New patient fresh melanoma diagnosis

Hi… I was diagnosed this year with stage III. Regarding question #4; I feel my best resource at the time was my surgical oncologist… make sure you find one that has significant experience with melanoma. I found an amazing doctor at Moffitt in Tampa (Dr. Sondak). I hear some of the best are at MD Anderson, Sloan Kettering and Moffitt.

Regarding #1 sounds normal. 

Regarding #2,3 wish I knew more to help you out here. But, I'm confident that a surgical oncologist focused on melonoma will lead you in the right direction.

Good Luck

Hi… I was diagnosed this year with stage III. Regarding question #4; I feel my best resource at the time was my surgical oncologist… make sure you find one that has significant experience with melanoma. I found an amazing doctor at Moffitt in Tampa (Dr. Sondak). I hear some of the best are at MD Anderson, Sloan Kettering and Moffitt.

Regarding #1 sounds normal. 

Regarding #2,3 wish I knew more to help you out here. But, I'm confident that a surgical oncologist focused on melonoma will lead you in the right direction.

Good Luck

Hi… I was diagnosed this year with stage III. Regarding question #4; I feel my best resource at the time was my surgical oncologist… make sure you find one that has significant experience with melanoma. I found an amazing doctor at Moffitt in Tampa (Dr. Sondak). I hear some of the best are at MD Anderson, Sloan Kettering and Moffitt.

Regarding #1 sounds normal. 

Regarding #2,3 wish I knew more to help you out here. But, I'm confident that a surgical oncologist focused on melonoma will lead you in the right direction.

Good Luck

I'll give it my best shot!

#1  Concerning- yes.  Predictable – also yes.  So often melanoma doesn't present as "typical".  Of course it would have been better for you to have a punch biopsy, as that would have provided a better determination of the depth.  

#2  Someone else may have to correct me here, but I *think* that your pathology report would tell you if the sample had clear margins at the vertical depth or not.  If the true depth is .77mm, and there is no mitosis, protocol would not call for a SLNB.  Did you get a copy of the pathology report, and was it read by a dermapathologist?

#3  Wish I could answer this question for you.  My husband (multiple melanoma primaries, all Stage 1) has been suffering for six months with cough/headache/fatigue.  Primary and ENT can't find anything (and primary seems to want to dismiss the two lung nodules).  Yes, this is worrisome to patients because in seeking a diagnosis our minds always travel to the worst case scenario.  Chances are, this is not related to your melanoma.  

#4  Typically, for a Stage 1 melanoma, having everything done by a surgical oncologist is fine.  Once you get into higher stages (if the SNLB came back positive) you need to be seen by a melanoma specialist.  Not someone that does "quite a few of these surgeries", but someone who deals with this every single day as their primary focus.  Without seeing your full pathology report, I'm not sure what direction would be best.

There are a lot more folks on this board with a lot more knowledge than I have.  I was drawn to your story because of the similarities with my husband (primaries were all on his head, BTW).  I know you will get a lot of help here — just make sure that you are 100% comfortable with the direction you decide to go.  Personally, I would probably push for an SNLB, but that's just my paranoia.

I'll give it my best shot!

#1  Concerning- yes.  Predictable – also yes.  So often melanoma doesn't present as "typical".  Of course it would have been better for you to have a punch biopsy, as that would have provided a better determination of the depth.  

#2  Someone else may have to correct me here, but I *think* that your pathology report would tell you if the sample had clear margins at the vertical depth or not.  If the true depth is .77mm, and there is no mitosis, protocol would not call for a SLNB.  Did you get a copy of the pathology report, and was it read by a dermapathologist?

#3  Wish I could answer this question for you.  My husband (multiple melanoma primaries, all Stage 1) has been suffering for six months with cough/headache/fatigue.  Primary and ENT can't find anything (and primary seems to want to dismiss the two lung nodules).  Yes, this is worrisome to patients because in seeking a diagnosis our minds always travel to the worst case scenario.  Chances are, this is not related to your melanoma.  

#4  Typically, for a Stage 1 melanoma, having everything done by a surgical oncologist is fine.  Once you get into higher stages (if the SNLB came back positive) you need to be seen by a melanoma specialist.  Not someone that does "quite a few of these surgeries", but someone who deals with this every single day as their primary focus.  Without seeing your full pathology report, I'm not sure what direction would be best.

