Melanoma (3)

**CHANDLERS WISH** · 03-12-2011 01:44 AM

My Mother had a melanoma removed, in her arm, they did the biopsy and said it's stage 3...

I've tried to read up on this, they are going in again and taking more out, but I am getting confused, as to if they get it all and she has regular 3 monthly checks they can combat it then I get, 30 - 70% chance of re-occurance and a 5 year life span.

My mind is mash potatoes so if anyone has had one, or a family member, friend or can google and get their thoughts I would really, really appreciate it.

And forgive me if I bump as I've put it in the right catagory but alas, not everyone reads this section....

My Fiance also has a lump in the right side that they do not know what it is, it is not showing but felt, so he's having that out, hopefully a cyst...

Man things come in three, next...or hopefully it's Kia my baby, husky who is now diabetic...

Appreciate your answers.

CW

**Seeker_Advice** · 03-12-2011 06:32 AM

My father has had melanoma's removed each spring for five of the last seven years. I have had a couple of Basel cell carcinoma's removed myself in recent months. As far as being told about the re-occurance, you/she was told the same thing I/we were told. As for the life span, my father was told something similar, 3 to 5 years and he is now in his 8th.

So while I don't want to give you any false information or any false hope, in my opinion, based on what you've shared, I think that the physicians treating your mother, really don't have any idea.

As I have come to believe, after doing a fair amount of my own research and asking my own physician two hours worth of questions, that modern medicine doesn't know as much about cancers of the skin as they do cancers that effect other organs.

Cancer has had it's "run" through both sides of my family too. As my mother has lost one sister to it and her other sister has it. It also has touched the lives, though not taken the lives, of other members of our family.

As for your fiance, chances are pretty good that it's a fatty cyst and not cancer. Unfortunately, as we age, particularly men, we develop those little suckers and at times they cause us concern. Based on my personal history, I have each one that I find checked out. It's more of an incovenience than anything else, as I've had a few removed and am monitoring several others.

For me, something that causes additional concern, is if they change size or shape.

So I don't know if I've even helped you CW or not.

Buy your mom a nice hat with a wide brim on it, also buy her long sleeved tops that are made of special fabrics that block the suns rays from getting through and tell her to stay inside between 11 and 4 on sunny days unless she is (unfortunately) covered from head to toe.

Sunscreen with an SPF of 45 or higher becomes her "lotion" of choice. My father applies it just like lotion soon after getting out of the shower in the morning.

I will keep you and the members of your family in my prayers.

HUGS!

**ItsASecret** · 03-12-2011 09:15 AM

Skin cancers are amongst the most aggressive of all the the cancers (pancreatic being one of the absolute worst). They are fast, furious and yet able to be toned down or taken away completely if caught early enough. The problem with any cancer is they word "metastasis", which means a part of the cancerous cells budded off into a new area in the body to grow. Instead of one area being the site of infection, it is now in 2 or 3 or spread throughout the body depending on the cancer. What stage 3 melanoma means is it has grown to the point where bits of it have appeared in the lymph node or in many nodes. The lymph node acts as a central point for your immune system so if it is damaged from cancer cells invading it then the immune system slowly becomes compromised. Your mother's doctor will let her know whether it has spread.

**Seeker_Advice** · 03-12-2011 10:46 AM

Did I miss something?

If it has metastisized, then that is something different entirely, just as ItsASecret points out.

Cancers can metastisize to many, about any area of the body, so just because it's not in the lymph nodes does not mean that it might not be someplace else. Her doctor should be able to give you/her more information and thoughts on how to proceed.

BTW - I didn't mean that your mother's doctor "doesn't really have any idea" literally, just that they may not be able to detect/determine where IF anywhere, it goes next.

Educated guesses are about all they can offer, at least that is all that has been offered to my father.

**ItsASecret** · 03-12-2011 11:17 AM

Melanomas tend to focus on the lymph nodes when they metastasize, it is the first place a doctor will look to diagnose a metastasized higher stage melanoma. The time it becomes a major problem is when it takes over an entire lymph node as this means the cancer is being aggressive. The nodes (there are many in the body) are connected by the lymphatic system, once it takes over one node it is going to be passed onto another. Possible attaching to cells anywhere in the body along the route of the lymphatic system causing spread out tumor growth. Chemo cannot do a whole lot once the lymph system is taken over because chemo is essentially injecting a person with immune system components. The immune system does not work when the lymph nodes have been compromised. The doctors are completely unable to predict the prognosis per patient beyond the basic data they already have. That basic data being the variety of other patients who have all had the same cancer. Some can go into remission for years and years, some succumb to the cancer within a year.

**WildChild** · 03-12-2011 11:56 AM

I have several close family members who have had melanomas removed. Some as far back as 25 years ago. I've had some family members die of cancer - but not the one's who had the melanoma. It really seems to be a matter of being aware. People who've had this have to be examined regularly, actually every 3 or 4 months but with good self care it doesn't have to be a disaster, for some its been a wake up call for better health.

**CHANDLERS WISH** · 03-12-2011 01:53 PM

Thanks everyone I really appreciate your replies..

She is 71, her Mum died at 73, she's a toughy a fighter and darn won't go down with out a fight

But, the fear of all the needles, and the knowledge that they have to cut it open again and dig deeper and check the lympth nodes obviously has her scared to death, she's taking Dad with her to hold her hand, don't blame her, I hate needles myself.

She did say she showed the Doctor two years ago and she wasn't concerned then... She is not a sun freak far from it, the opposite. I guess we are going to have to sit back and see, how far it spread, if it spread but I heard that there are 100's of lymth nodes, hundreds so if it's attacked a few and they're taken out and she re-visits every three months it should be okay, hopefully at least 10 odd years, if not totally....

Thanks Seeker for those prays... Her fear is she knows she's reaching her Mum's age and she's not ready...

It's a Secret, I read where Chemo does nothing in that instance, and that is stage 5.... I had stage 2 Cervical Cancer, 6 years ago, I'm going to put my strength thoughts on they got this just in time to keep it enough undercontrol

It's good to know that people have had people close to them, that have had it and survivied although it would be interesting to know what stage they were, my brother had one out too, but it was stage 1....

It's her birthday Thursday she wanted money for some black cork shoes, so she'll get that plus I bought 3 different pairs of black cork shoes, she has to like one of them at least

Thanks again...

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