Wide Area Excision.....is that alway the case for metatastic melanoma?

Hi

I am really sorry to hear about the melanoma, but welcome to the group where everyone knows exactly how hard it is to live on this knife edge. 

I can’t help with your question but maybe KTatHome might know more? It’s certainly worth asking over in the melanoma group too. 

https://community.macmillan.org.uk/cancer_types/melanoma/

If you’re looking for folks who will listen while you rant or just want to chat to others who know what it’s like to live with incurable cancer, this is a great place to be. 

All the best. 

Hi Jules, I can understand that ticking time bomb thought, I’ve had my ups and downs myself. I have just had a look at your profile, it sounds like you’ve had a needle biopsy on a lump near your breast and it’s been confirmed as melanoma. I’m unclear if the lump is an area of skin or a lymph node. 

Ive just had a needle biopsy on a lump in my groin, it was a lymph node and the plan was to take the string of lymph nodes out as this is the second reoccurrence in a node since originally being told I was no evidence of disease after a year on immunotherapy. However my results have been quirky this time that melanoma has been confirmed but that it’s withering so they are not now planning surgery and to just continue with the immunotherapy. So they don’t always do surgery it would appear, and I understand you’ve been on Immunotherapy until adverse events stopped that. 

I understand your surgery is tomorrow, They always have to take a clear margin around the cancer but that margin alters depending on where it is in the body due to the fat level in the skin. Listening to the talks by surgeons at the melanoma patient conference sometimes a plastic surgeon will take the margin the first time so that you don’t have to go back for a second WLE which ensures the margin. With your they already know it’s melanoma if it was just for instance a mole they don’t know and remove it test the area surrounding to check for the required clear margin I suppose. I would say put a question in the ask an expert as I am no medic, but as your surgery is tomorrow you won’t get a reply before you know.

Various times in the last few weeks I think I’ve just had to take a leap of faith in my team that they will do the best for me that they can, and just to go with the flow. Self preservation to think only about the moment and not what might be ahead.

good luck for tomorrow and I hope you will let us know how you get on.

Thank you for your kind words KT. I hope all goes well. I had lymph glands removed from my groin a couple of years ago as this is where my cancer came back after 22 years Ned. I guess I’ll find out today. The lump is in my chest wall. Take care Jules x

I hope all went well for you today Jules.

Thanks KT. I am booked in for Surgery on 24th December ( another bloody Christmas cancelled). They also confirmed my suspicions that I seem to have another lump developed that wasn’t on my scan 6 weeks ago, so they are trying to arrange an ct scan and a biopsy before surgery, so they can deal with them both together if appropriate.

i try so hard to be positive, but if I am now developing tumours at this rate and they are causing pain now.....if feel like I’m sliding down the edge of the precipice 

Hi Jules, Christmas Eve surgery, it sounds like it will be all go for you over the next week, and then a rest after the op. From being on this site since my incurable diagnosis in 2015, I see mine and others thoughts changing sometimes from let’s get everything done as soon as possible to, just give me this one holiday, a time to regroup and have the strength to push on again, and sometimes a yo-yo in thought until we have things straight in our head. 

I’m sure you are lamenting another Christmas ruined and I wonder if since you’ve written that if your mind is searching for all the ways to continue to enjoy Christmas and embrace that they are prioritising looking after you. 

Sending a virtual gentle hug as sometimes embracing the crappiness of it all is the only way to pick ourselves up again, we just hope the feeling crappy part lasts as short a time as possible. 

Best wishes