› Forums › Cutaneous Melanoma Community › Diagnosis interpretation
- This topic has 3 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 8 years, 5 months ago by
Momofjake.
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- March 31, 2017 at 7:00 pm
Ok, so I'm in. I always new that this possibility exists but never considered it for real.
I have family history of melanoma (my granparent died from one) and I had sunburns in my childhood and teenage years. Recently I had a termal burn on one of my moles. It was a small but asymmetrical mole. After the burn, may be a couple of months, the mole started to grow back. It grow to the sides of the scar and then stopped (it is small, less than 5 mm in diameter). A week ago it started (as I thought) slightly to itch. I do not know if I imagened it or not because it bothered me a lot (it became a bit bigger than it used to be, still assymetrical and it got way darker) – so I went to the doctor and got it out.
Now the results returned and .. I have to wait for another results. So far it is all inconclusive. The diagnosis is abnormal, but as I understand from the report – the pathologist was worried about partially regressed melanoma. I read about how they diagnose regression and thought may be it was due to the scar tissue that the pathologist thought about regression.
Any way, here is the report. I thought I will get some answers but now I'm lost. and I do not even know when the second opinion will be done (how long I should wait).
"This punch biopsy of skin has a compound melanocytic proliferation that is somewhat ill-defined with upward pagetoid scatter centrally and marked dermal lymphocytic inflammation, melanophages, and fibrosis. Immunohistochemsitry for Sox-10 highlights melanocytes, confirming the pagetoid scatter in the central portion of the lesion. HMB-45 is negative in the dermal melanocytes, which would favor benignancy in the dermal component of this lesion. The case is reviewed within our department with concern for a partially regressed melanoma with associated nevus. Accordingly, this case will be sent to —- for definitive characterization; an addendum will follow.
FINAL DIAGNOSIS: Atypical melanocytic proliferation"
Now I do not know what to think – I guess, it is not benign. is it atypical mole? is it melanoma? do they suspect melanoma only because of the scar tissue (but the pathologist did not know that there was a recent injury to that area)?
I guess it looks more like a panic attack. because it is. I'm really scared.
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- March 31, 2017 at 7:39 pm
Hi Anon, this is way above my Melanoma pay grade, but I do have a really good video with an expert explaining what pathalogists look at. Hope it helps!!!Ed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wmeyNjFKQw
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- March 31, 2017 at 8:24 pm
I'm personally with Ed on the pay grade issue, but can say from personal experience that the fibrosis / regression noted in your description is a two-edged sword in that, positively, regression is evidence of your body's successful immunological response to hostile cells, but, negatively, may also prevent an accurate analysis of the depth to which any tumor may have progressed prior to the body's defenses kicking in. In other words, with regression, be more proactive that your staging might otherwise indicate.
Like you, I had a burn (liquid nitrogen) in an area with moles and I feel as if this "aggravated" one into what, one year later, became an ulcerated melanoma – I had really "pissed it off". Because of the regression my surgeon could not accurately gauge the depth and, in combination with the mitotic rate, felt that a sentinel node biopsy was prudent. I couldn't have agreed more.
Get the full pathological report, listen to your dermatologist and surgeon. Once you have the facts, be aggressive in your response.
My own policy is one of, "When in doubt, cut" and, four surgeries in, this approach seems to be holding the line. Caveat that I'm personally not overly concerned with cosmetics and just want the malignancies out of my body.
Please keep us posted.
Thank you.
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- April 1, 2017 at 2:10 pm
Hi Anon,
We personally have found this part tricky. I have had this go both ways. My son was 17 and his itchy mole on his scalp came back benign. He is now 19 and stage 4(doing well). My 28 yr old daughter had a mole on her back removed with Irregular results and she has been fine for a few years. My other son had a highly irregular result and it's been 10 yrs and he is fine. I may get in trouble for this comment, but my personal feeling is that if your body is able to handle it don't mess with anything. I feel the deep digging on my stage 4 sons head was not a good thing….it moved to his local nodes in a month. From there it was everywhere. Of course regular checks, specialists, removal, and treatment are necessary if your body isn't taking care of it!! But abnormal doesn't always mean you will end up with a long melanoma story:) Try to control your thoughts:) You got this either way!
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Tagged: cutaneous melanoma
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