There are a lot more folks on this board with a lot more knowledge than I have.  I was drawn to your story because of the similarities with my husband (primaries were all on his head, BTW).  I know you will get a lot of help here — just make sure that you are 100% comfortable with the direction you decide to go.  Personally, I would probably push for an SNLB, but that's just my paranoia.

I'll give it my best shot!

#1  Concerning- yes.  Predictable – also yes.  So often melanoma doesn't present as "typical".  Of course it would have been better for you to have a punch biopsy, as that would have provided a better determination of the depth.  

#2  Someone else may have to correct me here, but I *think* that your pathology report would tell you if the sample had clear margins at the vertical depth or not.  If the true depth is .77mm, and there is no mitosis, protocol would not call for a SLNB.  Did you get a copy of the pathology report, and was it read by a dermapathologist?

#3  Wish I could answer this question for you.  My husband (multiple melanoma primaries, all Stage 1) has been suffering for six months with cough/headache/fatigue.  Primary and ENT can't find anything (and primary seems to want to dismiss the two lung nodules).  Yes, this is worrisome to patients because in seeking a diagnosis our minds always travel to the worst case scenario.  Chances are, this is not related to your melanoma.  

#4  Typically, for a Stage 1 melanoma, having everything done by a surgical oncologist is fine.  Once you get into higher stages (if the SNLB came back positive) you need to be seen by a melanoma specialist.  Not someone that does "quite a few of these surgeries", but someone who deals with this every single day as their primary focus.  Without seeing your full pathology report, I'm not sure what direction would be best.

There are a lot more folks on this board with a lot more knowledge than I have.  I was drawn to your story because of the similarities with my husband (primaries were all on his head, BTW).  I know you will get a lot of help here — just make sure that you are 100% comfortable with the direction you decide to go.  Personally, I would probably push for an SNLB, but that's just my paranoia.

I can totally sympathize with your story. In 1999 I went in to have a mole removed off of my leg that was getting big and ugly and I didn't even think that it might be melanoma. He did a punch biopsy and put in a couple stitches and told me to come back in 2 weeks to get them removed.  Two weeks to the day I get a phone call from the doctors office from who knows maybe a secretary or receptionist that says I need to come in and I said yes I know I'm getting my stitches out and she said no you need to come in and bring your husband because you tested positive and I said positive for what and she said you have cancer. I was shocked that the doctor didn't even give me this information And that I had heard it from someone that I've never met. When I went into meet with the doctor he said to me that it doesn't look very good and that it was 1.8 MM. He made me feel like my life was almost over. I had a large rescission done to my left thigh and they told me that my margins were clear, however five years later I had a little tiny pimple of a spot on the incision area and my dermatologist told me to have a biopsy done. Unfortunately it turned out to be melanoma again and I had another surgery done to  my left thigh. The surgeon really did a bad job and it looked like a shark had attacked my leg.  Once again they said the margins were clear and a year later  I had a lump on my incision and went to the dermatologist and she told me that we could either watch it or have it biopsied and I said with my history I think it's important to get a biopsy and once again it came.  She told me that she thought it was scarred tissue or a fatty tissue and said she had never seen a sub dermal tumor like that before, hence another surgery was performed. The incision was so large it was the size of a football and it took a plastic surgeon to sew me up without doing a skin graph . In the meantime I had a spot on my nose that I was concerned about and they said it was nothing and then I went to a different dermatologist and she said she was 99% positive that it was basal cell carcinoma.  