for your replies! (I will be getting a copy of the pathology report Friday) Congratulations on your recovery from stage IV! Valiant!
Sukibear -
- April 13, 2016 at 9:34 pm
You both were right! (To little info was shared with the results of the biopsy and doc’s rush to get the excision) It was not deep enough to warrant a sentinel node biopsy! I had the excision and another mole biopsy. I look like a shark took a bite out of the back of my arm, but it’s healing. (Stitches out later this month) I figure is a battle scar that might serve as a warning to others to beware of the harmful rays of the sun and to keep an eye on your skin. Thank you both for your replies! (I will be getting a copy of the pathology report Friday) Congratulations on your recovery from stage IV! Valiant!
Sukibear
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- April 2, 2016 at 3:37 pm
As Kim said, Clark's Level 2 and stage 2 are often confused in the newly diagnosed but mean two entirely different things. If this is a Clark's Level 2, have the excision on Monday. Clark's level 2 lesions are stage 1, in general. If this is truly Stage 2, do NOT have the excision on Monday. Stage 2 requires a sentinel node biopsy and that HAS to be done before the wide excision. You want to see a surgical oncologist if this is stage 2, not a derm. This IS IMPORTANT! Your pathology report would have this info. Having the excision first will compromise results of the sentinel node biopsy and leave true staging in limbo. We can't comment on treatment or follow up without knowing the exact details (path report) of your lesion. Hurrying to get this removed without understanding the true consequences is not in your best interest. The surgery can wait but you can't recover lost staging info if you proceed and this is truly stage 2.
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Tagged: cutaneous melanoma
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