Newly Diagnosed Scared and unsure

With melanoma, in my opinion, you want removal asap as it can grow rapidly.  So this is a good thing.  Looking at your results, it was caught early.  Overall the path is not that bad.  With a 1.06mm depth, they will probably advise a SLNB be performed at the time of excission (standard procedure for depth over .75).  They will probably hold off staging you until they get those results back.  The mitotic rate is good (lower the better).  No ulceration is good.  Radial growth is better than vertical growth, but with 1.06, it is still a relatively thin melanoma. Margins free but close means the biopsy itself was wide enough around the tumor to produce tissue that did not contain cancer cells, but narrowly.   Your surgeon/oncologist will be seeking wider margins for the complete excission.  They have a chart they use which advises how wide and deep the excission should be based on the size of the tumor.  They always take extra to make sure they get it all. Tumor infiltrating lymphocytes represents your immune reaction to the melanoma cells being present. No vascular involvement is good.  Satellitosis, means a cluster of micropscopic melonoma cells around the primary tumor, not seen is obvisouly good.

I am not a nurse or any type of medical professional as some on here are, just obsessed over path reports upon my initial diagnosis.  So if anyone thinks I have mispoken, please advise.  Irregardless, you are at the beginning of your journey with melanoma and it is very scary and overwhelming at this point.  It seems that you and your provider were on your game.  You noticed it, they tested it and you are being seen immediately for treatment. So far you are doing it right.  Most would advise on here to research how experienced your oncologist and surgeon are with melanoma.  Be your own advocate.  Ask questions..as many as you want.  If you don't understand…ask again.  Most importantly, don't let the fear of the unknown get to you.  None of us have a crystal ball.  I shut down for 2 months ..what if this…what if that.   You can't control the disease, but you can control your reaction.  Anxiety and stress can tear your body down when you need it to work for you the most.  Easier said than done..been there, but its the truth.    All you can do is educate yourself, seek good experienced medical providers that you trust, monitor yourself,  have some faith and live.  Many people on this site can offer you a wealth of information.  I am just a stage 1b'er, so my experience is not as intense as most on here.  But I do understand very well the initial feeling of diagnosis (a kick in the gut) and the process of excission and follow up…even participated in the Decision Dx genetic test who some say is a waste of time.  Let us know how your appt goes.  Maybe you will have some more questions that we can help you with.  I hope you appt Wed offers you some peace of mind.

Welcome to Club Melanoma Dynamic! Im Mike nice to meet you, under these circumstances that is) but, nevertheless yer in good hands, like someone (forgot his/her name) just replied to you, we have Smart, well educated folk here who knows our shared desease. Ya, i remember “my” first fateful day in 2008: “Mike, you have Melanoma & its stage 3b and theres a good chance it spread”: (which it did, to my left leg lymphnodes) had 2 back to back surgeries a month or less a part, and since then, iv had many other surgeries taking them suckballs out..
Im not trying to scare you but, you need to know what your new “hobby” of sorts could entail. Get that sucker taken out as soon as possible, Melanoma can grow like a California Wild Fire and thats fast (i know, i live here) keep intouch Dynamic! You will be fine! Warrior Strong!…Mike..