Need input

Hi Daza

Given your melanoma is stage 1B and therefore the pathology suggests it has not spread at all, perhaps your doctor thinks the other symptoms are not related (hence the chest x-ray and blood work).

Best of luck tracking down the cause.

I am in the UK and I was diagnosed with stage 3C melanoma. I have received excellent care from the NHS.

Hi Moira,

Thank you for your reply, I am glad to hear that you received a great care from NHS. For me 3 month till the 2nd exision is a bit to long and my pains are getting worst .

Could you pls tell me if your first biopsy staged you straight away stage 3C. Hope you are doing well.

Many Thanks,

Daza

Hi Moira,

Thank you for your reply, I am glad to hear that you received a great care from NHS. For me 3 month till the 2nd exision is a bit to long and my pains are getting worst .

Could you pls tell me if your first biopsy staged you straight away stage 3C. Hope you are doing well.

Many Thanks,

Daza

Hi Moira,

Thank you for your reply, I am glad to hear that you received a great care from NHS. For me 3 month till the 2nd exision is a bit to long and my pains are getting worst .

Could you pls tell me if your first biopsy staged you straight away stage 3C. Hope you are doing well.

Many Thanks,

Daza

My primary (an abnormal mole) was deeper and  wider than yours – it has spread into the deeper layers of the skin –  so I was stage 2. Then they found the tumours in my lymph nodes, both of which were big enough for a doctor to feel and to see easily in the CT scan. That made me 3C. MRI of my brain was clear.Then I had a PET scan just to check there weren't any 'hot spots' elsewhere. There weren't, so I stayed as a 3C.

At no time has my melanoma given me any pain.

Your pathology showed no spreading at all. The cancerous cells had not gone into the underlying layers and they are just taking away all the surrounding skin to give you 'margins' because doctors are always super-cautious. They will check the extra skin they remove, just be to sure.

Also I am guessing that the doctor checked for any lumps in your lymph nodes by touch and did not find any.

Any doctor will tell you that it is very, very unlikely that your pains are because you have melanoma that had already spread from the melanoma that they have removed – it showed no signs at all of spreading. Of course they won't say it is impossible because doctors are like that.

I am sure your doctors think that your pains have another cause. That is why they ordered a chest X ray and a blood test.

What do they think is causing the pain?

Maybe if you tried your doctor again but instead of linking your back pain to the melanoma, you ask about other causes? You could then talk to him or her about the melanoma afterwards.

I have you thought about asking for a referral to a physiotherapist?

All the best for your next surgery. Are you having just the 'wide local excision' (WLE)  or a WLE and a 'sentinel node biopsy' (SNB)?

My primary (an abnormal mole) was deeper and  wider than yours – it has spread into the deeper layers of the skin –  so I was stage 2. Then they found the tumours in my lymph nodes, both of which were big enough for a doctor to feel and to see easily in the CT scan. That made me 3C. MRI of my brain was clear.Then I had a PET scan just to check there weren't any 'hot spots' elsewhere. There weren't, so I stayed as a 3C.

At no time has my melanoma given me any pain.

Your pathology showed no spreading at all. The cancerous cells had not gone into the underlying layers and they are just taking away all the surrounding skin to give you 'margins' because doctors are always super-cautious. They will check the extra skin they remove, just be to sure.

Also I am guessing that the doctor checked for any lumps in your lymph nodes by touch and did not find any.

Any doctor will tell you that it is very, very unlikely that your pains are because you have melanoma that had already spread from the melanoma that they have removed – it showed no signs at all of spreading. Of course they won't say it is impossible because doctors are like that.

I am sure your doctors think that your pains have another cause. That is why they ordered a chest X ray and a blood test.

What do they think is causing the pain?

Maybe if you tried your doctor again but instead of linking your back pain to the melanoma, you ask about other causes? You could then talk to him or her about the melanoma afterwards.

I have you thought about asking for a referral to a physiotherapist?

All the best for your next surgery. Are you having just the 'wide local excision' (WLE)  or a WLE and a 'sentinel node biopsy' (SNB)?

My primary (an abnormal mole) was deeper and  wider than yours – it has spread into the deeper layers of the skin –  so I was stage 2. Then they found the tumours in my lymph nodes, both of which were big enough for a doctor to feel and to see easily in the CT scan. That made me 3C. MRI of my brain was clear.Then I had a PET scan just to check there weren't any 'hot spots' elsewhere. There weren't, so I stayed as a 3C.

At no time has my melanoma given me any pain.

Your pathology showed no spreading at all. The cancerous cells had not gone into the underlying layers and they are just taking away all the surrounding skin to give you 'margins' because doctors are always super-cautious. They will check the extra skin they remove, just be to sure.

Also I am guessing that the doctor checked for any lumps in your lymph nodes by touch and did not find any.

Any doctor will tell you that it is very, very unlikely that your pains are because you have melanoma that had already spread from the melanoma that they have removed – it showed no signs at all of spreading. Of course they won't say it is impossible because doctors are like that.

I am sure your doctors think that your pains have another cause. That is why they ordered a chest X ray and a blood test.

What do they think is causing the pain?

Maybe if you tried your doctor again but instead of linking your back pain to the melanoma, you ask about other causes? You could then talk to him or her about the melanoma afterwards.

I have you thought about asking for a referral to a physiotherapist?

All the best for your next surgery. Are you having just the 'wide local excision' (WLE)  or a WLE and a 'sentinel node biopsy' (SNB)?

