newly diagnosed and don't know what to do

glenng · New User Joined: 23 May 2006 Posts: 3

The following is a letter that I wrote to a melanoma clinic in Sydney Australia. I copy and pasted it here so I didn't have to write it all over again. Can anyone tell me about a PET scan and how valuable it is in treating melanoma? I do not want them just doing more surgery on me here in Fiji without knowing more. Can you feel lymph nodes in your arm pit if they have cancer cells?

"I very recently have been diagnosed with stage 3. Initially the area was surgically removed and sections sent to Australia (I live in Fiji) for examination. Reports came back for stage 3 and there were cells too close to outer edges which indicate that more treatment needs to be done. I have had chest X ray and abdominal ultra sound and there was no cancer located in major organs. My family history is fairly negative for illnesses except cancer. Both my parents died of cancer and my brother has had skin cancer as well. The melanoma is behind my right arm and I could not see it unless I twist my arm around to visualize it. I first noticed it 8-9 months ago.

My local physician is indicating that a larger and deeper area into the muscle layer needs to be removed as well as observing lymph nodes for pooling of dye. And some lymph nodes will also have to be removed whether there is pooling or not. My dilemma is that I want to do everything possible to stop this cancer, but I do not want anything more invasive than needed. I am 66 years old and have no major medical or mental problems and I want to live another 30-40 years yet.

I am writing to you today to ask about a PET scan. Would that do or give me more information about exactly the involvement of the cancer? The PET scan is not something that is available to me here in Fiji. I have read about vaccine therapy, but it isn’t that effective. I guess I am asking you if there are other things I should/could be doing before I have more involved surgery? I am willing to come to Australia and do less invasive treatments. Melanoma is not seen that much here in Fiji as Fijians are brown skinned and their incidence rates are much less than with us European people.

Do I have to be referred to your melanoma unit or can I just come and make an appointment? I will be seeing my local physician again this week and will certainly talk to him about this, but I have to be doing something for myself in the meantime. He and I have already talked about being treated here vs. Australia, and of course, the decision is mine. I just feel like I want to be treated by experts who know everything about melanoma. I know you can not diagnose over the internet, but if you could send me any information in the meantime I’d appreciate it. I have to do the right thing for myself and that includes learning everything I can about this."

How bad is stage 3? I've read many sites on the web and many of them all say something different. It is really scary and I am isolated here in Fiji as far as health care. We do not even have a CAT scan here .

If anyone has advice I'd really need some good direction. Thanks , Glenn

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