DD has skin cancer at 25.

[stillvicarinatutu]

I'm reeling. Dd turned 25 last month and today she told me she has skin cancer . she will need a skin graft . She has been referred and should be seen within 2 weeks .

Has anyone else been here ? What will happen now ? How quickly can they tell what stage it's at?
I'm worried because she had this growth for a year , doctors dismissed it a year ago but now they suspect it's cancer and have referred her to a specialist to be seen within 2 weeks .
She appears unfazed and I darent ask too much because she said please don't start wittering about it . She has had a lot of holidays abroad and used to use sun beds even though I always said not to .
She's taken it better than me I think .

I've had swollen lymph node in the groin for years too, GP not concerned at all nor related it to anything.

My son had malignant melanoma last year at 27, did the tww to be seen and then it was removed around 6 weeks later just before new year , found to be cancerous and he had his 2nd op in April where they removed a bigger area around where it had been .

They did say he'd need a skin graft 2nd time round but changed their mind on the day, which hasn't been great as it's behind his ear so not much skin to play with as it is so he had problems with it opening up. They now can't decide if they've taken enough of a margin around it so waiting to see if he'll need another op. He has check ups every 3 months

Try to be supportive and not to outwardly project your anxiety on to your DD. She will appreciate you being calm and reassuring about it even though I expect you’re terrified on the inside.

I'm trying to be calm . She told me today at lunch time and I've just had a cry . Now my nose is blocked and I can't sleep !

Hopefully this will stop her from the sun bed obsession. Hope she is ok.

Hi I had stage 3 melanoma diagnosed in 2020! I had the mole for years but it started changing about 2018 fighted with 3 gps to let me have it taken off and it was mela unfortunately! I had an operation to check if it had gone into my lymph nodes unfortunately it had into one node a tiny deposit if 0.8mm! I had another operation to remove my lymph nodes and had a year of Immuotherapy treatment im
now coming up to
two years since and all is ok on scans and checks up to now!

it does spread to
other parts of the body and can kill you! But when caught early enough a operation to remove is hopefully all she needs good luck xx

Sounds like she hasn’t actually seen a specialist yet if you’re saying she’s been referred. I’m surprised by the GP saying she’d need a skin graft. 9/10 referrals aren’t cancer so I’d try not to worry until it’s been confirmed because it may not be cancer.

This.

If it hasn’t been confirmed they can’t possibly say she needs a skin graft! That sounds quite negligent of the doctor.

I hope it’s good news and isn’t skin cancer. I’ve had a lot of moles etc checked by dermatology and none of them have been cancer. It’s more
likely it isn’t.

this is isn’t true. It depends what kind it is. I work in cancer services and skin cancer is the most treatable but it can spread.

Actually it does spread. Without wanting to alarm the OP as hopefully this will be a one off for her daughter. I have stage 4 melanoma - brain, organs and other tumours. It is very important to remember it’s not ‘just’ skin cancer, the skin is the largest organ in the body. I had a malignant melanoma removed in 1996, then nothing until 2021 when it was directly to stage 4. great caution with the sun in the intervening years.

Nobody should ever underestimate the danger of any cancer.

for the OP, I second the recommendation of Melanomamates FB group. I hope all is well with your daughter.

@stillvicarinatutu how did your Dd get on at her 2ww appt? Have they said what type it is?

Hey thank you for asking .

Well - while the gp thought the sausage shaped thing was cancerous- the consultant doesn't . She has to go back in 8 weeks to see consultant to see if it's grown any - what ever it is is slow growing- a year ago looked like a splinter now wider - sausage shaped . I'm dubious because I thought all moles are Roy d and this is a new "mole" but she's told me to stop fussing and leave it with the consultant.
So we'll see in 8 weeks .

Ah thanks for the update I was wondering if there had been my developments. I think your daughters GP seems to have caused unnecessary panic with his talk of skin grafts etc. I was at a similar stage to your daughter when you first posted. I'm now a day away from having stitches removed and waiting results of biopsy so if they do decide to act they actually do move quite fast so try not to worry.

Bless you hello I hope everything is ok with you .

Just waiting for the consultants verdict . X

@stillvicarinatutu have they actually investigated the lymph node? Eg ct scan, biopsy? I really don’t want to unnecessarily scare you, but I had a lump in my groin, which turned out to be a secondary from squamous cell carcinoma. Subsequent chemo and radiation. Pelvic radiation is no joke, and would likely leave her infertile due to the effect on the ovaries.

She needs to get this looked into.

I’m glad the consultant is more optimistic.

How are things going for your dd OP? Hope results were good

I know . I went with her to the gp. I got nowhere and then she said I was scaremongering and got angry with me . I had to back down - she stopped talking to me .
This has always been a massive and real concern for me and it's documented in her records that her interfering mother went and insisted to her gp she get checked . All they did was send her to a nurse who said it's only because she's so slim it's evident and if she had more fat in her it wouldn't show - and that reassured her . And I am powerless to do more because she now thinks I'm overreacting and she got angry with me .

Hi @stillvicarinatutu as I said in a pp my sons had 2 ops in the last year for malignant melanoma . They've decided they aren't going to take any more of the surrounding area and he's just having checks every 3 months . He's also really low in iron

Just a hand hold really, it's frightening. Especially so if she just thinks your over reacting and isn't pushing for it to be investigated more thoroughly

Has she actually been diagnosed if she's on the TWW?

My dad was told by GP that the had skin cancer and it turned out to be ezcema!