Anyone have a mole biopsy come back as melanoma?

[veronica]

I am a bit freaked right now. The Dr. has assured me it was caught very early but I still have to go back and get the surrounding area removed (a 4 inch scare on my upper left breast-to match my stretchmarks, i suppose). I googled a bit, but want to stay away from any more. The word "melanoma" has such a bad prognosis and although I have the "best" stage/type of it, I can't help but look at each freckle suspiciously. I have very fair skin and tan easily but still have moles (flat and raised) everywhere. I went in just for my yearly scan and it was a new Dr. who decided to do 5 different biopsies and , of course, the last one was the melanoma. The thing is, I have had this mole for years, small and flat and brown. Only one little tiny jagged edge....

I just keep thinking they are all over my body or will keep coming back....

[bubbaray]

I had one mole come back as a level 1, whatever that is. Get this, it was in my pubic hair. Trust me, that area had never seen the light of day, let alone get tanned or burned, LOL. My dermatologist assured me that the margins were clear, so nothing to worry about. I too am very fair-skinned (with dark brown, nearly black hair). I used to tan easily, now I burn then tan. I have more moles than I could ever count, some flat, some raised. I have had a number removed from my arms and legs, and 6 removed from my face (by my dermatologist's husband, who is a plastic surgeon. My derm could have done it, but as it was my face I just felt better with the PS doing it.).

A good friend of DH's has had stage 4 melanoma on his bottom lip. He had quite a bit removed and PS to reconstruct. You'd never know now. He is very fair, red-haired with freckles. He has he more removed that were fine. He has to go back regularly for checks, though I think he's about 6yrs out from diagnosis so maybe he goes less regularly?

Its super scary, but once you get clear margins, I'm sure everything will be fine. Hugs!

[JBaxter]

Yes I had stage 1 melanoma on my arm. The biopsy showed it was .33mil deep but they still have to excise to the muscle. I had a plastic surgeon do it because I heard that dermotolgist leave bigger scars. It was almost 2 yrs ago I do have a tendency to keloid so after 6 months I had the scar injected to flatten it out. I also found out I was very sensitve to desloving sutures so it looked a real mess for a couple weeks. I go back for regular mole checks but with stage 1 they dont have to take any lymphnodes stage 2 they do.
I had 10 other moles taken off but the one on my arm had changed color ( got very black looking) I still tan w/ sunscreen Im not what I consider fair skined. All has been well since

[bubbaray]

I also found out I was very sensitve to desloving sutures so it looked a real mess for a couple weeks. I


Ditto that. Neither my dermatologist nor my PS use dissolvable sutures for external stiches for that reason.

Also, I used a silicone (I think) gel for a few months post-op. I also had my facial moles removed (electively, none were suspicious) in winter when I would be less exposed to the sun, which increases scarring. Both my derm and PS said no vitamin E pre or post-op, either internally or externally.