My husbands has 3 lesions and swollen lymph nodes.

Hi Mary 1965

It is unusual for the plastic surgeon to say that it is melanoma - most say that you should wait for the pathology result - so you are probably correct to prepare yourself for unwelcome news. If it turns out to be something else, it will be a relief.

I also left my melanoma a long time before seeking treatment and I was certainly was ready to be told it was cancerous and that it had spread, which it had. A piece of hopeful news for you - I am now 'No Evidence of Disease' (NED) for the last three and a half years. I was treated with immunotherapy.

So I hope that your husband gets better news than I did but if he doesn't, there are treatments available. I found that the whole process improved when I moved from the Plastics Team to the Melanoma Team, who told me what treatments were available and answered all my questions so that I could choose the best way forward for me. I was very lucky to live in the catchment area of a hospital with an excellent specialist team for melanoma. My specialist cancer nurse (SCN) was amazing.

Given that your husband's lymph nodes are swollen, they may offer him a scan next. This could be ultrasound, a CT scan, a PET scan or a combination of the three. I also had an MRI scan to check my head, which was clear.

Good luck. My advice is stay away from Google because the information there is often out of date. I used the Cancer Research UK website as a source of accurate, balanced information. However, it would probably be better to wait for confirmation of what the lesions actually are.

https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/melanoma

All the best

Moira, thank you for this reply. I know I haven’t been on here for a long time, my initial melanoma was removed via WLE in 2017 and my SLN biopsy was clear. 

I recently found a lump in my breast tissue and had the breast clinic check it out. Ultrasound showed the lump plus swollen lymph nodes and another small area of concern in my breast, it’s all in a kind of triangular position from armpit to nipple. 

RResults  showed cancer cells under my arm in lymph nodes and melanoma as the mass inside my breast tissue. 

Have been told I need a CT scan and it will probably be surgery and immunotherapy at the very least, mastectomy and reconstruction and radiotherapy at the worst case scenario. 

I am terrified. I have a 3 year old son and just bought a house and love my job. 

How did you get through this? 

Laura 

Hi Laura

Everyone is different. For example, I have a phobia of doctors and hospitals, so that was my main obstacle when getting through treatment.

What got me through?

1. My husband
2. My excellent Specialist Cancer Nurse
3. The flexibility of my Melanoma Team - they worked around my phobia
4. Two psychiatrists and two psychologists - I doubt you will need these but some professional counselling may help you get your thoughts straight without burdening someone who has an emotional attachment to you
5. Accepting that the treatment has to be put before everything else, which was difficult for me and may be even more difficult for you as you have a young son

If possible, you need to keep the fear and anxiety under control (says the person with the phobia!), because time lost to fear and anxiety is time wasted.

All the best

Thank you so much, I'm keeping everything crossed and have barred myself from Google... I'm so glad your therapy is working for you.

Hi

Unfortunately there are many of us in this group who have been where your husband is now

When your husband has his operations the areas to be removed will be numbed with a local anaesthetic. The lesions will then be removed and sent off to the pathology labs to find out if they are melanoma or not. The wound will be closed with stitches which usually need removing although sometimes dissolvable stitches are used. Before he leaves your husband will be given instructions on how to look after the wounds, when to have the stitches out, etc.

Tell him to ask before he leaves how long the results are currently taking in your area as it can differ from one area of the country to another. It also depends on how busy the path labs are but results typically take between 2-6 weeks to come back. Also tell him to ask how he'll receive these results, ie will he get called in for an appointment no matter what the results are, or will he get the results by post, etc.

Let us know how he gets on this week.

x

Thank you ...omgosh ... 6 weeks ... that's such a long time ... thanks for the very useful advise. Will keep you updated ... hope you are keeping well

You do have to get used to waiting, unfortunately, !

Yes, I'm very well thank you. If you want to read about my journey with melanoma just click on my username. It'll help send you to sleep, lol.

x

Hi

How did your husband's excisions go last week and does he have an idea of when he should get the results back?

x

Hi

Thank you for asking - it's actually tomorrow … the 2 weeks should have made it Monday gone - but the surgeon only works Monday and Thursday - and Monday was bank holiday!

I will let you know tomorrow. :-) 

Hi,

Just a little catch up ... my husband had the 3 lesions removed ... and now we have to wait for up to 6 weeks. He's taking everything in his stride and is certain it is nothing to worry about.i wish i were so confident.