Too common

I’m glad to hear you’re treatable but as you say maybe that could have been avoided. I had a biopsy on a mole and was a told it was a naevus and was lead to understand it was nothing to worry about. Ten years later when it got itchy I assumed it 

Hi Balfazar, 

I can very much relate to your post. 

My partner (38) had his primary melanoma on his calf excised in 2018 with clear SNLB. Attended 3 monthly skin checks with a Dermatology CNS since then. 
In May 2022 the CNS felt tiny pea sized lump in his groin. An ultrasound performed about 3 weeks later confirmed it was suspicious for melanoma reoccurrence in the lymph node (Stage 3). We were told further tests would be needed to actually confirm it was melanoma and what they wanted to do about it. 
From here we waited: 2 months for a PET-CT, 3.5 months for a lymph node biopsy which was done in September 22. Despite constant chasing of the CNS, the biopsy results took another 7 weeks to come back - taking us to November. Surprise surprise it was melanoma and a told a lymph node dissection was required to remove the lymph node. Still currently localised in the groin node with 2 clear brain MRI's throughout the year. 
Surgery was booked for end of February 2023 - another 3 month wait. We assumed these wait times were safe as no-one seemed particularly concerned. He never even saw an oncologist - just was sent all these appointments in the post with no explanation of what they all really meant. 
2 days after the surgery developed severe headaches, vomiting and was bed-bound. Back to A+E and a brain scan confirmed 4 metastatic deposits in his brain. Had probably been there a few months but no-one had checked since November. 
Also now Stage 4, not curable. Treatable. Had emergency craniotomy to remove the biggest met from his cerebellum. Cyberknifed the others. Currently doing incredibly well on immunotherapy - 3 rounds of ipi/nivo and 5 maintenance Nivo's so far. Everything shrinking.
Overall it took 8 months from suspicion of recurrence to the lymph node dissection with no input from oncology the whole time. 

I wrote to the PALS department of the hospital and an inquiry has declared his case a 'Serious Incident'. A full investigation is being carried out and am expecting a report this month. 
Could faster action likely prevented him moving from curative to non-curative? Likely, but we will never know. I'm interested to see what the report has to say about why we waited so long for everything to happen. 

Hope your treatment plan is working for you and everything is heading in the right direction. 

Hi good vibes only. 

Once my mole was removed things moved very fast,I was lucky there. Just took so long to get the bloody thing looked at properly.  

I'm glad to hear that treatment is working for your husband. 

It's just so shocking how many people are left too long.

I can't fault the treatment I've has since diagnosis.  Just the fight to get it seen.

I hope someone is accountable for the delay in your husbands treatment.

Just had latest scan results and thankfully some of them are gone and others have shrunk. So good news here too. 

Just angry that had my mole been seen sooner and removed ,ii wouldn't need blinking treatment. 

I wish you and your husband well

Tivbin

Your message wasn't complete ,so unsure how to reply.  I hope you are well