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jodaro

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      jodaro
      Participant

        Thanks for posting, very interesting. The Menzies method page also has a lot of great information about lesion features as well.

        While reading the first article this one from last month popped into the Recommended Reading box: http://www.cancernetwork.com/melanoma/number-moles-not-always-related-likelihood-melanoma

        Especially interesting to those of us with a bunch of moles.

         

        jodaro
        Participant

          Thanks for posting, very interesting. The Menzies method page also has a lot of great information about lesion features as well.

          While reading the first article this one from last month popped into the Recommended Reading box: http://www.cancernetwork.com/melanoma/number-moles-not-always-related-likelihood-melanoma

          Especially interesting to those of us with a bunch of moles.

           

          jodaro
          Participant

            Thanks for posting, very interesting. The Menzies method page also has a lot of great information about lesion features as well.

            While reading the first article this one from last month popped into the Recommended Reading box: http://www.cancernetwork.com/melanoma/number-moles-not-always-related-likelihood-melanoma

            Especially interesting to those of us with a bunch of moles.

             

            jodaro
            Participant

              Sorry, meant to also ask … what's next? It is it reasonable to just continue to shave these guys off and see what's in there? If I have, say, 10 moles that look somewhat suspicious, but have had 8 biopsied and only one was melanoma … does that mean anything? Does taking further diagnostic steps make any sense, or is that excessive at this point? The doctor did do an abdominal and lymph node palpation exam and said both felt normal. 

              jodaro
              Participant

                Sorry, meant to also ask … what's next? It is it reasonable to just continue to shave these guys off and see what's in there? If I have, say, 10 moles that look somewhat suspicious, but have had 8 biopsied and only one was melanoma … does that mean anything? Does taking further diagnostic steps make any sense, or is that excessive at this point? The doctor did do an abdominal and lymph node palpation exam and said both felt normal. 

                jodaro
                Participant

                  Sorry, meant to also ask … what's next? It is it reasonable to just continue to shave these guys off and see what's in there? If I have, say, 10 moles that look somewhat suspicious, but have had 8 biopsied and only one was melanoma … does that mean anything? Does taking further diagnostic steps make any sense, or is that excessive at this point? The doctor did do an abdominal and lymph node palpation exam and said both felt normal. 

                  jodaro
                  Participant

                    Based on my similar experience (.75mm, Stage 1b upper back/neck area) late last year and subsequent frantic Googling, it sounds like .76mm or less with lower mitotic rate doesn't indicate a SLNB, so your doctor probably did the right thing.

                    Good to hear that test shows you as low risk. I haven't done anything like that yet, but I have a checkup appointment soon so I'll bring it up.

                    jodaro
                    Participant

                      Based on my similar experience (.75mm, Stage 1b upper back/neck area) late last year and subsequent frantic Googling, it sounds like .76mm or less with lower mitotic rate doesn't indicate a SLNB, so your doctor probably did the right thing.

                      Good to hear that test shows you as low risk. I haven't done anything like that yet, but I have a checkup appointment soon so I'll bring it up.

                      jodaro
                      Participant

                        Based on my similar experience (.75mm, Stage 1b upper back/neck area) late last year and subsequent frantic Googling, it sounds like .76mm or less with lower mitotic rate doesn't indicate a SLNB, so your doctor probably did the right thing.

                        Good to hear that test shows you as low risk. I haven't done anything like that yet, but I have a checkup appointment soon so I'll bring it up.

                        jodaro
                        Participant

                          From my understanding the SLNB isn't typically indicated for tumors less than 1mm, so presumably because the initial biopsy only showed .66mm, it wasn't done with the second because the depth wasn't known to be/expected to be greater than 1mm. Just a guess.

                          The SLNB is done to determine if any cancer cells from the melanoma are present in the lymph nodes, so yes, it is a diagnostic procedure to determine whether the cancer has spread, but no, they don't know that yet simply based on the tumor itself.

                          Lots more info here: http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/diagnosis-staging/staging/sentinel-node-biopsy-fact-sheet

                          jodaro
                          Participant

                            From my understanding the SLNB isn't typically indicated for tumors less than 1mm, so presumably because the initial biopsy only showed .66mm, it wasn't done with the second because the depth wasn't known to be/expected to be greater than 1mm. Just a guess.

                            The SLNB is done to determine if any cancer cells from the melanoma are present in the lymph nodes, so yes, it is a diagnostic procedure to determine whether the cancer has spread, but no, they don't know that yet simply based on the tumor itself.

                            Lots more info here: http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/diagnosis-staging/staging/sentinel-node-biopsy-fact-sheet

                            jodaro
                            Participant

                              From my understanding the SLNB isn't typically indicated for tumors less than 1mm, so presumably because the initial biopsy only showed .66mm, it wasn't done with the second because the depth wasn't known to be/expected to be greater than 1mm. Just a guess.

                              The SLNB is done to determine if any cancer cells from the melanoma are present in the lymph nodes, so yes, it is a diagnostic procedure to determine whether the cancer has spread, but no, they don't know that yet simply based on the tumor itself.

                              Lots more info here: http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/diagnosis-staging/staging/sentinel-node-biopsy-fact-sheet

                              jodaro
                              Participant

                                See the second link in the original post: http://www.dermoscopy.org/consensus/2c.asp

                                jodaro
                                Participant

                                  See the second link in the original post: http://www.dermoscopy.org/consensus/2c.asp

                                  jodaro
                                  Participant

                                    See the second link in the original post: http://www.dermoscopy.org/consensus/2c.asp

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