It had been there for years and years. After biopsy, it was confirmed that I had basal cell carcinoma and had a Mohs procedure done to my nose  in the meantime I had a spot on my nose that I was concerned about and they said it was nothing and then I went to a different dermatologist and she said she was 99% positive that it was basal cell carcinoma. After a biopsy it was confirmed that I had basal  cell carcinoma and a Mohs procedure was done on my nose. It took four sections of my nose to be removed before they thought they had all the cancer. I'm from Hawaii and I took a look at my nose and I said oh my God it looks like diamond head crater. They asked me if I wanted to have a flap done or plastic surgery and I said definitely plastic surgery.  They ended up doing a skin graft from behind my ear and plugging my nose up with the skin and did a pretty good job. Now two years later I find a lump under my arm and they misdiagnosed it and tell me that I have breast cancer. Then they decide to check the biopsy again and find out that my melanoma has metastasized into my lungs, liver, sternum, and under my arm. My friend told me about this place called The Angeles Clinic in Santa Monica where she knew someone that had stage 4 melanoma of the brain. He went to this clinic and he is alive to this day which was probably about 16 years ago so I decided that that was where  I was going to go for treatment. UCSD  where I  live told me I was terminal and I had maybe six months to a year at the most but when I went to The Angeles Clinic they told me they had some cutting edge drugs and they would probably put me in remission. I went on a combination of Abraxane and Avastin and when they told me that I was going to lose my hair I went out and had my head shaved because I had long beautiful hair and donated it to locks of love which is an organization for children who have cancer. I picked out a couple cute wigs and became a blonde a brunette and a redhead all in one day. That was eight years ago and as you can see I'm still here. I believe that is because I'm such a positive person and I'm always joking about life and my cancer and everything else and that your attitude is so important to try not to worry because worrying is the worst thing for you.  They did put me in remission after two years and kept me on Avastin for two more years and unfortunately my tumor in my sternum came back so they took me off avastin and I did some radiation and about a year later I started another trial. The trial turned out to be  Keytruda, which is in immunotherapy drug and it happens to be the drug that saved former President Jimmy Carter's life. Well I've been on the drive for three to half years and my tumor is now not responding, so now I am  considering having major surgery and removing my sternum. My doctor at the clinic, Dr Peter Boasberg, is the one to saved my life. There is a new trial out that is called OX40 that he wants me to consider before having surgery. I've been traveling every two weeks for eight years now from San Diego to Santa Monica for treatment and I'm seriously thinking about just having surgery and trying to cut it out. I'm hoping to talk to somebody that is on the trial that he wants me to try to see what their side effects are and how they feel and if it's working for them. Anyway I know how you feel about Drs screwing up sometimes because it's happened to me too. However if you  know anyone that ever have a metastasis you should  have them go to The Angeles Clinic.  People travel from all over the world to come to this place. I hope that I have given you some encouragement because I talk to a lot of cancer patients and tell them my story and most of them are blown away because I have such a good attitude. Please try not to worry and believe that you're going to be just fine. I hope you have a Wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year.  Remember to stay positive! 

