Mitotic rate

Hi , I think if you’re not worried now, that that it a good place to be in. Your melanoma has been removed and you have a date for your op. I try and park any worries in the gap in between otherwise it does you head in. Your SLNB will advise if any more preventative treatment is required and your mitotic rate is only one part of the puzzle. 

I feel a bit of a hypocrite as all through November I was sure that an enlarged node would mean that my melanoma was progressing again and that I would need a further op or change in treatment, but when the biopsy came back it showed melanoma that was withering so no op required and showed that my Pembrolizumab treatment was working. It’s the wondering, uncertainty, and waiting that seems the worse and so if you’re not worrying and can park the waiting to one side, Christmas might be a great distraction. 

Best wishes

Thanks for the reply. I’m trying to enjoy Christmas but I just want the surgery over and done with.

hope you have a wonderful Christmas too and great news that your treatment is working

Hi Jo,

This is an interesting/tricky one for me! My staging was 1a but my mitotic rate was 3, which worried me a lot. When I discussed the possibility of an SLNB with the first Doctor I saw, she was really dismissive of my concerns and told me they just don’t do it for that stage. However, my margins weren’t clear from my WLE and I had to have it repeated. I later developed melanoma in my groin.

I do think I was unlucky with this, and I know it’s not common, but I do believe that messing about with insufficient surgery may have contributed to spreading those cells around somewhat!

With hindsight, and having done a lot more reading on the subject, I’m not sure I would have had an SNLB at that point (I def wanted it at the time though!) but I think I might have asked for wider margins for the WLE in the first place. Mine were 1cm initially.

I don’t want to increase your worry at all - it’s stressful enough without that, but I am angry that my concerns were dismissed. They will be treating you according to the recommended NICE guidance, so I suppose the question is if you’d want to change what is actually going to happen or not. If you’re happy to accept the recommended treatment, then there’s no point worrying further because you are going to be treated, and well followed-up; but, if you’re sufficiently concerned that you might want discuss different treatment, then you should be able to have that conversation and your opinion should be considered.

I’m not sure if that helps or not, but I suppose I’m trying to say that I get it!

Best of luck - and even though I’m incapable of taking my own advice, worrying won’t change anything!

Kate x

Thank you for your response. This just proves how unpredictable melanoma is. Hope your on the mend now and I hope you have a wonderful Christmas x

I’m doing really well thanks - so hopefully that’s reassuring too!

Have a great time yourself. X