Hi all I’ve just recently been diagnosed with Nodular Melanoma Stage 3, although I don’t get my CT results until Thursday.. does anyone know if the stages are linked to the depth of the melanoma as mines was 3.2mm.
I first noticed a red dot on my inner thigh in July and went to my GP several times and he kept saying it looked normal so I went for a private consultation at the beginning of December had it removed on 15th of December and wax diagnosed with Nodular Melanoma on the 8th of January.
Sorry for the long message I’m beside myself with worry that the CT scan will show that it has spread x
Hi Liky and a very warm welcome to the online community which I hope you'll find is both an informative and supportive place to be.
I'm sorry to read that you've recently been diagnosed with melanoma and it's natural to worry that it might have already spread.
The staging of melanoma comes in two parts and, as I don't know where you are in the process, I'll explain both parts for you.
The initial staging is done by measuring the depth of the melanoma which is known as the Breslow thickness. If you click here, you'll see that your depth of 3.2mm means that you are stage T3. This pathological stage is then converted to the actual Stage, which in your case would be Stage 2, as your melanoma is thicker than 2mm.
If after a sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) and/or a CT scan has been done it is found that the melanoma has spread to nearby lymph nodes or other close areas of your skin, your Stage would be upgraded from 2 to 3. All this information is in the link I've provided you with but I'm happy to try and clarify things further for you if what I've written doesn't make sense!
So basically, if you haven't had the results of a SLNB or CT scan yet and there's no visible sign of the melanoma having spread to nearby areas of your skin you are probably Stage 2. However, if you've already had the results and spread has been found then you're Stage 3. To be absolutely certain what Stage you are I'd recommend that you give your SCNS a call tomorrow morning.
It would be great if you could put something about your diagnosis and treatment so far into your profile as it really helps others when replying to you and also when looking for someone on a similar pathway. It also means that you don't have to keep repeating yourself. To do this click on your username and then select 'Profile'. You can amend it at any time and if you're not sure what to write you can take a look at mine by clicking on my username.
"Never regret a day in your life, good days give you happiness, bad days give you experience"
Oh, I'm sorry that it is actually Stage 3. I was hoping that it was the complicated staging process that was throwing you and you were actually Stage 2.
Where has it has already spread to if you're Stage 3? There are quite a lot of people in the group who are Stage 3 so I'm sure they'll be happy to share their experiences of treatment with you when you're told exactly what you'll be having.
Wishing you all the best
Anne
"Never regret a day in your life, good days give you happiness, bad days give you experience"
Yes, it does sound like the depth is stage 3 if she's circled T3 as that's the Breslow depth I mentioned in my previous post. That doesn't mean you're stage 3. To be Stage 3 your melanoma needs to have spread to:
If none of the above applies to you then you're pathological stage T3, and actual Stage 2. Have another read of the information I linked you to, which is from Macmillan, to see if that makes more sense.
Have you had the follow-up wide local excision (WLE) or SLNB yet as these also check for spread?
x
"Never regret a day in your life, good days give you happiness, bad days give you experience"
I think it would be best to give your SCNS a call tomorrow to clarify the stage. I can only go by what you've told me whereas she has access to your records.
((hugs))
"Never regret a day in your life, good days give you happiness, bad days give you experience"
Hi Liky
If you click on the link I created in my first reply to you and look at the list under the heading 'Breslow thickness', you'll see that pT3b is the tumour thickness for melanomas between 2mm and 4mm. As yours was 3.2mm thick you can see why yours is pT3. The 'b' stands for ulcerated, which means that the skin over the melanoma was broken. Mine was too.
Then if you scroll up and look under the heading 'TNM Staging system for melanoma', you'll see that any melanomas that are thicker than 2mm are Stage 2. Again the B is because your melanoma was ulcerated.
All this information they will have got from your biopsy. If the scan is okay then your staging, ie Stage 2B will remain the same. The only way you'll know if they've got your scan results yet is to get in touch and ask, although I see from your original post that you're expecting a phone call with your results this Thursday.
I'll be keeping everything crossed for you.
"Never regret a day in your life, good days give you happiness, bad days give you experience"
