<p>By a full body scan, I mean completely naked. My derm goes over me top to bottom, front to back, between my toes and through my scalp. He is good. He spotted my melanoma #2. I didn’t like the mole (he thought it was o.k.) that ended up being #3. In addition to heredity, there are some studies that suggest severe sunburns as a toddler or teen can trigger melanoma in your adult years. I grew up in Southern California and used to regularly put on baby oil and fry at the beach. How stupid of me! Wish I could go back in time and do things differently, but that’s water under the bridge. I wear long sleeves, hats, sunglasses and sunblock with the highest SPF I can find. I am absolutely floored at the number of people who regularly go to tanning booths.</p>
<p>Okay, that is what I thought you were referring to.</p>
<p>I also had a stage 1 melanoma, about 7 years ago. Upper arm.</p>
<p>Here’s what alerted me: a mole that itched. They tell you about border, color, asymmetry, size, but nobody had ever mentioned itch.</p>
<p>It looked totally normal. I figured it could be a rash, allergy, or irritation and decided I’d keep an eye on it. About a week later, when I looked again, there was a black spot on the mole, it looked like someone had dotted it with a felt tip pen. Went right in.</p>
<p>The dermatologist took it out with a huge border. The mole was small, but he took a half dollar sized chunk out of my arm (looked awful at first but you can barely see the scar now).</p>
<p>Indeed, it was melanoma-- but because he’d taken such large margins there was no further surgery required.</p>
<p>I too grew up in Ca and got dozens upon dozens of sunburns as a kid. I’m very careful with my children.</p>
<p>oops, here is another Californian who basted with baby oil and cocoa butter… I had a fabulous tan all through high school.</p>
<p>My Dad (mainly pale, English background) had a lot of melanoma. His doctor told me that I “will never get it because of my skin tone” (one quarter Portuguese). I didn’t believe him, but I haven’t been very vigilant in this area… Thanks for the heads up.</p>
<p>Consolation, What did the derm say about the shaving? Does he want you to get regular rechecks? I’m with Lukester about doubts.The biopsy excision ended up being pretty painless. I feel stupid for not having it done yrs ago. I went to the derm every six months to have my freckle checked, and he always said that the only way to know for sure was to take it off but that he was comfortable with me coming back in six months for a recheck. I’m a big, big chicken and mine is right on my cheek so I didn’t want a scar. But if the derm would of said that it needed to be taken off, I would of sucked it up and done it. My excision is next week, and I’m not sure how big the scar will end up being. I do take full responsibility for my stupidity.
Lukester, Congrats on being a survivor! I am looking for a new derm to have a body scan. Any suggestions on what I should be looking for?
wis75, wow that’s a mega scar. Bet it gives you character. Thankfully you caught it when you did. I’m going to try and send you a pm. I never sent one before.
Healthy wishes to Mrs p2n.
SBmom, ths for the encouragement that no matter what the scar looks like, it’ll get better.</p>
<p>From what I’ve read, the biggest risk factor for melanoma is serious sunburn. Apparently, even a single bad sunburn (for a lot of people it’s on the upper torso or arms) is enough, and can cause melanoma years later. A bit scary, really.</p>
<p>On the upside, dermatologists are very careful about this. I had a routine acne appointment this summer, and the dermatologist (a new guy; this was my first appointment with him) saw a mole he “didn’t like” on my back, and exicisional biopsied it/removed it. Turns out to have been the kind of mole that probably would’ve been melanoma a couple of years down the line. It’s comforting to know that medical professionals are taking this more and more seriously.</p>
<p>She didn’t seem to think that it needed monitoring. Cosmetically, it would have been better if they just took the whole thing, because now instead of just a big irregular freckle I have a big irregular freckle with a rectangular area taken out of it! :)</p>
<p>I am very reluctant to pursue it any further because I have a $15K deductible on my health insurance. (And for that we still pay over $350 per month. One of the millions who are either uninsured or grossly underinsured.) I simply can’t afford it.</p>
<p>Lilly, as the survivor of 2 basal cells, know that what you walk out of the office looking like has no bearing on how things heal in the end. I’m not esp. vain, but was much taken aback after my two were taken off. It took time, but no one can tell where the scars are now unless I point them out. Melanoma is a different story, but still, skin can heal in amazing ways with a skilled surgeon. </p>
<p>Two men of my aquaintance are now a few years past malignant melanoma, thanks to some NIH trials and more than a few lucky stars. Both were very much into outdoor exercise, marathon running, triathalons, which apparently lead to higher risk. Sunscreen doesn’t last though these events. </p>
<p>Wear hats! Skin cancer has given me license to buy hats, and wear them freely. Lots of fun, even if the cancer is not. What I would like to bring back in style is using a sun umbrella when out walking, as they still do in Asia. Here, I’d feel a bit too eccentric.</p>
<p>Consolation, I’m so sorry for out health care system, and how it puts people like you at risk, and worse.</p>
<p>Re the skilled surgeon comment: when my dermatologist was preparing to hack away at my upper arm, I said, “um, er, do you think maybe I should see a plastic surgeon?”</p>
<p>His reply: “No, no, I did a plastic surgery rotation in the army.”</p>
<p>So reassuring!</p>
<p>It went from looking like Frankenstein (puckered, mismatched, etc-- due to circular wound sewed shut into a straight line) to scarcely visible.</p>
