33 y.o female survivor with new battle. INPUT please

jrbates08
jrbates08 Member Posts: 1
in Skin Cancer #1

My name is Jen and i am in remission from stage 2 leukemia. Well my whole life i have had pigment issues with my skin but lately (about 3 years now) ive had these small brown patches developing. Never thought anything about it until 2 months ago. One of the patches on my thigh had started changing color and texture. I noticed last night that it now is starting to get some sort of raised ring around it. I do have a photo but im not sure how to attach it. I am so nervous because after my struggle from the leukemia, im not sure i can handle that again. I have 2 young babies and i have to stay healthy and strong for them so i was wondering if this looked "familiar" to any of u or if maybe its just a spot thats irritated ; D can anyone help?

Comments

  • Will Doran
    Will Doran Member Posts: 207 Member
    #2

    jrbates,

    I had a Stage 1 melanoma removed about 10 years ago.  I was told that all was well, by my dermatologist.

    Two years and two months ago I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Prostate Cancer.  I am now in remission from the prostate cancer.  My oncologists suggested that I change dermatologists.  I did, and am now going to one of my former students.   In the last year and two months, I have had 12 melanomas show up through biopsies.  I have had to have follow up surgeries on all of them, and now have 2 - 3 inch scars from each surgery.  My new dermatologis has caught all of these in a very early Stage 1 or pre melanoma stage. 

    I have been studying the relationship of other cancers to Melanoma.  In the Journal of Clinical Oncology they are studying the relationships with Prostate Cancer and other cancers and Melanoma.   They think these other cancers put the patient at a greater risk for Melanoma.  Melanoma can be fed by Testosterone and Estrogen, so they think.

    Make sure you get to a really good dermatologist and have anything you are worried about checked.  Better safe than sorry. 

    I understand completely that you are concerned and worried.  I am the same way.  I have fought hard against the Prostate Cancer with 5 1/2 hours of surgery, 8 weeks of radiation and 2 years of Chemo (Lupron).  It's a hard fight as you know.

    Not give up, fight hard and for your own peace of mind get checked out by a good doctor. 

    Best of Luck

    Peace and God Bless

    Will

  • ChD
    ChD Member Posts: 9
    #3
    Will Doran said:

    jrbates,

    I had a Stage 1 melanoma removed about 10 years ago.  I was told that all was well, by my dermatologist.

    Two years and two months ago I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Prostate Cancer.  I am now in remission from the prostate cancer.  My oncologists suggested that I change dermatologists.  I did, and am now going to one of my former students.   In the last year and two months, I have had 12 melanomas show up through biopsies.  I have had to have follow up surgeries on all of them, and now have 2 - 3 inch scars from each surgery.  My new dermatologis has caught all of these in a very early Stage 1 or pre melanoma stage. 

    I have been studying the relationship of other cancers to Melanoma.  In the Journal of Clinical Oncology they are studying the relationships with Prostate Cancer and other cancers and Melanoma.   They think these other cancers put the patient at a greater risk for Melanoma.  Melanoma can be fed by Testosterone and Estrogen, so they think.

    Make sure you get to a really good dermatologist and have anything you are worried about checked.  Better safe than sorry. 

    I understand completely that you are concerned and worried.  I am the same way.  I have fought hard against the Prostate Cancer with 5 1/2 hours of surgery, 8 weeks of radiation and 2 years of Chemo (Lupron).  It's a hard fight as you know.

    Not give up, fight hard and for your own peace of mind get checked out by a good doctor. 

    Best of Luck

    Peace and God Bless

    Will

    Melanoma

    To JR Bates:  Just wanted to say that if you are concerned, the best thing to do is go see your dermalogist or oncologist.  It is so hard to guess with melanoma!  I can only imagine how stressful it must be on top of another cancer diagnosis.  I hope it has turned out to be benign!

    To Will:  Thank you for such an interesting post.  I had heard once quite awhile back that melanoma was linked to estrogen.  I have often suspected my vulvar mucosal melanoma (slow growing, superficial spreading) started to develop around the same time as my second pregnancy.  I don't know that for sure.  There is also a mole at my umbilicus that my dermatologist continues to say it not worrisome.  It appeared right at the end of that same pregnancy and it does worry me.  He asked me a few months ago if I wanted it removed and I told him I was willing to wait til fall.  I may go ahead and have that done.  Your information about the relationship between estrogen and testoterone and melanoma is interesting to me!  Do you happen to have any links accessible to a layperson?