I can totally sympathize with your story. In 1999 I went in to have a mole removed off of my leg that was getting big and ugly and I didn't even think that it might be melanoma. He did a punch biopsy and put in a couple stitches and told me to come back in 2 weeks to get them removed.  Two weeks to the day I get a phone call from the doctors office from who knows maybe a secretary or receptionist that says I need to come in and I said yes I know I'm getting my stitches out and she said no you need to come in and bring your husband because you tested positive and I said positive for what and she said you have cancer. I was shocked that the doctor didn't even give me this information And that I had heard it from someone that I've never met. When I went into meet with the doctor he said to me that it doesn't look very good and that it was 1.8 MM. He made me feel like my life was almost over. I had a large rescission done to my left thigh and they told me that my margins were clear, however five years later I had a little tiny pimple of a spot on the incision area and my dermatologist told me to have a biopsy done. Unfortunately it turned out to be melanoma again and I had another surgery done to  my left thigh. The surgeon really did a bad job and it looked like a shark had attacked my leg.  Once again they said the margins were clear and a year later  I had a lump on my incision and went to the dermatologist and she told me that we could either watch it or have it biopsied and I said with my history I think it's important to get a biopsy and once again it came.  She told me that she thought it was scarred tissue or a fatty tissue and said she had never seen a sub dermal tumor like that before, hence another surgery was performed. The incision was so large it was the size of a football and it took a plastic surgeon to sew me up without doing a skin graph . In the meantime I had a spot on my nose that I was concerned about and they said it was nothing and then I went to a different dermatologist and she said she was 99% positive that it was basal cell carcinoma.  It had been there for years and years. After biopsy, it was confirmed that I had basal cell carcinoma and had a Mohs procedure done to my nose  in the meantime I had a spot on my nose that I was concerned about and they said it was nothing and then I went to a different dermatologist and she said she was 99% positive that it was basal cell carcinoma. After a biopsy it was confirmed that I had basal  cell carcinoma and a Mohs procedure was done on my nose. It took four sections of my nose to be removed before they thought they had all the cancer. I'm from Hawaii and I took a look at my nose and I said oh my God it looks like diamond head crater. They asked me if I wanted to have a flap done or plastic surgery and I said definitely plastic surgery.  They ended up doing a skin graft from behind my ear and plugging my nose up with the skin and did a pretty good job. Now two years later I find a lump under my arm and they misdiagnosed it and tell me that I have breast cancer. Then they decide to check the biopsy again and find out that my melanoma has metastasized into my lungs, liver, sternum, and under my arm. My friend told me about this place called The Angeles Clinic in Santa Monica where she knew someone that had stage 4 melanoma of the brain. He went to this clinic and he is alive to this day which was probably about 16 years ago so I decided that that was where  I was going to go for treatment. UCSD  where I  live told me I was terminal and I had maybe six months to a year at the most but when I went to The Angeles Clinic they told me they had some cutting edge drugs and they would probably put me in remission. I went on a combination of Abraxane and Avastin and when they told me that I was going to lose my hair I went out and had my head shaved because I had long beautiful hair and donated it to locks of love which is an organization for children who have cancer. I picked out a couple cute wigs and became a blonde a brunette and a redhead all in one day. That was eight years ago and as you can see I'm still here. I believe that is because I'm such a positive person and I'm always joking about life and my cancer and everything else and that your attitude is so important to try not to worry because worrying is the worst thing for you.  They did put me in remission after two years and kept me on Avastin for two more years and unfortunately my tumor in my sternum came back so they took me off avastin and I did some radiation and about a year later I started another trial. The trial turned out to be  Keytruda, which is in immunotherapy drug and it happens to be the drug that saved former President Jimmy Carter's life. Well I've been on the drive for three to half years and my tumor is now not responding, so now I am  considering having major surgery and removing my sternum. My doctor at the clinic, Dr Peter Boasberg, is the one to saved my life. There is a new trial out that is called OX40 that he wants me to consider before having surgery. I've been traveling every two weeks for eight years now from San Diego to Santa Monica for treatment and I'm seriously thinking about just having surgery and trying to cut it out. I'm hoping to talk to somebody that is on the trial that he wants me to try to see what their side effects are and how they feel and if it's working for them. Anyway I know how you feel about Drs screwing up sometimes because it's happened to me too. However if you  know anyone that ever have a metastasis you should  have them go to The Angeles Clinic.  People travel from all over the world to come to this place. I hope that I have given you some encouragement because I talk to a lot of cancer patients and tell them my story and most of them are blown away because I have such a good attitude. Please try not to worry and believe that you're going to be just fine. I hope you have a Wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year.  Remember to stay positive! 

