Hi Mandy,
My wifes situation is almost identical to yours. She had a big pink bump on the back of her left calf that ulcerated and her PCP recommended having it removed. Unfortunately it came back positive for Melanoma. Stage IIb at the time. Sentinel Node biopsy came back negative. No treatment was recommended at that time.
She had several Upper Body CT scans done over the next 18 months and then she felt a lump under her right forearm that when removed was also positive for melanoma. Her Oncologist in Boston recommended Interferon which she did for almost a year. They gave her a full body PET/CT scan at the conclusion of her Interferon that revealed a small tumor in her calf deep enough that she couldnt feel it when checking her leg. They removed it and one or two more, (I lose count) that always had clear margins, and yet they would inevitably find another tumor 10-18 months after the previous surgery.
She took part in a clinical trial last year that we had high hopes for, but in March her Doctors found yet another tumor in her calf. This time the Surgeon could not get a "clear" margin and they have informed her that they do not want to cut into her leg anymore. They recommended Radiation Therapy that she just recently completed. The radiation was pretty tough, but we are hoping it will finally eradicate the Melanoma she has in her calf. If not she will have to have some sort of systemic treatment going forward. If her next scan at the end of July is clean I believe she will go back to being "monitored."
Its been ten years since she was first diagnosed and the Melanoma landscape has changed dramatically with new treatments being introduced all the time, and new ones in development. Stay positive and I hope everything works out ok.
Best Wishes,
Cody