Hi Daza

Given your melanoma is stage 1B and therefore the pathology suggests it has not spread at all, perhaps your doctor thinks the other symptoms are not related (hence the chest x-ray and blood work).

Best of luck tracking down the cause.

I am in the UK and I was diagnosed with stage 3C melanoma. I have received excellent care from the NHS.

Hi Daza

Given your melanoma is stage 1B and therefore the pathology suggests it has not spread at all, perhaps your doctor thinks the other symptoms are not related (hence the chest x-ray and blood work).

Best of luck tracking down the cause.

I am in the UK and I was diagnosed with stage 3C melanoma. I have received excellent care from the NHS.

Hi Moira,

Thank you very much for your prompt response and very useful information.

Yes my doctor checked for any lumps on my first appoitmet when my firts Bio was performed . On my first letter received from my dermatologist specified just the appoitment nothing about Bio and  same the second letter received few days ago,  again another appoitment with my dermatologit nothing specifing about (WLE or SNB ) however I have been  provided al the material when I had the first Bio so I kind of know what is next.

Every time when I went to see my GP he keept saying to wait for the results and they will be able to do some scans for me. My only concern is that I have the symptomes of bone cancer like ( fatique , pain more intense during the night, sweat , going more offten to the toilet).I am sure at my next appoitment I will have the oportunity to explain all my symptome and eventualy to get a scan but until then…. painkillers and wait.

Thank you again.

Daza 

Hi Moira,

Thank you very much for your prompt response and very useful information.

Yes my doctor checked for any lumps on my first appoitmet when my firts Bio was performed . On my first letter received from my dermatologist specified just the appoitment nothing about Bio and  same the second letter received few days ago,  again another appoitment with my dermatologit nothing specifing about (WLE or SNB ) however I have been  provided al the material when I had the first Bio so I kind of know what is next.

Every time when I went to see my GP he keept saying to wait for the results and they will be able to do some scans for me. My only concern is that I have the symptomes of bone cancer like ( fatique , pain more intense during the night, sweat , going more offten to the toilet).I am sure at my next appoitment I will have the oportunity to explain all my symptome and eventualy to get a scan but until then…. painkillers and wait.

Thank you again.

Daza 

Hi Moira,

Thank you very much for your prompt response and very useful information.

Yes my doctor checked for any lumps on my first appoitmet when my firts Bio was performed . On my first letter received from my dermatologist specified just the appoitment nothing about Bio and  same the second letter received few days ago,  again another appoitment with my dermatologit nothing specifing about (WLE or SNB ) however I have been  provided al the material when I had the first Bio so I kind of know what is next.

Every time when I went to see my GP he keept saying to wait for the results and they will be able to do some scans for me. My only concern is that I have the symptomes of bone cancer like ( fatique , pain more intense during the night, sweat , going more offten to the toilet).I am sure at my next appoitment I will have the oportunity to explain all my symptome and eventualy to get a scan but until then…. painkillers and wait.

Thank you again.

Daza 

Hi Moira,

Just a quick update. I spoke with them  on the phone to find out exactly what  will happen on my next appoitment and they said will be a chat about my results and what happens next.Defenitelly I will not have my second Bio on that day. I am so scared!! Is this normal ?

Thanks 

Hi Moira,

Just a quick update. I spoke with them  on the phone to find out exactly what  will happen on my next appoitment and they said will be a chat about my results and what happens next.Defenitelly I will not have my second Bio on that day. I am so scared!! Is this normal ?

Thanks 

Sorry I did not see this sooner – it had gone off the front page and I missed it.

You are only stage 1b. Again, this means that there is no evidence that the abnormal cells have spread. They will have examined all the skin they took. Maybe your 'margins' were already OK. That would means that there was enough 'clear' skin on all sides of the abnormal cells in the middle. This would be very good news.

Believe me, they were on the telephone as soon as they had biopsied my mole. That was because it had spread locally, which was a very bad sign.

If I were you, I would think that the lack of urgency is a good thing, not a bad thing.

Again, I do not think your back pain is anything to do with your melanoma.

Sorry I did not see this sooner – it had gone off the front page and I missed it.

You are only stage 1b. Again, this means that there is no evidence that the abnormal cells have spread. They will have examined all the skin they took. Maybe your 'margins' were already OK. That would means that there was enough 'clear' skin on all sides of the abnormal cells in the middle. This would be very good news.

Believe me, they were on the telephone as soon as they had biopsied my mole. That was because it had spread locally, which was a very bad sign.

If I were you, I would think that the lack of urgency is a good thing, not a bad thing.

Again, I do not think your back pain is anything to do with your melanoma.

Sorry I did not see this sooner – it had gone off the front page and I missed it.

You are only stage 1b. Again, this means that there is no evidence that the abnormal cells have spread. They will have examined all the skin they took. Maybe your 'margins' were already OK. That would means that there was enough 'clear' skin on all sides of the abnormal cells in the middle. This would be very good news.

Believe me, they were on the telephone as soon as they had biopsied my mole. That was because it had spread locally, which was a very bad sign.

If I were you, I would think that the lack of urgency is a good thing, not a bad thing.

Again, I do not think your back pain is anything to do with your melanoma.

Hi Moira,

Just a quick update. I spoke with them  on the phone to find out exactly what  will happen on my next appoitment and they said will be a chat about my results and what happens next.Defenitelly I will not have my second Bio on that day. I am so scared!! Is this normal ?

Thanks