Treatments
Ideally you’ll never get to this point
unless you need the biopsy and possible wider removal to ensure that the
margins are clear as part of your treatment. Remember, tumors can be
benign (not an immediate problem) or malignant (these spread and while
not common pose the greatest risk to health).
Removal With Sentinel Node Biopsy
After my dermatologist noted and
removed the “mole” on my back he sent it out for a biopsy and one week
later I was told that it was a melanoma. He quickly recommended a
follow-up with a surgeon who would:
-widen the margins by
cutting away more of the tissue from where the melanoma was found
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-conduct a sentinel node
biopsy in which a radioactive dye was injected near the
site of the melanoma. I then underwent a full torso scan where
the technology worked to determine which set of lymph nodes were
associated with the part of my body where the melanoma was
found. As mentioned, the melanoma was right in the middle of my
back. After a 60 minute scan it was determined that the dye was
clustering in my left armpit.
I then went into surgery where
my surgeon widened the margins and took a sample of the tissue
from the lymph modes under my left arm. Both tissue samples were
tested for cancer cells and found to be clear. We believed we
had dodged the bullet and then went on with my continued
recovery from my tongue cancer. |
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Follow-Up Screening and Scanning
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Depending on your risk factors, the time
since your original diagnosis and outcomes of initial
treatments, you need to set up at the very least a periodic look
over by a dermatologist who will look for any suspicious skin
changes. If, during the excision of your melanoma your doctors
were concerned that you have an increased chance of recurrence
at the later time, the could recommend periodic CT scans |
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