I can totally sympathize with your story. In 1999 I went in to have a mole removed off of my leg that was getting big and ugly and I didn't even think that it might be melanoma. He did a punch biopsy and put in a couple stitches and told me to come back in 2 weeks to get them removed.  Two weeks to the day I get a phone call from the doctors office from who knows maybe a secretary or receptionist that says I need to come in and I said yes I know I'm getting my stitches out and she said no you need to come in and bring your husband because you tested positive and I said positive for what and she said you have cancer. I was shocked that the doctor didn't even give me this information And that I had heard it from someone that I've never met. When I went into meet with the doctor he said to me that it doesn't look very good and that it was 1.8 MM. He made me feel like my life was almost over. I had a large rescission done to my left thigh and they told me that my margins were clear, however five years later I had a little tiny pimple of a spot on the incision area and my dermatologist told me to have a biopsy done. Unfortunately it turned out to be melanoma again and I had another surgery done to  my left thigh. The surgeon really did a bad job and it looked like a shark had attacked my leg.  Once again they said the margins were clear and a year later  I had a lump on my incision and went to the dermatologist and she told me that we could either watch it or have it biopsied and I said with my history I think it's important to get a biopsy and once again it came.  She told me that she thought it was scarred tissue or a fatty tissue and said she had never seen a sub dermal tumor like that before, hence another surgery was performed. The incision was so large it was the size of a football and it took a plastic surgeon to sew me up without doing a skin graph . In the meantime I had a spot on my nose that I was concerned about and they said it was nothing and then I went to a different dermatologist and she said she was 99% positive that it was basal cell carcinoma.  It had been there for years and years. After biopsy, it was confirmed that I had basal cell carcinoma and had a Mohs procedure done to my nose  in the meantime I had a spot on my nose that I was concerned about and they said it was nothing and then I went to a different dermatologist and she said she was 99% positive that it was basal cell carcinoma. After a biopsy it was confirmed that I had basal  cell carcinoma and a Mohs procedure was done on my nose. It took four sections of my nose to be removed before they thought they had all the cancer. I'm from Hawaii and I took a look at my nose and I said oh my God it looks like diamond head crater. They asked me if I wanted to have a flap done or plastic surgery and I said definitely plastic surgery.  They ended up doing a skin graft from behind my ear and plugging my nose up with the skin and did a pretty good job. Now two years later I find a lump under my arm and they misdiagnosed it and tell me that I have breast cancer. Then they decide to check the biopsy again and find out that my melanoma has metastasized into my lungs, liver, sternum, and under my arm. My friend told me about this place called The Angeles Clinic in Santa Monica where she knew someone that had stage 4 melanoma of the brain. He went to this clinic and he is alive to this day which was probably about 16 years ago so I decided that that was where  I was going to go for treatment. UCSD  where I  live told me I was terminal and I had maybe six months to a year at the most but when I went to The Angeles Clinic they told me they had some cutting edge drugs and they would probably put me in remission. I went on a combination of Abraxane and Avastin and when they told me that I was going to lose my hair I went out and had my head shaved because I had long beautiful hair and donated it to locks of love which is an organization for children who have cancer. I picked out a couple cute wigs and became a blonde a brunette and a redhead all in one day. That was eight years ago and as you can see I'm still here. I believe that is because I'm such a positive person and I'm always joking about life and my cancer and everything else and that your attitude is so important to try not to worry because worrying is the worst thing for you.  They did put me in remission after two years and kept me on Avastin for two more years and unfortunately my tumor in my sternum came back so they took me off avastin and I did some radiation and about a year later I started another trial. The trial turned out to be  Keytruda, which is in immunotherapy drug and it happens to be the drug that saved former President Jimmy Carter's life. Well I've been on the drive for three to half years and my tumor is now not responding, so now I am  considering having major surgery and removing my sternum. My doctor at the clinic, Dr Peter Boasberg, is the one to saved my life. There is a new trial out that is called OX40 that he wants me to consider before having surgery. I've been traveling every two weeks for eight years now from San Diego to Santa Monica for treatment and I'm seriously thinking about just having surgery and trying to cut it out. I'm hoping to talk to somebody that is on the trial that he wants me to try to see what their side effects are and how they feel and if it's working for them. Anyway I know how you feel about Drs screwing up sometimes because it's happened to me too. However if you  know anyone that ever have a metastasis you should  have them go to The Angeles Clinic.  People travel from all over the world to come to this place. I hope that I have given you some encouragement because I talk to a lot of cancer patients and tell them my story and most of them are blown away because I have such a good attitude. Please try not to worry and believe that you're going to be just fine. I hope you have a Wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year.  Remember to stay positive! 

