My suspicious mole was identified as just less than 1mm, but 1b. I was informed that a wide excision with sentinel node surgery would be delayed by 5 months, even if I opted for it.
In the meantime, what signs around the scar would indicate a local spread e.g. crusting? If I never feel enlarged axillary nodes during this enforced delay, would it not suggest that the swift narrow excision had removed the disease and further surgery after 5 months is not vital?
Hi John52,
Thank you for getting in touch with us and welcome to the online community. My name is Adrienne and I’m one of the Cancer Information Nurses at Macmillan.
It’s understandable that you’d be worried about a 5 month wait for wide local excision (WLE) following the initial removal of the melanoma.
Each person’s case is discussed at the multidisciplinary team meeting (MDT) which is made up of dermatologists, surgeons, pathologists, oncologists and specialist nurses. They will have looked at the pathology results from the initial excision and deemed it safe to wait for 5 months for WLE, usually because all of the cancer was removed (although this would need to be clarified with your surgeon or specialist nurse).
The reason they would still offer WLE and sentinel node biopsy is because the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines state that WLE should be offered to prevent recurrence in anyone with a stage 0 to 2 melanoma. You can read more on the NICE guidelines here.
It’s important that you report any changes to the excision site as soon as they occur. This may include redness, swelling, pain/tenderness, itchiness, oozing, bleeding or the appearance of a lump.
As you mentioned, keep an eye on your auxiliary lymph nodes too and report any swelling or lumps.
As we approach the spring and summer months, it’s important to protect your skin too. You can read more about that here.
I hope this information was helpful. Please know that you can always give us a call and talk to one of our nurses about this in more detail.
Take care and best wishes,
Adrienne
Cancer Information Nurse Specialist
You can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts. We are available on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or send us an email.
Ref: AMc/SMJ
