Probably unlike most posts on Melanoma.

mewisemajic · New User Joined: 19 Jul 2009 Posts: 3

Hi,

I had a mole on my tricep for about ten months. It grew to be about 2.5mm in height and became "puffy". It stayed at that size and condition for several months. I ignored it. It seems as though one day it disappeared. There was, and still is, a light outline of where it was. I decided to forget about it.

Recently, I have had something akin to pain but more like a strange perception in the muscle where the mole was. My question is, does Melanoma do that? Would it disappear and metastasize under the skin?

I am fairly familiar with what a "Melanoma mole" looks like, my father has had many removed. Actually, he had one in the area where mine is/was that metastasized below but I don't know if his disappeared. I can't ask him about his tumor there or relate my condition to him, if I even have a condition. I would appreciate any information that anyone may provide.

mewisemajic · New User Joined: 19 Jul 2009 Posts: 3

Please, I need some help.

Jean222 · Senior User Joined: 14 Dec 2008 Posts: 249

Hello,

I think your best bet is to see a doctor, preferably a dermatologist.

People on an internet support group, have information and experiences to share but being diagnosed by anyone on a forum is a risky proposition.

If it runs in your family, another reason to have it seen to by a doc.

Best wishes,

Jean

mewisemajic · New User Joined: 19 Jul 2009 Posts: 3

[quote="Jean222"]Hello,

I think your best bet is to see a doctor, preferably a dermatologist.

People on an internet support group, have information and experiences to share but being diagnosed by anyone on a forum is a risky proposition.

If it runs in your family, another reason to have it seen to by a doc.

Best wishes,

Jean[/quote]

Thanks. Getting the courage to go has been hard.

HaoleBoy · Senior User Joined: 19 Aug 2008 Posts: 108

don't want to scare you and while melanoma is, thankfully, a relatively rare disease, it happens -- as it did to me.... so for God's sake (and your's) get this checked out....

As Jean said, you have a family history of it with your Dad's experience and you are at higher risk, just as my diagnosis has elevated the risk level for my siblings...

To answer your question whether a mole with melanoma can spontaneously disappear, the answer is emphatically "YES"... it is called regression and is one of the things that a melanoma biopsy is supposed to look for on pathology.... Melanoma is a immuno-sensitive cancer, meaning that the immune system can, in some individuals, recognize and attack the melanoma and cause it to diminish or disappear. So mel tumors with evidence of "regression" are somewhat dicey to stage properly because, with the regression, there is evidence that the tumor was at some point in time thicker than what pathology will show on the initial biopsy....

Pls realize that tumors which can be palpated (felt) have something on the order of magnitude of a 1 BILLION plus cancer cells in it so I'm not saying that a person's immune system can completely kill off the melanoma -- there are only about 30+ such documented cases in the medical literature of spontaneous, COMPLETE melanoma regression occurring worldwide...And, unlike other cancers, one of the things which makes melanoma so deadly WHEN NOT CAUGHT EARLY is that almost all melanoma cells are clonal -- meanng they can generate other melanoma tumors, whereas other cancers may only have 1 - 5% of malignant cells which can cause other tumors to grow elsewhere WHEN IT HAS METATASIZED....

Like I said, I'm NOT trying to scare you... but with your Dad's experience, you would be very wise to visit a derm who is experienced in melanoma ...If it is melanoma -- A HUGE IF -- not doing so could cost you your one and only life -- and bad news generally does not get better with time....so suck it up, fear and all, and see the Doc...

God Bless and Good Luck,

Haole Boy
Stage IIA

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