I can totally sympathize with your story. In 1999 I went in to have a mole removed off of my leg that was getting big and ugly and I didn't even think that it might be melanoma. He did a punch biopsy and put in a couple stitches and told me to come back in 2 weeks to get them removed.  Two weeks to the day I get a phone call from the doctors office from who knows maybe a secretary or receptionist that says I need to come in and I said yes I know I'm getting my stitches out and she said no you need to come in and bring your husband because you tested positive and I said positive for what and she said you have cancer. I was shocked that the doctor didn't even give me this information And that I had heard it from someone that I've never met. When I went into meet with the doctor he said to me that it doesn't look very good and that it was 1.8 MM. He made me feel like my life was almost over. I had a large rescission done to my left thigh and they told me that my margins were clear, however five years later I had a little tiny pimple of a spot on the incision area and my dermatologist told me to have a biopsy done. Unfortunately it turned out to be melanoma again and I had another surgery done to  my left thigh. The surgeon really did a bad job and it looked like a shark had attacked my leg.  Once again they said the margins were clear and a year later  I had a lump on my incision and went to the dermatologist and she told me that we could either watch it or have it biopsied and I said with my history I think it's important to get a biopsy and once again it came.  She told me that she thought it was scarred tissue or a fatty tissue and said she had never seen a sub dermal tumor like that before, hence another surgery was performed. The incision was so large it was the size of a football and it took a plastic surgeon to sew me up without doing a skin graph . In the meantime I had a spot on my nose that I was concerned about and they said it was nothing and then I went to a different dermatologist and she said she was 99% positive that it was basal cell carcinoma.  It had been there for years and years. After biopsy, it was confirmed that I had basal cell carcinoma and had a Mohs procedure done to my nose  in the meantime I had a spot on my nose that I was concerned about and they said it was nothing and then I went to a different dermatologist and she said she was 99% positive that it was basal cell carcinoma. After a biopsy it was confirmed that I had basal  cell carcinoma and a Mohs procedure was done on my nose. It took four sections of my nose to be removed before they thought they had all the cancer. I'm from Hawaii and I took a look at my nose and I said oh my God it looks like diamond head crater. They asked me if I wanted to have a flap done or plastic surgery and I said definitely plastic surgery.  They ended up doing a skin graft from behind my ear and plugging my nose up with the skin and did a pretty good job. Now two years later I find a lump under my arm and they misdiagnosed it and tell me that I have breast cancer. Then they decide to check the biopsy again and find out that my melanoma has metastasized into my lungs, liver, sternum, and under my arm. My friend told me about this place called The Angeles Clinic in Santa Monica where she knew someone that had stage 4 melanoma of the brain. He went to this clinic and he is alive to this day which was probably about 16 years ago so I decided that that was where  I was going to go for treatment. UCSD  where I  live told me I was terminal and I had maybe six months to a year at the most but when I went to The Angeles Clinic they told me they had some cutting edge drugs and they would probably put me in remission. I went on a combination of Abraxane and Avastin and when they told me that I was going to lose my hair I went out and had my head shaved because I had long beautiful hair and donated it to locks of love which is an organization for children who have cancer. I picked out a couple cute wigs and became a blonde a brunette and a redhead all in one day. That was eight years ago and as you can see I'm still here. I believe that is because I'm such a positive person and I'm always joking about life and my cancer and everything else and that your attitude is so important to try not to worry because worrying is the worst thing for you.  They did put me in remission after two years and kept me on Avastin for two more years and unfortunately my tumor in my sternum came back so they took me off avastin and I did some radiation and about a year later I started another trial. The trial turned out to be  Keytruda, which is in immunotherapy drug and it happens to be the drug that saved former President Jimmy Carter's life. Well I've been on the drive for three to half years and my tumor is now not responding, so now I am  considering having major surgery and removing my sternum. My doctor at the clinic, Dr Peter Boasberg, is the one to saved my life. There is a new trial out that is called OX40 that he wants me to consider before having surgery. I've been traveling every two weeks for eight years now from San Diego to Santa Monica for treatment and I'm seriously thinking about just having surgery and trying to cut it out. I'm hoping to talk to somebody that is on the trial that he wants me to try to see what their side effects are and how they feel and if it's working for them. Anyway I know how you feel about Drs screwing up sometimes because it's happened to me too. However if you  know anyone that ever have a metastasis you should  have them go to The Angeles Clinic.  People travel from all over the world to come to this place. I hope that I have given you some encouragement because I talk to a lot of cancer patients and tell them my story and most of them are blown away because I have such a good attitude. Please try not to worry and believe that you're going to be just fine. I hope you have a Wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year.  Remember to stay positive! 