<p>Character-ha! I’m not sure if the added weight of past years made it easier to have enough skin to close the wound, or the resulting dip in my arm is worse (I don’t go sleeveless, wasn’t for the flabby arms before)- the scar has matured to not be glaringly obvious, it’s the indentation that is noticeable. BTW, I wonder if it is only a physician who will get out her 6" ruler and measure the new incision line. They did outpatient surgery (you can be miserable at home just as well as at the hospital) and it was the start of long sleeve weather so I couldn’t even get sympathy for having recent surgery! I actually pulled off my sleeve to impress upon my relatives the scope of it- out of site, out of mind (no, I didn’t show off another surgical scar I had acquired in past years…).</p>
<p>I second the motion on letting a spouse look- my mole was at the sleeve line where you can’t see it without consciously twisting even looking in the mirror; it was only 4 mm and circular but darkest brown, unlike its former twin a few inches away… There are warning criteria but a melanoma may not fit them- you are the one who notices any change. Also remind your eye care doctor (physician/optometrist) to check, as well as your dentist and, for women, the doctor in charge of your pelvic exam if you are diagnosed with melanoma to check for (highly unlikely) mets (dermatologists do skin, not the other parts when they do the head to toe exam). I am probably lucky I had a plastic surgeon friend remove some moles for cosmetic/bra back line reasons years ago. I was never into sun bathing, but got my sunburns just playing outdoors as a kid (the pool job was probably after the damage was done, jobs were scarce then, I wasn’t even one of the lifeguards like my sister who has different eye, skin, hair color- same parents).</p>
<p>This thread has brought back some bad memories, but hopefully worth it to help some others. An urgent care internist did an excellent job stitching up our son’s eyebrow cut that he acquired at an out of town dept store years ago, the plastic surgeon’s work on other facial wounds over several years is equally good.</p>
<p>I remember when my dad, in his late 60s and 70s was diagnosed with melanoma, and insisted that a plastic surgeon remove them to ‘save his good-looking face’. </p>
<p>Due to his history (he has since died from lung cancer), I have a complete body scan twice a year, and have been diagnosed with dysplastic nevus syndrome (google it). One of my dermatologists many years ago (he moved away unfortunately) highly recommended going to a professional medical photographer and having them discreetly do ‘medical’ pictures of your entire body; the dermatologist would then keep them in your records, and use them as comparison from visit to visit to see if your moles are changing.</p>
<p>At the time, it was going to cost more money than we could afford (insurance wouldn’t cover it), so I didn’t do it. I’ve not asked my newer dermatologist about this tool, but this thread reminds me I should do that in June when I’m due to see him.</p>
<p>It was at least 6 years ago when my dermatologist wanted to do the photographic scan of my body, at charge of $500. He pushed to have it done every 6 months. I had to change dermatologists, as the demand and the out-of-pocket expense were too much. It definitely seemed like a good idea, though.</p>
<p>^^^^
Mine only wanted to do it the one time and use it as a base reference. I can’t imagine doing it at every visit.</p>
<p>Umm, doesn’t everyone have a digital camera these days? Why not ask your DH/DW to do the photography if you want your moles photographed? Just put a ruler–in millimeters please–next to any moles you want to watch.</p>
<p>^^^
because you want the lighting to be appropriate in the photographs to see how color changes, too, not just size. Medical photographers know how to replicate the lighting for base-line photos.</p>
<p>My derm takes polariod photos of spots to watch, gives me one for reference, keeps one for himself. The camera is rather large and specialized in appearance.</p>
<p>My dad was declared cancer free after Stage 1 cancer, 7 years later it came back in the form of a cyst (not a mole) and it had spread, metasticized and he passed away 4 years later. </p>
<p>PLEASE BE DILIGENT - I now have melanoma too (stage zero) and am hoping they will find it’s truly 0 and hasn’t spread anywhere once removed. I knew the signs, the higher risk but we all get lazy and take our health for granted. I waited almost 2 years before going to the dermatologist - got lucky and found it while trying on swimsuits. </p>
<p>TELL EVERYONE YOU KNOW that skin cancer, melanoma is serious business. Find it early and most likely you will be okay, but continue to get checked every 6 months for the rest of your life!</p>
<p>BLESSINGS</p>
<p>^^^^You will be happy to know I was just at my dermatologist today for my semi-annual skin check. Moles are fine; it’s the shingles (see my other thread) that surprised me!</p>
<p>I’ve got pale skin and freckles. Melanoma on my arm removed about five years ago. The scar still itches from time to time. Also had a basal cell removed from my nose - thankfully with an invisible scar. I stay out of the sun for the most part these days.</p>
<p>H, who had a Stage IA melanoma removed on his arm a couple years ago, just recently had the body photos done by a company specializing in this. The procedure was requested by his dermatologist. The billed cost was $300. In his case, they are being used as a baseline. Recently he had another excision (other arm) as a precaution even though the mole wasn’t considered cancerous. I guess this kind of vigilance will be simply something we will gladly continue. However, it certainly seems like some element of luck (good or bad as evidenced by post #37) is at play here too.</p>