› Forums › General Melanoma Community › What to expect from biopsy on, “new guy” questions about Nodular Melanoma
- This topic has 6 replies, 2 voices, and was last updated 9 years, 11 months ago by
kathycmc.
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- June 4, 2015 at 1:03 am
I am undergoing a biopsy tomorrow, and the strong suspicion is nodular melanoma. It is a 4-4.5mm blood blister like lesion on my left buttock, and by the look of it there are few other things it could be (that being said, I pray for unlikely good news, but do not expect it). The doctor is doing an excision biopsy and that lead to some questions to my mind, as I reel with the potential news, and he seemed a little reluctant to answer many until the biopsy came in. He is also my GP, not a derm etc.
Is this disease *always* progressive? I mean, if someone was Stage IA or IIA, for instance, will they always progress to a different stage? It seems like from reading, so many start at Stage I or II and still end up Stage IV eventually. Are there people who have beaten NM on a permanent basis, or does it always come back? Is remained NED an unrealistic expectation even in a good prognosis?
I know more than a few people who have battled melanoma, but not nodular. They are all fine, at some level and have made some recovery. I have never met anyone with nodular, so I have no experience.
Finally, a question about luck. Does anyone ever come out of this clean? They biopsy it, they cut it out, and they get it all, no more issues? Or is the nature of nodular such that even at 1A you are going to battle it for the rest of your life?
Please forgive any resounding igronance or accidental insensitivity of these questions from a guy just trying to wade into a pool I think I will be thrown in in a few days. It is terrifying and numbing, and a world no one thinks they are going to be a part of until they are. Now I just want hope and the strength to do battle with this thing, and that begins, well, at the beginning.
Thanks for your patience.
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- June 4, 2015 at 1:38 am
Nodular stage 1a basically has a similar prognosis to SSM 1a. The trick with nodular is catching it that early because of rapid growth. I have a friend who has caught both types at that stage and she is over ten years out. The reason you read about stage 1 progressing is the ones who don't progress have no reason to post after the shock of diagnosis is over. Websites do not show a realistic view of the melanoma population. They cater to newly diagnosed and "exceptions".
Stage 1b since 1992, 3 MM primaries
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- June 4, 2015 at 1:38 am
Nodular stage 1a basically has a similar prognosis to SSM 1a. The trick with nodular is catching it that early because of rapid growth. I have a friend who has caught both types at that stage and she is over ten years out. The reason you read about stage 1 progressing is the ones who don't progress have no reason to post after the shock of diagnosis is over. Websites do not show a realistic view of the melanoma population. They cater to newly diagnosed and "exceptions".
Stage 1b since 1992, 3 MM primaries
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- June 4, 2015 at 1:38 am
Nodular stage 1a basically has a similar prognosis to SSM 1a. The trick with nodular is catching it that early because of rapid growth. I have a friend who has caught both types at that stage and she is over ten years out. The reason you read about stage 1 progressing is the ones who don't progress have no reason to post after the shock of diagnosis is over. Websites do not show a realistic view of the melanoma population. They cater to newly diagnosed and "exceptions".
Stage 1b since 1992, 3 MM primaries
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- June 4, 2015 at 6:36 pm
My daughter was diagnosed with nodular melanoma on her right neck in 2012. It was deep so she was already IIb at that time. The SNB came back negative but a month later a different lymph node in the same area became enlarged and was diagnosed with melanoma. Lymph node dissection followed with 26 lymph nodes removed and no further evidence of melanoma in any other nodes or surrounding tissue. So she is stage IIIb. After surgery she underwent 3 rounds of biochemotherapy. It has been just over 2 years and she remains NED. Because nodular melanoma does not have a favorable prognosis we have always been of the mindset to be as aggressive in treatment as possible. It is hard because there is not much offered until you reach stage IV although it seems that is changing with trials and new meds. We were so blessed to have an excellent ENT that specialized in Oncology and a Melanoma Specialist who was willing to give her a systemic treatment even at stage III due to it being nodular and her age of 24. Her doctors have always stressed that this is not a death sentence and that statistics are just numbers not you. I wish you all the best.
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- June 4, 2015 at 6:36 pm
My daughter was diagnosed with nodular melanoma on her right neck in 2012. It was deep so she was already IIb at that time. The SNB came back negative but a month later a different lymph node in the same area became enlarged and was diagnosed with melanoma. Lymph node dissection followed with 26 lymph nodes removed and no further evidence of melanoma in any other nodes or surrounding tissue. So she is stage IIIb. After surgery she underwent 3 rounds of biochemotherapy. It has been just over 2 years and she remains NED. Because nodular melanoma does not have a favorable prognosis we have always been of the mindset to be as aggressive in treatment as possible. It is hard because there is not much offered until you reach stage IV although it seems that is changing with trials and new meds. We were so blessed to have an excellent ENT that specialized in Oncology and a Melanoma Specialist who was willing to give her a systemic treatment even at stage III due to it being nodular and her age of 24. Her doctors have always stressed that this is not a death sentence and that statistics are just numbers not you. I wish you all the best.
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- June 4, 2015 at 6:36 pm
My daughter was diagnosed with nodular melanoma on her right neck in 2012. It was deep so she was already IIb at that time. The SNB came back negative but a month later a different lymph node in the same area became enlarged and was diagnosed with melanoma. Lymph node dissection followed with 26 lymph nodes removed and no further evidence of melanoma in any other nodes or surrounding tissue. So she is stage IIIb. After surgery she underwent 3 rounds of biochemotherapy. It has been just over 2 years and she remains NED. Because nodular melanoma does not have a favorable prognosis we have always been of the mindset to be as aggressive in treatment as possible. It is hard because there is not much offered until you reach stage IV although it seems that is changing with trials and new meds. We were so blessed to have an excellent ENT that specialized in Oncology and a Melanoma Specialist who was willing to give her a systemic treatment even at stage III due to it being nodular and her age of 24. Her doctors have always stressed that this is not a death sentence and that statistics are just numbers not you. I wish you all the best.
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Tagged: cutaneous melanoma
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