Newly Diagnosed...Husbands 1st Wife Died from Melanoma!

Julesburg · New User Joined: 14 Aug 2009 Posts: 2

Good afternoon.

I am so scared.

I was diagnosed on Tuesday with Melanoma. I had a "shave" biopsy of the spot. The spot was a smallish pink raised bump that looked like a pimple or spider bite. I had it for at least 3 months (I noticed it 3 months ago...don't know if it had been there even longer than that??)
The biopsy came back as AT LEAST 0.5mm, AT LEAST Clarks Level III, ulceration absent, regression absent.
The reason I say "at least" is because since it was a shave biopsy, the Surgical Oncologist doesn't know how deep the cancer goes. It would be great news if it was indeed 0.5mm and the dermatologist got it all just by doing a shave biopsy, but we are not sure until surgery is done.
I will have surgery in two weeks from now. Since my husbands first wife died from meloanoma (at the age of 27), the doctor wants to be proactive and also do a sentinel node biopsy.

I am scared. I am so sad that my husband is going through the same thing with me as he did with his first wife. I need to stay strong...but feel like I am falling apart. My husband is also ill with a disease called Huntington's Disease (he was just diagnosed 6 months ago). I need to beat this thing as I have to be here to take care of him!!!!!

Can anyone help put me at ease??

Julesburg

Deklon · New User Joined: 10 Jun 2009 Posts: 7

Julesburg,

So sorry about your diagnosis, it certainly is scary. A depth of .5 with no ulceration and no regression in itself bodes fairly well. From what I've read, scrape biopsies are not recommended when Melanoma is suspected for precisely the reason in your case. My scrape was .25mm and the full one was .35 mm. No ulceration and no regression evident from the scrape are positives for sure. Plus, even if the depth ends up being far worse, there is no guarantee it has spread. Mitosis is another significant result, did you get that on the report?

Clark III is not as positive but remember, they are doing away with Clark's all together and .5 still keeps you in good shape as far as Breslow is concerned!

The one thing I learned from my experience is that worrying about the follow up full excision and results was a waste of time! I know, you'll worry anyway, but you have some positives to lean on. Hang in there and keep us posted.

D

georgie430 · Regular Joined: 02 Jul 2009 Posts: 44

Hi Julesburg

It good we have Deklon on the board !!!!

Can I ask you a question, because I had a lesion on my leg that was
"pink" and am confused, I thought if anything it would be scc not melanoma

I thought melanoma had to have pigmaent in it?? How may days after the Derm did biop did you get results and WAS your derm concerned
about the spot or was he "just biopsing to be sure it wasn't anything"

I had a pimple like lesion with a kind of crater in middle abt the size or smaller then a pencil eraser, my derm said he was pretty confident it was nothing but now reading your post ha got me worried

I had 3 different looking looking "things" on my body.

The pimple like one on my leg which when I removed the bandaid it
is not deep, the one that was brown under my breast. Sorry he DID
leave little craters, does that mean he did a full excision???

Sorry Deklon but youseemed to be educated so very useful

thank you so much.......... Denise
_________________
"going thru these very rough times have made
me WAKE UP, I know this sounds cliche, but
don't want to go back to sleep" !!!

LucyM · Experienced user Joined: 06 Jul 2009 Posts: 51

Jules, I am sorry for your situation...I just thought I would answer a couple of Denise's questions quickly so your thread can return to topic.

Denise...I don't think that counts as a full excision, sounds more like he just removed them to biopsy? If that comes back as anything he'll then take more from around the area to make sure it is clear.

Melanoma can be without pigment - known as 'amelanotic melanoma'.

I hope this helps.

Jules...you must be very worried. I think Deklon is correct - it doesn't sound as bad as it could be, by any means. You are doing the right thing and so is your Dr, in fact all credit to him for wanting to do a SNB, I'd have suggested you ask for one if he hadn't.

Sorry you are having this worrying thing to deal with at the same time as your husband's illness. Please let us know how you go with the surgery.

Take care,
Lucy

georgie430 · Regular Joined: 02 Jul 2009 Posts: 44

I'm so sorry, when I re-read this post I "bogarted" the thread, and
that was selfish of me. I read your post and being really scared just
posted w/o thinking.

I dont know what any of the terminology means, "non ulcerated"
and the rest but it seems that others on here do and it seems they
have some positive assurance's for you.

Again my apology's, I'm sorry I was so rude to you with your dx and
your post.

With sincere intentions,
Denise
_________________
"going thru these very rough times have made
me WAKE UP, I know this sounds cliche, but
don't want to go back to sleep" !!!

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