Melanoma (skin cancer) - anyone have any experience of this?

[womblingfree]

My dad has been diagnosed this morning. GP says it is probably a localised slow growing one, but am really worried especially as it's on his neck (so near lymph nodes) and he spent 6 years in his late 20's/early 30's working on the oil rigs in NW Australia (and has mostly worked in outdoorsy jobs) so had a lot of exposure to sun.

Any advice/real life experience/reassurance much appreciated.

Has he had it removed then? The risk of it spreading is dependant on the depth of the melanoma not it's proximity to his lymph nodes.

My best friend has just been through this. Her melanoma was just over 1mm deep so slightly over the low risk category.

In her case they took away more of the skin around the melanona and they also removed some of her lymph nodes and tested them. Fortunately she has just been given the all clear but will be checked every three months for the next two years

No - it was only diagnosed by the GP this morning (he only went cos the dentist pointed it out to him when he was having some work done the week before last).

GP is putting in an emergency referral but will still be a fortnight or so before he sees a specialist.

My mum had one removed from her head, quite large and the 'fast growing' kind.

It was removed and no need for any chemo or anyhting and is fine now

i see - well once it's removed he should hear fairly swiftly from the consultant if it is a melanoma. If he is very worried he could pay to have it removed privately (£300)

If caught and dealt with swiftly then prognosis is usually very good, but will need to be ultra vigilant with all his other moles in the future.

My friend died three years ago from a melanoma on her arm. She was diagnosed and died 7 months later but she was misdiagnosed in the beginnng, so wasted about 6 months when she could have had treatment.

Not telling you this to worry you. However, I would say that speed in treatment is of the utmost importance. Personally, I would pay to have it done privately, if you have to wait too long.

If it is caught swiftly then outlook will most probably be good.

Thanks guys.

My parents have got private health care so I've suggested they get on the case with that just on the off chance it will be any quicker. Dad is not generally mole-y (!), this is just a red, slightly lumpy patch behind his ear, about the size of a fingernail.

What worries me is that it's the kind if thing he could have had for ages without any of us noticing it. I can't see how the GP can be so convinced that it's a relatively harmless, slow growing tumour just by looking at it.

It just plays to my worst fears really, as I only found out last year that my nan was just 74 when she died (thought she was older - I was quite small at the time), and my dad turns 71 in a few weeks. I have a v. close relationship with both my parents as I have no brothers or sisters, but my dad is like my soul mate - we are so alike, I honestly can't imagine how I would be able to even get out of bed in the morning if something happens to him .

Disenchanted - am so glad your mum is OK. I know I'm probably worrying too much too soon, but it's either that or try not to think about it all which doesn't seem right either.

Newpup - so sorry to read about your friend. It makes me so cross when I read about people being misdiagnosed - my best friend lost her mum to a malignant brain tumour when we were 11 because the doc kept insisting she had an ear infection .

I think it is more common for older people to have slow growing ones. Non-melanoma skin cancers (basal cell, squamous cell) are the most common, and don't usually spread. Basal cell carcinomas are usually found on the head and neck, and they rarely kill.

I had a malignant melanoma (the most serious type) removed 3.5 years ago. It was 0.6mm thick, I think. They then removed more surrounding tissue, which was clear, so no further treatment. I saw a specialist at the cancer hospital every few months for 2 years (also had several more moles removed, all were fine), then every 12 months until 5 years post-op.

I am now ultra careful in the sun (no tanning at all) and check my moles daily (paranoia!)

I'm no expert at all, but red + lumpy + size + location + your dad's age hopefully points to one of the non-melanomas.

Red and lumpy does sound more like a squamous cell carcinoma than a melanoma. If he has had a lot of sun exposure, then getting SCCs and BCCs is almost a given - but they just need removing or a quick shot of radiotherapy (depends on the location) and that's it. They don't spread elsewhere.

I find the cancerbackup website a good source of information.

Thanks guys - although that's a bit scary cos I thought melanomas were fairly mild and the squamous ones were the nasties.

Will have to try not to worry until he has seen specialist, although he hasn't received his appointment yet.

Have just looked up the various types of skin cancer on Google images and found some truly hideous pictures, but think Dad's definitely looks most like a basal cell carcinoma to me, in spite of what the GP said about it being a melanoma.