My son was dxd in Jan of 2005 stage 3 melanoma, age 21 . Started on top of his head. Lymph glands were involved in right side of neck. He had modified radical neck disection, then a couple of months of GMCFS, another MRND, radiation to head and neck, 1 month high dose interferon, then 11 months of low dose interferon. He has been NED since 2006. Today as he turned his head I noticed a small lump on his jaw line, same side as melanoma in lymph glands. Are there lymph glands along the jaw bone? He just last week saw his derm, & has been to the dentist within last 3 months and has x-rays on his teeth. How long should he watch and wait? Then where does he go to have it checked, oral sugeon, surgeon who did his neck disection, ENT, oncologist, dermatologist? I am more then a little concerned!
Yes, there are lymph nodes along the jaw bone-many of them. I don't want to scare you, but always have a healthy respect for melanoma-get it checked out ASAP (or sooner) by whoever you trust and can get into soonest (ENT, oncologist, surgeon). Best wishes.
Yes, there are lymph nodes along the jaw bone-many of them. I don't want to scare you, but always have a healthy respect for melanoma-get it checked out ASAP (or sooner) by whoever you trust and can get into soonest (ENT, oncologist, surgeon). Best wishes.
Yes, there are lymph nodes along the jaw bone-many of them. I don't want to scare you, but always have a healthy respect for melanoma-get it checked out ASAP (or sooner) by whoever you trust and can get into soonest (ENT, oncologist, surgeon). Best wishes.
Absolutely be concerned! (Although 10 years is a very long to be NED and then have a recurrence, but it does happen.) I would drag your son into an oncologist's office ASAP, at least for diagnosis. If the lump is anything, I would seek out a melanoma oncologist for treatment. You can visit the melanoma oncologist for a "second opinion" to justify it to insurance. Finding melanoma centers is not easy. I would post your son's location and then turn to others on this forum to recommend appropriate centers near him.
FAIW, you need a melanoma oncologist because standards of treatment have changed radically since your son's bout with the disease in 2005/2006. Most oncologists not specializing in melanoma are not up on all the advancements, from what I can tell so far. (We are relatively new to this disease, but we've been studying pretty hard. Now under the care of a good melanoma oncologist, we can tell you this is the difference between night and day.)
Absolutely be concerned! (Although 10 years is a very long to be NED and then have a recurrence, but it does happen.) I would drag your son into an oncologist's office ASAP, at least for diagnosis. If the lump is anything, I would seek out a melanoma oncologist for treatment. You can visit the melanoma oncologist for a "second opinion" to justify it to insurance. Finding melanoma centers is not easy. I would post your son's location and then turn to others on this forum to recommend appropriate centers near him.
FAIW, you need a melanoma oncologist because standards of treatment have changed radically since your son's bout with the disease in 2005/2006. Most oncologists not specializing in melanoma are not up on all the advancements, from what I can tell so far. (We are relatively new to this disease, but we've been studying pretty hard. Now under the care of a good melanoma oncologist, we can tell you this is the difference between night and day.)
Absolutely be concerned! (Although 10 years is a very long to be NED and then have a recurrence, but it does happen.) I would drag your son into an oncologist's office ASAP, at least for diagnosis. If the lump is anything, I would seek out a melanoma oncologist for treatment. You can visit the melanoma oncologist for a "second opinion" to justify it to insurance. Finding melanoma centers is not easy. I would post your son's location and then turn to others on this forum to recommend appropriate centers near him.
FAIW, you need a melanoma oncologist because standards of treatment have changed radically since your son's bout with the disease in 2005/2006. Most oncologists not specializing in melanoma are not up on all the advancements, from what I can tell so far. (We are relatively new to this disease, but we've been studying pretty hard. Now under the care of a good melanoma oncologist, we can tell you this is the difference between night and day.)
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