› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Newly diagnosed and scared
- This topic has 18 replies, 2 voices, and was last updated 9 years, 1 month ago by
jennunicorn.
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- February 8, 2017 at 2:30 am
My doctor did a shave biopsy of the top of my right ear and it turned out to be melanoma. She referred me to a dermatologist in Philadelphia to have it removed (I go Monday) and she sent me for blood work and a chest X-ray. She didn't talk at all about seeing an oncologist, and I was so shocked by the diagnosis that I didn't question her. I'm waiting until morning to call the office and ask some questions. In the meantime, maybe someone here can help me out. The pathology says the Breslow is at least 1.1, there are 4 mitosis/mm2, it has nevoid features, and is at least a T2A. I'm completely freaked out, and the more I google things the more upset I get.
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- February 8, 2017 at 4:09 am
With a depth of 1.1 you would need a sentinel lymph node biopsy, not just a wide local excision which is the surgery to remove more skin and tissue around the biopsy site. You need to have the SLNB done at the same time as the WLE and would be performed before the WLE. Once a WLE is done, you can't go back and do a SLNB.. so make sure you're going to see a surgeon and get all info about what is scheduled to happen. These initial days of first hearing the word melanoma and then having appointments and surgeries thrown at you can get really scary and confusing. Make sure you bring someone with you to appointments so you have multiple ears in on the conversations to help remember things. I got a phone call from the dermatologist when my biopsy results were back and after hearing the word melanoma I had no clue what she said after and didn't know what to ask. So, it's good you're going to call in the morning and ask questions, I did the exact same thing.
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- February 8, 2017 at 4:11 am
Oh, and another huge piece of advice, STAY OFF GOOGLE! Well, melanoma related Google searches anyway. It's not going to give you any good information, it will only confuse and scare you more, and has outdated survival statistics. I was advised to stay off in the beginning and I am so very glad I did, saved me from much anxiety.
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- February 8, 2017 at 4:11 am
Oh, and another huge piece of advice, STAY OFF GOOGLE! Well, melanoma related Google searches anyway. It's not going to give you any good information, it will only confuse and scare you more, and has outdated survival statistics. I was advised to stay off in the beginning and I am so very glad I did, saved me from much anxiety.
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- February 8, 2017 at 4:11 am
Oh, and another huge piece of advice, STAY OFF GOOGLE! Well, melanoma related Google searches anyway. It's not going to give you any good information, it will only confuse and scare you more, and has outdated survival statistics. I was advised to stay off in the beginning and I am so very glad I did, saved me from much anxiety.
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- February 8, 2017 at 4:09 am
With a depth of 1.1 you would need a sentinel lymph node biopsy, not just a wide local excision which is the surgery to remove more skin and tissue around the biopsy site. You need to have the SLNB done at the same time as the WLE and would be performed before the WLE. Once a WLE is done, you can't go back and do a SLNB.. so make sure you're going to see a surgeon and get all info about what is scheduled to happen. These initial days of first hearing the word melanoma and then having appointments and surgeries thrown at you can get really scary and confusing. Make sure you bring someone with you to appointments so you have multiple ears in on the conversations to help remember things. I got a phone call from the dermatologist when my biopsy results were back and after hearing the word melanoma I had no clue what she said after and didn't know what to ask. So, it's good you're going to call in the morning and ask questions, I did the exact same thing.
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- February 8, 2017 at 4:09 am
With a depth of 1.1 you would need a sentinel lymph node biopsy, not just a wide local excision which is the surgery to remove more skin and tissue around the biopsy site. You need to have the SLNB done at the same time as the WLE and would be performed before the WLE. Once a WLE is done, you can't go back and do a SLNB.. so make sure you're going to see a surgeon and get all info about what is scheduled to happen. These initial days of first hearing the word melanoma and then having appointments and surgeries thrown at you can get really scary and confusing. Make sure you bring someone with you to appointments so you have multiple ears in on the conversations to help remember things. I got a phone call from the dermatologist when my biopsy results were back and after hearing the word melanoma I had no clue what she said after and didn't know what to ask. So, it's good you're going to call in the morning and ask questions, I did the exact same thing.
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- February 9, 2017 at 8:57 pm
Update – my blood work and chest X-ray were clear. I go Monday to the surgeon to have the excision done. The surgeon will then advise if my margins are clear or not. I was also told I have to have skin mapping done. I'm trying to stay off google.
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- February 9, 2017 at 9:14 pm
Did you double check if your Breslow depth was 1.1? Because if that is the case the you absolutely need to get a Sentinel lymph node biopsy and you cannot have it done after the excision, it has to be done before that. Just want to make sure you're getting the right care. Glad your xray was clear. Blood work wouldn't show anything anyway, there's no marker for melanoma in blood, but good it looked normal.