    Best wishes to you both!

  • Will Doran
    Will Doran Member Posts: 207 Member
    #4
    ChD said:

    Melanoma

    To JR Bates:  Just wanted to say that if you are concerned, the best thing to do is go see your dermalogist or oncologist.  It is so hard to guess with melanoma!  I can only imagine how stressful it must be on top of another cancer diagnosis.  I hope it has turned out to be benign!

    To Will:  Thank you for such an interesting post.  I had heard once quite awhile back that melanoma was linked to estrogen.  I have often suspected my vulvar mucosal melanoma (slow growing, superficial spreading) started to develop around the same time as my second pregnancy.  I don't know that for sure.  There is also a mole at my umbilicus that my dermatologist continues to say it not worrisome.  It appeared right at the end of that same pregnancy and it does worry me.  He asked me a few months ago if I wanted it removed and I told him I was willing to wait til fall.  I may go ahead and have that done.  Your information about the relationship between estrogen and testoterone and melanoma is interesting to me!  Do you happen to have any links accessible to a layperson?

    Best wishes to you both!

    Link to Journal of Clinical Oncology

    ChD

    I'm not sure if this will load, but this is the link to The Journal of Clinical Oncology where the main article is, concerning Melanoma and the links to other cancers.

     

    http://jco.ascopubs.org/content/31/35/4394.full#ref-21

     

    I got into the article through a link on Med Scapes.  It may not allow you in without a pass word.  I'll get the address for Meds Scapes as well and post it here.  If this won't highlight so you can click on it. I think you may be able to cut and paste it in a search.

     

    Good luck and please have all you concerns checked out. 

     

    Peace and God Bless

     

    Will

     

     

     

     

     

  • Will Doran
    Will Doran Member Posts: 207 Member
    #5
    ChD said:

    Melanoma

    To JR Bates:  Just wanted to say that if you are concerned, the best thing to do is go see your dermalogist or oncologist.  It is so hard to guess with melanoma!  I can only imagine how stressful it must be on top of another cancer diagnosis.  I hope it has turned out to be benign!

    To Will:  Thank you for such an interesting post.  I had heard once quite awhile back that melanoma was linked to estrogen.  I have often suspected my vulvar mucosal melanoma (slow growing, superficial spreading) started to develop around the same time as my second pregnancy.  I don't know that for sure.  There is also a mole at my umbilicus that my dermatologist continues to say it not worrisome.  It appeared right at the end of that same pregnancy and it does worry me.  He asked me a few months ago if I wanted it removed and I told him I was willing to wait til fall.  I may go ahead and have that done.  Your information about the relationship between estrogen and testoterone and melanoma is interesting to me!  Do you happen to have any links accessible to a layperson?

    Best wishes to you both!

    Link to Med Scapes

    ChD

    Here is the link to Med Scapes, where I first found the article about the link between Melanoma and other cancers.

     

    https://login.medscape.com/login/sso/getlogin?urlCache=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5tZWRzY2FwZS5jb20vdmlld2FydGljbGUvODEzOTIy&ac=401

     

     

    There will be a link in the middle of this article to the Journal of Clinical Oncology study.

    These links will not hightlight, So, you will have to cut and paste the address to get there.  Iv'e realized that you now need a passwrd to open the Med Scape Information. Sorry.

     

    Good Luck

    Peace and God Bless

    Will

  • ChD
    ChD Member Posts: 9
    #6
    Will Doran said:

    Link to Med Scapes

    ChD

    Here is the link to Med Scapes, where I first found the article about the link between Melanoma and other cancers.

     

    https://login.medscape.com/login/sso/getlogin?urlCache=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5tZWRzY2FwZS5jb20vdmlld2FydGljbGUvODEzOTIy&ac=401

     

     

    There will be a link in the middle of this article to the Journal of Clinical Oncology study.

    These links will not hightlight, So, you will have to cut and paste the address to get there.  Iv'e realized that you now need a passwrd to open the Med Scape Information. Sorry.

     

    Good Luck

    Peace and God Bless

    Will

    Thank you

    Appreciate the links and taking the time to post them.  It is an area of interest to me.  Have been crazy busy at work but will take a look at these tomorrow.  Again, appreciated.

    Peace and blessings to you too.

    Cheri

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