I can totally sympathize with your story. In 1999 I went in to have a mole removed off of my leg that was getting big and ugly and I didn't even think that it might be melanoma. He did a punch biopsy and put in a couple stitches and told me to come back in 2 weeks to get them removed.  Two weeks to the day I get a phone call from the doctors office from who knows maybe a secretary or receptionist that says I need to come in and I said yes I know I'm getting my stitches out and she said no you need to come in and bring your husband because you tested positive and I said positive for what and she said you have cancer. I was shocked that the doctor didn't even give me this information And that I had heard it from someone that I've never met. When I went into meet with the doctor he said to me that it doesn't look very good and that it was 1.8 MM. He made me feel like my life was almost over. I had a large rescission done to my left thigh and they told me that my margins were clear, however five years later I had a little tiny pimple of a spot on the incision area and my dermatologist told me to have a biopsy done. Unfortunately it turned out to be melanoma again and I had another surgery done to  my left thigh. The surgeon really did a bad job and it looked like a shark had attacked my leg.  Once again they said the margins were clear and a year later  I had a lump on my incision and went to the dermatologist and she told me that we could either watch it or have it biopsied and I said with my history I think it's important to get a biopsy and once again it came.  She told me that she thought it was scarred tissue or a fatty tissue and said she had never seen a sub dermal tumor like that before, hence another surgery was performed. The incision was so large it was the size of a football and it took a plastic surgeon to sew me up without doing a skin graph . In the meantime I had a spot on my nose that I was concerned about and they said it was nothing and then I went to a different dermatologist and she said she was 99% positive that it was basal cell carcinoma.  It had been there for years and years. After biopsy, it was confirmed that I had basal cell carcinoma and had a Mohs procedure done to my nose  in the meantime I had a spot on my nose that I was concerned about and they said it was nothing and then I went to a different dermatologist and she said she was 99% positive that it was basal cell carcinoma. After a biopsy it was confirmed that I had basal  cell carcinoma and a Mohs procedure was done on my nose. It took four sections of my nose to be removed before they thought they had all the cancer. I'm from Hawaii and I took a look at my nose and I said oh my God it looks like diamond head crater. They asked me if I wanted to have a flap done or plastic surgery and I said definitely plastic surgery.  They ended up doing a skin graft from behind my ear and plugging my nose up with the skin and did a pretty good job. Now two years later I find a lump under my arm and they misdiagnosed it and tell me that I have breast cancer. Then they decide to check the biopsy again and find out that my melanoma has metastasized into my lungs, liver, sternum, and under my arm. My friend told me about this place called The Angeles Clinic in Santa Monica where she knew someone that had stage 4 melanoma of the brain. He went to this clinic and he is alive to this day which was probably about 16 years ago so I decided that that was where  I was going to go for treatment. UCSD  where I  live told me I was terminal and I had maybe six months to a year at the most but when I went to The Angeles Clinic they told me they had some cutting edge drugs and they would probably put me in remission. I went on a combination of Abraxane and Avastin and when they told me that I was going to lose my hair I went out and had my head shaved because I had long beautiful hair and donated it to locks of love which is an organization for children who have cancer. I picked out a couple cute wigs and became a blonde a brunette and a redhead all in one day. That was eight years ago and as you can see I'm still here. I believe that is because I'm such a positive person and I'm always joking about life and my cancer and everything else and that your attitude is so important to try not to worry because worrying is the worst thing for you.  They did put me in remission after two years and kept me on Avastin for two more years and unfortunately my tumor in my sternum came back so they took me off avastin and I did some radiation and about a year later I started another trial. The trial turned out to be  Keytruda, which is in immunotherapy drug and it happens to be the drug that saved former President Jimmy Carter's life. Well I've been on the drive for three to half years and my tumor is now not responding, so now I am  considering having major surgery and removing my sternum. My doctor at the clinic, Dr Peter Boasberg, is the one to saved my life. There is a new trial out that is called OX40 that he wants me to consider before having surgery. I've been traveling every two weeks for eight years now from San Diego to Santa Monica for treatment and I'm seriously thinking about just having surgery and trying to cut it out. I'm hoping to talk to somebody that is on the trial that he wants me to try to see what their side effects are and how they feel and if it's working for them. Anyway I know how you feel about Drs screwing up sometimes because it's happened to me too. However if you  know anyone that ever have a metastasis you should  have them go to The Angeles Clinic.  People travel from all over the world to come to this place. I hope that I have given you some encouragement because I talk to a lot of cancer patients and tell them my story and most of them are blown away because I have such a good attitude. Please try not to worry and believe that you're going to be just fine. I hope you have a Wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year.  Remember to stay positive! 