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- February 9, 2017 at 11:00 pm
I just got a call from the doctor's office, and they are now sending me to Jefferson Hospital to have the excision and she said mapping (I need to double check but I assume she meant sentinel lymph node biopsy). The path report says the Breslow number is at least 1.1. It extended to the bottom of the biopsy sample. I'm still freaking out, I just want to get to the hospital and get it done.
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- February 9, 2017 at 11:47 pm
I would definitely double check that they have you scheduled for the SLNB during the same surgery as WLE. She may have been referring to the radioactive shot when she said mapping. What happens before the SLNB, usually morning of surgery, is you'll go to nuclear medicine part of the hospital and they inject a radioactive solution around your biopsy site. You hang out and rest for a while, like 45 minutes or so to let it travel, then they use a machine, similar to a CT machine and it will show which lymph nodes are lighting up, that's how they fine the sentinel nodes. They mark you and then during surgery the surgeon has a tool as well to find those same sentinel nodes, sometimes there is only 1, and that's the one(s) they remove to biopsy. Then they move on to your biopsy site and perform the WLE.
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- February 9, 2017 at 11:47 pm
I would definitely double check that they have you scheduled for the SLNB during the same surgery as WLE. She may have been referring to the radioactive shot when she said mapping. What happens before the SLNB, usually morning of surgery, is you'll go to nuclear medicine part of the hospital and they inject a radioactive solution around your biopsy site. You hang out and rest for a while, like 45 minutes or so to let it travel, then they use a machine, similar to a CT machine and it will show which lymph nodes are lighting up, that's how they fine the sentinel nodes. They mark you and then during surgery the surgeon has a tool as well to find those same sentinel nodes, sometimes there is only 1, and that's the one(s) they remove to biopsy. Then they move on to your biopsy site and perform the WLE.
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- February 9, 2017 at 11:47 pm
I would definitely double check that they have you scheduled for the SLNB during the same surgery as WLE. She may have been referring to the radioactive shot when she said mapping. What happens before the SLNB, usually morning of surgery, is you'll go to nuclear medicine part of the hospital and they inject a radioactive solution around your biopsy site. You hang out and rest for a while, like 45 minutes or so to let it travel, then they use a machine, similar to a CT machine and it will show which lymph nodes are lighting up, that's how they fine the sentinel nodes. They mark you and then during surgery the surgeon has a tool as well to find those same sentinel nodes, sometimes there is only 1, and that's the one(s) they remove to biopsy. Then they move on to your biopsy site and perform the WLE.
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- February 9, 2017 at 11:00 pm
I just got a call from the doctor's office, and they are now sending me to Jefferson Hospital to have the excision and she said mapping (I need to double check but I assume she meant sentinel lymph node biopsy). The path report says the Breslow number is at least 1.1. It extended to the bottom of the biopsy sample. I'm still freaking out, I just want to get to the hospital and get it done.
-
- February 9, 2017 at 11:00 pm
I just got a call from the doctor's office, and they are now sending me to Jefferson Hospital to have the excision and she said mapping (I need to double check but I assume she meant sentinel lymph node biopsy). The path report says the Breslow number is at least 1.1. It extended to the bottom of the biopsy sample. I'm still freaking out, I just want to get to the hospital and get it done.
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- February 9, 2017 at 9:14 pm
Did you double check if your Breslow depth was 1.1? Because if that is the case the you absolutely need to get a Sentinel lymph node biopsy and you cannot have it done after the excision, it has to be done before that. Just want to make sure you're getting the right care. Glad your xray was clear. Blood work wouldn't show anything anyway, there's no marker for melanoma in blood, but good it looked normal.
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- February 9, 2017 at 9:14 pm
Did you double check if your Breslow depth was 1.1? Because if that is the case the you absolutely need to get a Sentinel lymph node biopsy and you cannot have it done after the excision, it has to be done before that. Just want to make sure you're getting the right care. Glad your xray was clear. Blood work wouldn't show anything anyway, there's no marker for melanoma in blood, but good it looked normal.
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- February 9, 2017 at 8:57 pm
Update – my blood work and chest X-ray were clear. I go Monday to the surgeon to have the excision done. The surgeon will then advise if my margins are clear or not. I was also told I have to have skin mapping done. I'm trying to stay off google.
-
- February 9, 2017 at 8:57 pm
Update – my blood work and chest X-ray were clear. I go Monday to the surgeon to have the excision done. The surgeon will then advise if my margins are clear or not. I was also told I have to have skin mapping done. I'm trying to stay off google.
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