melanoma?

Les · 06-19-2008, 05:09 PM

Hi, I have not been around much lately my computer got a virus and is being fixed so I'm borrowing a friends. I am a stage 1 4.5 year survivor and last week I had a spot on my cheek biopsied and it came back .9 mm melanoma ,Dr said this is borderline between stages and is going to send me to an ent. dr I called my onc and have not heard back because he didn't get the path report yet.I will probably have to have more of the area removed and sentinal node biopsy. Has anyone had this? I also live on the cape and am thinking of going to Boston Dana Farber Does anyone have a Dr there that they like?
Thanks Leslie

dhealey · 06-19-2008, 05:42 PM

Leslie,
My son-in-law was diagnosised last Oct. with stage III melanoma it has spread to the sentinle node in his leg. He first found a mole on the inside of his foot where it hasn't been exposed to the sun. His was very deep and into the 3rd layer of skin. Since then they have found several on his back and chest all were deep and stage 3. The lymph node in his leg has been removed and he now suffers from lymphedema. They first treated him with IV interferon every day for 1 month and felt that would be enough. He finished up in January and in Feburary 3 more moles showed up on his chest all positive for melanoma. He is now giving himself interferon injections 3 times a week for ll months. We are trying to get him into 2 different clinical trials in MD. One is using the drug Gleevec and another is using some kind if immuno therapy. If the melanoma is caught early and only on the top layer of skin, your chances are very good for cure rate. Unless they come up with something new, my son-in-law has about 5-7 years. He is only 35. This has been so devastating to me. I am constantly researching alternate treatments or trials to get him into. He went to John Hopkins and Pittsburg for second opinions. He lives in Lancaster, PA. Recently they have had success with treating a 79 year old woman with end stage melanoma with the drug Gleevec. Her tumors started strinking after being on the drug only 2 weeks. She is being treated in Boston. I believe a Dana Farber. Article was published in the AMA Medicle Journal in April of this year. Best of luck to you.

Les · 06-20-2008, 04:03 AM

Hi Debbie I am so sorry that you and your son have so much to deal with. My daughter found a report on the drudge web site that talked about a man being treated with his own Tcells and having success, have you heard of this?

dhealey · 06-20-2008, 04:27 AM

Les,Yes I have heard of this trial. They cloned the man's Tcells and put them back into his body, it did put him into remission. They tried this on 9 patients total and he was the only one to respond. The article was very interesting and I have passed this along to my son-in-law. Thanks so much. Please let me know the outcome of your melanoma. It sounds like it it is very small. Be sure they do a whole body check for other areas.

Les · 06-23-2008, 09:06 AM

hi just got back from my onc.The path report said T1b with a clark scale of 4 not so good there. so the decision has to be made .more surgery and sentinal node this is on my cheek so do I have surgery here on the cape or try to go to boston and What hospital Mass General or Dana Farber any thoughts would be appreciated.

chrisy · 06-23-2008, 03:35 PM

I have no expertise with melanoma, but my experience with BC says get a second opinion, quickly, from whoever is the best. As a first step, ask your current doctor who he/she would recommend, who he would send a family member to.

kcherub · 06-23-2008, 03:40 PM

Ugh. I wish I had more info for you (and me). I just had a scary looking thing cut off this afternoon. The doctor is a friend's husband, and he looked a little concerned.

He said it would take a week or so to get the results, but that they would only call if it was "bad".

Good luck, and keep us updated when you can.

Take care,

dberg · 06-23-2008, 04:48 PM

I had a very benign looking thing removed on my leg earlier this year, by my choice, and it ended up being melanoma. My dermatologist was not impressed, but I followed the "ABCD" and insisted it be removed. Thank goodness it was just in situ. I had Mohs surgery, which left a big honking scar on my leg, but after reconstruction, it's nothing!

Gerri · 06-23-2008, 06:25 PM

Hi Les,

In 1993 I was diagnosed with melanoma on my arm - Clark's level III and Breslow thickness 1.7 mm. I had additional surgery with a 2 cm clearance from the original biopsy excision just to make sure the margins were clear. My surgeon did not feel it was necessary to do a biopsy of my nodes. I am happy to report that I have had no further problems. I have however had all three types of skin cancers removed through the years so I try to keep an eye out for any changes in my skin or numerous moles.

A good friend of mine (also a bc survivor) had a melanoma removed from her face several years prior to her bc dx. She had a plastic surgeon do the surgery (it was quite extensive) and he did a wonderful job. You would never know she had surgery done on her face. She has not had any additional problems related to the melanoma. I have always wondered if there was a connection between bc and melanoma. I tested negative for BRCA 1 & 2.

Good luck with all of this. I know it is pretty scary but I hope I have helped in some small way.

All my best,

Les · 06-23-2008, 06:46 PM

Thank you all I will keep you posted I am so grateful for this website. I found the report tonight from 2005 when I had this same spot biopsied and it came back as nothing I wish that it had been removed then and I wouldn't be here today.The Dr that removed the lesion is a plastic surgeon and very well respected I just don't know anything about the ENT he wants to have help him and how often they do this type of surgery . so many questions Leslie

weezie1053 · 06-23-2008, 09:54 PM

Gerri,

Last year, I had the BRACA gene tests, and my tests were negative. The Genetic Counselor, however, diagnosed me as "high risk" for recurrence due to my family history of both melanoma (maternal grandmother) and brother's prostate cancer. My grandmother had both BC and Melanoma; however, they say she died as a result of the Melanoma which was actually diagnosed first. This was, of course many years ago (1972). I lost both my grandmother and my mother at the young age of 19. Thank goodness I was blessed with older sisters who took me under their wings. As a result, I have an annual checkup with the dermatologist at UVA.

Louise