Lentigo Maligna

Hi , I put Maxillofacial into the search bar in this group and came up with a discussion from , I’m hoping she will notice my tag and pop in.

I’m not sure what your Dr might mean by saying the diagnosis might change but in my experience if you have further questions and a skin cancer nurse as a keyworker they are more than happy to answer questions about your case if you give them a call. 

There is an information and support section on Macmillan, I’ve put the link below

https://www.macmillan.org.uk/information-and-support/melanoma/understanding-cancer/melanoma-types.html

It mentions lentigo maligna being a precancerous condition which is slow growing, I’m not sure if this is your diagnosis or wether you have lentigo maligna melanoma. A precancerous conditions caught early might be a cause to celebrate even though you still have to go through some surgery.

wishing you all the best and hope you get the info you need.

Hi

I'm sorry to hear that your biopsy has come back showing that you need to have the area that was biopsied removed.

If it is lentigo maligna, and not lentigo maligna melanoma, you might also like to join and post in the skin cancer group as there are several people there with the same diagnosis as you. Clicking on the link I've created will take you there.

Both of these are slow growing pre-cancerous conditions with lentigo maligna melanoma growing from lentigo maligna. This is maybe what the doctor meant when she said that your diagnosis might change. However, as KTatHome has said, the best person to ask to clarify what was meant would be your SCNS. Also check about the time frame for having it removed for peace of mind.

Let us know how you get on at your next consultation.

x

Thank you for your reply and information  X

Hello

thanks for the tag KTatHome

My story is a good one as caught early like yours too, however mine is malignant melanoma. It can be a lengthy process unfortunately so you will have to wait it out. 

Feb I went to the docs actually about my ear bugging me and the doc noticed that my mole didn’t look quite right on my left cheek (it was two colours and not asymmetric) so referred me to the dermatologist. 

March I saw the dermatologist who agreed it didn’t look right and had it whipped off by punch biopsy that same day (I got lucky they could slot me in). 

April (4 weeks after biopsy) I was called back in to be told malignant melanoma and that I would need a WLE from the maxillofacial team. I was also told if not a clear margin taken I may need a second WLE. 

May 2nd I had the WLE performed and maxillofacial again said they were pretty sure they had done a clear margin but had they not I’d have more taken. 

June 4th was told NED and that they had got the lot. They want a full body scan and 3 monthly skin checks. 

Hope this helps regarding waiting times as can be daunting waiting around but they know what they’re doing. Good luck with your journey lovely 

Hi so glad you are well and that it was caught in time the Drs have told me that my diagnosis might change after WLE and biopsy but not sure what they mean by that. I have appointment with Maxillofacial team on 17th July and then I will get my date for WLE and I am not sure just what to expect. 

Thank you for your message and I wish you well for the future xxx

I’m not sure what they mean either. The maxillofacial will just tell you about how they will do the WLE and draw you an image of what it will look like. They will mention the risks so infection and tell you how to look after your scar. They will weigh you and take your blood pressure also. They will then book you in and you should get a letter. 

I hope that is a little bit more helpful. Keep us posted about your journey and we are all here anytime :) xx

Hi

How did your appointment with the maxillofacial team go last week?

x

Hi I was quite concerned because initially they said there would be a few months before next op as no rush but last appointment with Maxillofacial Drs they have said it needs doing ASAP so going for op this Tuesday 23/7 I have also got this on my nose now and also on my shoulder which they are going to do at the same time.  Don’t really know what to expect but they have mentioned rotation flap anyway  I will find out Tuesday. They said everything will get sent off for histology so the one on my shoulder I’m not sure what that is but it’s got to come off as looks suspicious. Thank you for getting in touch and I will keep you updated as to my progress.

Thanks xx

Sorry to hear that you now have a couple of other suspicious areas that need removing  in addition to your original patch. However, it's much better to get these all removed in one go and quickly so that you don't have time to worry about when your appointment is going to come through.

When you go on Tuesday the surgeon will explain what he's hoping to achieve and, if you're not sure about anything, keep asking until you do understand. The surgeon will have done the procedure countless times before and sometimes they forget that what to them is routine obviously isn't for us and we need to understand what's happening.

I'd recommend that you ask how long the current wait for results is in your area as it differs from one place to another and also depends on how busy the path labs are. When I recently had a suspicious lesion removed the nurse told me that the results should be back in 2 weeks but gave me a number to call if I hadn't heard anything after 6 weeks. In the end it took 4 weeks for me to get them.

Do pop back and let us know how it goes on Tuesday.

x

Hi thanks for your reply I will let you know how I get on x