Cancer (page 4)

Robdar

(((Sirona))),

Best wishes for a speedy recovery. You are in my thoughts.

Love,

Robyn

I couldn't agree more. One experience in the derm office involved a lady who came in to consult the doc about a lump that was on her shoulder. My boss determined that it was a simple lipoma (a benign tumor) but suggested it be excised due to its location and the fact that it had increased in size. The patient readily agreed. On the day of surgery all went according to plan until I retracted the skin edges. Lipomas are fatty tumors, yellowish in color, and the underlying tissues are pink. This thing was GREY. I knew without the doc saying a word that we were not looking at a lipoma. We excised the mass, closed the incision and sent the tissue off to pathology. It was a soft tissue sarcoma. We sent this lady for tumor bed re-excision at the UDub, postoperatively she had several cycles of chemotherapy as a precautionary measure.

Mulan hit the nail on the head for everyone folks. You should feel comfortable about the treatment you're getting. Don't let docs put you off and don't let insurance companies "manage" your care. Remember your not just "patients" you're "medical consumers".

RN

Francois

Sirona, where are you? In the US, any mm deeper than .75 millimeters automatically gets an SNB. No questions asked.

Some other points:

Never, ever let a derm freeze, punch biopsy, or shave a suspicious mole. You want a COMPLETE AND FULL excision. End of story. I had a derm want to save a mole on me AFTER I had gone through my first melanoma. I told him that it was going to be excised and that it was up to him whether he did it or someone else did it. He decided it might as well be him.

Personally, I think the SNB should be done for freckles. I get a lot of argument out of that. If you don't like the looks of a mole then insist on the SNB. I've heard of people dying of melanomas of .7 millimeters. Screw the statistics. You're not a statistic, you're you, a full-blown anecdote. Screw 'em, it's your life and your insurance company's money. They can't loose by being careful with you.

-francois

Golden Girl

Can you calrify something? I thought a D.O. ..was a Doctor of Osteopathy ? Is that right?

Someone here said it was a MD with more training. But I was under the impression that they were between a MD and a Chiropracter. This one has Specializes in Diseases and Tumors of the skin. It doesn't say "Certified".

He works in a Dermatology office. He has D.O. after his name. Not M.D.

Thank you...Golden Girl...

Edited by - Golden Girl on 17 August 2002 0:58:11

Sirona

Thanks everyone! I do appreciate your kind words and prayers, etc. I've been pretty down today and reading this thread has helped. Thanks also for the information and offers of help.

I will add some points of my own:

Skin cancer is not always a mole that goes larger or different. Yes, ALWAYS get moles investigated if they change in any way.

However, my melanoma was not a mole. It was a little lump which appeared on its own in a clear area of skin. It was RED (not brown or black).

Any lump on your skin, yellow, white, red, brown or black - GET IT INVESTIGATED. It will gradually gain size. It will not normally be a perfect circle and sometimes the skin around it is discoloured.

Francios:

The surgeon is shaving a suspicious spot on me because it is on my chin. It is pale and does not look like the previous melanoma, but she will check it anyway. If there are melanocytes in this lump then they will show up from the shave. After which she will perform a full excision. If not, I will not be left with a 2 inch scar across my chin!

Thanks for you information, its clear you know what you are talking about!

I go into hospital Monday 19th August for more biopsies under general anaesthetic.

Sirona

Valis

Sirona...I have had several family members die of cancer. One a slow painfull death and the other rather quickly. I feel for you.

I was just remembering something I saw on TV about how it only takes two or three really bad sunburns to increase your chances of melanoma. And if that's the case I am so screwed..*L*

Sincerely,

District Overbeer

patio34

Hi Sirona,

Best wishes for good news for you.

I read something interesting about melanoma as opposed to other skin cancers. Melanoma means cancer (CA) of the melanin, as opposed cancer of the skin. The aspect that differentiates this CA is that melanin moves in your system, as opposed to cancer on the skin just sitting there, or in the breast, lung, or colon, etc.

But the fact that melanin moves around the body means it transports CA cells rather rapidly. That's why there's such a difference in melanoma and other skin cancers, even other organ cancers.

The reason melanin moves is that it goes to where the skin needs protection from the sun and is a highly mobile substance. At least that's my understanding.

By the way, I had stage-3 colorectal CA 3 1/2 yrs ago with no recurrence so far.

Good luck, Sirona.

Pat

Edited by - Patio34 on 31 August 2002 0:48:40

Princess

I was just at the dermatologist with my kids last week and she proceeded to lecture them on the dangers of the sun and the importance of wearing sunscreen. They are redheads and ages four and six. They have spent the summer complaining and sometimes throwing tantrums because they hate sunscreen. I found SPF 30 with glitter for my daughter but my son just freaks out at having sunscreen on his face. Anyway, the derm gave this awesome lecture and repeating everything I have been telling them all summer. The difference is they actually heard her. With me it's just blah blah blah. They don't complain anymore. They know what cancer is and they don't want it. My son understands that the burns he gets today can cause cancer when he is daddy's age.

My husband is a redhead who grew up in the Texas sun. He has had many bad sunburns and was even taken to the ER as a child to have his burns treated. He now sees a dermatologist every six months and has something biopsied or removed EVERY time. I know it's just a matter of time before they find something serious, but since he goes so frequently I am comfortable that they will find it early.

Wear sunscreen and apply it often.

Thanks for starting this thread Sirona, we can't hear this enough.

Rachel

Sirona

Results are in !!!

Good news, they didn't find any cancer in my glands!!!!!!

I'm very relieved. It doesn't mean I'm 100% out of the woods though, because they didn't get a good biopsy sample again unfortunately. However, I have been told that they are not worried that it is cancer because all the characteristics point to some other sort of glandular infection.

I am visiting the ear / nose / throat specialist on Monday. He is going to arrange for me to have more biopsies of the glands behind my nose (lymph nodes there that are enlarged). They believe that this may show another form of infection, although they will routinely scan these for cancer aswell.

I'm having multiple blood tests, chest xrays, a head/brain scan. I will be going into hospital for the biopsies (and general anaesthetic again! ) in another couple of weeks.

Anyway, I am signing for my new house on Tuesday - I can't wait for them to find out what is making my glands enlarged and just give me treatment.

Anyway, thanks everyone for your support and help, I really really do appreciate it. I don't know what I'd do without you!

Love

Sirona

outnfree

YAY!!!!!

I am SO happy to hear this ((((((((((Sirona)))))))))))! We've been worried, too!

Congrats on the new house and have a lovely weekend!

Love,

out

Cancer

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