MOLE HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED AS CANCEROUS
QI am a 39-year-old woman of Irish origin. I consulted a dermatologist after I noticed that one mole on my lower leg had significantly changed in size, shape and colour over the past few months. He suggested getting a biopsy done, which revealed the mole is cancerous. I’m very scared and am wondering what to do next.
AYour diagnosis is of high concern, but please do not panic. To act further, we need more medical information from your dermatologist. Just breaking the news that the excised mole is cancerous is neither sufficient nor appropriate. The routine histopathology reports in cases of malignant melanoma have a standard information write-up protocol. This includes a few mandatory major diagnostic statements including the depth of the malignant lesion. There are other readings that also need to be considered.
This is crucial in making further decisions in treating cases of malignant melanoma.
To emphasise the importance of the issue, without making you more apprehensive, a few facts are worth mentioning. The malignant melanoma is among the group of more hostile and aggressive cancers. If caught very early, and based on a few other factors, 100 per cent cure can be achieved in most cases simply through extended surgical excisions.
The more invasive lesions, particularly those with dermal invasion of more than 1.5 mm, need relatively more specialised and radical treatment approach.
Distant metastatic lesions with multi-organ involvement are treated with chemotherapy, though with limited success. Radiation therapy also hasn’t proven very effective, further limiting the prognosis.
That said, I suggest you seek a second opinion, and if possible, please get your biopsy slides re-evaluated as well.