I can totally sympathize with your story. In 1999 I went in to have a mole removed off of my leg that was getting big and ugly and I didn't even think that it might be melanoma. He did a punch biopsy and put in a couple stitches and told me to come back in 2 weeks to get them removed.  Two weeks to the day I get a phone call from the doctors office from who knows maybe a secretary or receptionist that says I need to come in and I said yes I know I'm getting my stitches out and she said no you need to come in and bring your husband because you tested positive and I said positive for what and she said you have cancer. I was shocked that the doctor didn't even give me this information And that I had heard it from someone that I've never met. When I went into meet with the doctor he said to me that it doesn't look very good and that it was 1.8 MM. He made me feel like my life was almost over. I had a large rescission done to my left thigh and they told me that my margins were clear, however five years later I had a little tiny pimple of a spot on the incision area and my dermatologist told me to have a biopsy done. Unfortunately it turned out to be melanoma again and I had another surgery done to  my left thigh. The surgeon really did a bad job and it looked like a shark had attacked my leg.  Once again they said the margins were clear and a year later  I had a lump on my incision and went to the dermatologist and she told me that we could either watch it or have it biopsied and I said with my history I think it's important to get a biopsy and once again it came.  She told me that she thought it was scarred tissue or a fatty tissue and said she had never seen a sub dermal tumor like that before, hence another surgery was performed. The incision was so large it was the size of a football and it took a plastic surgeon to sew me up without doing a skin graph . In the meantime I had a spot on my nose that I was concerned about and they said it was nothing and then I went to a different dermatologist and she said she was 99% positive that it was basal cell carcinoma.  It had been there for years and years. After biopsy, it was confirmed that I had basal cell carcinoma and had a Mohs procedure done to my nose  in the meantime I had a spot on my nose that I was concerned about and they said it was nothing and then I went to a different dermatologist and she said she was 99% positive that it was basal cell carcinoma. After a biopsy it was confirmed that I had basal  cell carcinoma and a Mohs procedure was done on my nose. It took four sections of my nose to be removed before they thought they had all the cancer. I'm from Hawaii and I took a look at my nose and I said oh my God it looks like diamond head crater. They asked me if I wanted to have a flap done or plastic surgery and I said definitely plastic surgery.  They ended up doing a skin graft from behind my ear and plugging my nose up with the skin and did a pretty good job. Now two years later I find a lump under my arm and they misdiagnosed it and tell me that I have breast cancer. Then they decide to check the biopsy again and find out that my melanoma has metastasized into my lungs, liver, sternum, and under my arm. My friend told me about this place called The Angeles Clinic in Santa Monica where she knew someone that had stage 4 melanoma of the brain. He went to this clinic and he is alive to this day which was probably about 16 years ago so I decided that that was where  I was going to go for treatment. UCSD  where I  live told me I was terminal and I had maybe six months to a year at the most but when I went to The Angeles Clinic they told me they had some cutting edge drugs and they would probably put me in remission. I went on a combination of Abraxane and Avastin and when they told me that I was going to lose my hair I went out and had my head shaved because I had long beautiful hair and donated it to locks of love which is an organization for children who have cancer. I picked out a couple cute wigs and became a blonde a brunette and a redhead all in one day. That was eight years ago and as you can see I'm still here. I believe that is because I'm such a positive person and I'm always joking about life and my cancer and everything else and that your attitude is so important to try not to worry because worrying is the worst thing for you.  They did put me in remission after two years and kept me on Avastin for two more years and unfortunately my tumor in my sternum came back so they took me off avastin and I did some radiation and about a year later I started another trial. The trial turned out to be  Keytruda, which is in immunotherapy drug and it happens to be the drug that saved former President Jimmy Carter's life. Well I've been on the drive for three to half years and my tumor is now not responding, so now I am  considering having major surgery and removing my sternum. My doctor at the clinic, Dr Peter Boasberg, is the one to saved my life. There is a new trial out that is called OX40 that he wants me to consider before having surgery. I've been traveling every two weeks for eight years now from San Diego to Santa Monica for treatment and I'm seriously thinking about just having surgery and trying to cut it out. I'm hoping to talk to somebody that is on the trial that he wants me to try to see what their side effects are and how they feel and if it's working for them. Anyway I know how you feel about Drs screwing up sometimes because it's happened to me too. However if you  know anyone that ever have a metastasis you should  have them go to The Angeles Clinic.  People travel from all over the world to come to this place. I hope that I have given you some encouragement because I talk to a lot of cancer patients and tell them my story and most of them are blown away because I have such a good attitude. Please try not to worry and believe that you're going to be just fine. I hope you have a Wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year.  Remember to stay positive!