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Newbie diagnosed 3/21/2018
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Newbie diagnosed 3/21/2018

› Forums › Cutaneous Melanoma Community › Newbie diagnosed 3/21/2018

  • Post
    • March 22, 2018 at 12:06 pm
    melhoff13
    Participant

      Hello all.  New to the board and new to this diagnosis.  I am 36, light skinned and have had hundreds of moles/freckles all my life.  I have been seeing a dermatologist off and on for the last 10 years or so.  In that time span, I had 5 or 6 moles removed and biopsied with nothing to speak of.  Last week (3/15/2018) I had another mole removed from my chest, but this time it came back as melanoma I guess.  The doctor called yesterday (3/21/2018) and said it was caught early and the treatment is to make a deeper cut.  I am assuming this is the wide incision I have been reading about on this forum.  I haven't seen the pathology report so I don't know all the specifics, but I am going back in this morning (3/22/18) for the follow-up excision.  I am going to ask for a copy of the first report so I can post the details, but I just wanted to join the community and hope for the best.  I know many times these things are somewhat routine with moles and light skin, but I have been freaking out the last day or two.  I really wish I had the report or knew what the details were, but the doctor called when I was driving and I didn't get a chance to ask many questions.  Hopefully I can find out more today.  Any how, thanks for the forum and I look forward to interacting with everyone.  Cheers. 

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        • March 22, 2018 at 7:01 pm
        melhoff13
        Participant

          The report is listed below.  After speaking to the doctor and reading through the forum, I guess I should somewhat consider myself lucky,  It could have been worse.  Now it's upt to me and my body to try and avoid these in the future.  Defeinetely need to get more regular checkups.  I have a tendency to skip a year hear and there.  Any other thoughts on the report?  Thanks.

          -Malignant Melanoma

          -Histologic Subtype: Superficial Spreading

          -Breslow Depth: 0.4mm

          -Clark Level: II

          -Ulceration: Absent

          -Regression: Focally present

          -Lymphovascular invasion: Absent

          -Perineural invasion: Absent

          -Satellitosis: Absent

          -Tumor infiltrating lymphocytes: non-brisk

          -Mitotic Count: 0 Mitoses/mm2

          -Margins:

           – Peripheral Biopsy edge: Positive

           – Deep Biopsy edge: Negative

          -Other findings: Focal nevus component

          -Pathological state: pT1a Nx

            • March 22, 2018 at 7:30 pm
            Janner
            Participant

              Stage 1a – low risk lesion.  Good news and yes, it could have been much worse.  Most people never have more than one primary melanoma so you might be done for good!  Hope so…

              I went 8 years without seeing a derm.  But I also paid attention and when I saw a lesion that looked a bit different…. I made my way back to a derm.  I won't say this is optimal at all.  But you are the best defense against future troubles.  New lesions that are different from your others.  75% of melanomas occur from new lesions.  Existing lesions that change.  You know you best, not your derm.

              Good luck!

              • March 22, 2018 at 8:34 pm
              melhoff13
              Participant

                Thank you for the reply.  I have to say finding this board was great.  As mentioned, I have always had moles/freckles, so I'm not new to the whole dermatology thing, but when I got that first bad report it freaked me out.  I defeinetly will continue to monitor my body and have the wife keep an eye on things too.  Thanks again for the reply.  I wish you well in your battle with these darn lesions.  Cheers.

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