Newly diagnosed...

scott45 · New User Joined: 16 Sep 2008 Posts: 2 Location: Western NY

Hey all--I've been reading your forum for several weeks and thought I might pipe in once in a while. I was diagnosed with malignant melanoma on July 16, 2008 about three weeks after I had a small mole removed from my left forearm. The mole was 6mm, somewhat irregular, and had begun to darken in the months before I had it removed. I have had the mole for many years and my previous doctor had taken a wait and see approach (which I now very much regret). I had gone to a new doctor for a physical and he noticed the mole and decided to excise it and have it tested. He may have saved my life. The initial lab report had the cancer at Clark level 3-4 and a Breslow depth of .9mm with no evidence of ulceration. Two additional lab analyses confirmed the first diagnosis with slight variations of the Breslow depth (.75 and . Cool

. I was scheduled for a Wide Local and SNB on August 29. My labs from both procedures were clear. My questions for all of you, since many of you seem exceptionally well-informed, is what exactly does the Clark Level mean? What are my chances for long term survival, given my lab results? What questions should I be asking my Oncology Surgeon and my Dermatologist at my follow up Appointments? I have read your stories and followed some of your courageous fights against this cancer. You all are amazing and inspiring. I was fairly ignorant about melanoma, and I didn't realize until my diagnosis what a brutal cancer it really is. I have added all of you to my prayers, and I hope you all get the miracles you deserve. God Bless.

tonester · Experienced user Joined: 03 Mar 2008 Posts: 83

Hey Scott,

The Breslow depth, no ulceration, and clear snb are all relatively good signs Smile

As far as your chances for long term survival go, I'd say your chances of living between now and when you die are 100%. Those are the very same odds we had before we were diagnosed with cancer.

I try my best to forget I have cancer as much as possible.

Medications and doctors appointments are all a priority, but it really helps me to be as "normal" as possible.

Best wishes,

Tony
_________________
****Kick'n Cancers Arse Since April 2007****

You can check out "My Story" at the link below.
http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=9083

HaoleBoy · Senior User Joined: 19 Aug 2008 Posts: 135

From your post, I believe you are likely a stage IA (or possibly 1B), which is a fairly good place to sit...... While all of us with cancer will tell you that we are NOT stats, your survival rate at 5 years is about 99% and 97% at 10 years (1B is 92% and 86% respectively)...... IA is a good place to sit if you have to have melanoma..... BUT....

Your Clark's level of 3/4 means that the cancer penetrated to the upper level of the dermis (inner layer of skin below the epidermis) and (given that Clark's 4 was mentioned), into the lower region of the dermis.... Ask your onc surgeon about this....If it was Clark's level 4, then from what I have read you are at a higher risk that your Stage 1A lesion may "misbehave" and metastize (note that I said risk, not a preordained certainty by any stretch)..... which I suspect is why you were given a Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy (that and the fact that at .9mm you were close to the 1MM "cut off" between 1A and 1B).....

Ask them what your mitotic rate is (the rate of malignant cell division)..... if path report says "none", that is a good prognosticator.... From what I've read, the AJCC will publish new staging guidelines for melanoma in 2009 and the preliminary finding is that the inclusion of the mitotic rate (or mitosis) for T1a lesions (less than or equal to 1MM non-ulcerated) is the major change in the 2009 guidelines to differentiate low risk T1A lesions from higher risk T1A lesions (note NOT High risk per se, but higher risk)....

Write down your questions and ask your doc to lay everything out for you and GET COPIES of everything.... pathology reports on initial tumor biopsy, WLE biopsy, sentinel node biopsy etc......

Good Lord, have I ever learned more about this in a hurry than anything else in my life.....

Haole Boy from Hawaii
Diagnosed 1 Aug 2008 (and still shocked and scared out of my wits)
2.4MM SSM on left foot 2nd toe since amputated
SNB clear and WLE clean of tumor cells (at least those which can be seen)
Stage IIA

{link deleted by admin}

scott45 · New User Joined: 16 Sep 2008 Posts: 2 Location: Western NY

Thanks for your replies. I will write these concerns down and address them during my next consult. Good luck everyone--and God Bless. Tony, our family will be praying for you and your family.

	Cancer Forums Forum Index -> Melanoma and Skin Cancer Forum	All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Page 1 of 1

A website for discussions about any type of cancer, including lung cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, laryngeal cancer, leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma and others