deep shave/scoop shave
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I am stressed out! I just moved to dc area, am at a center of exellence, went in for my check up, and had mel specialist do a shave biopsy on a dark/changing/ugly duckling that is a year old. When I looked and realized what had happened, it was too late. I feel annoyed, confused, and scared. I should not have assumed but, well, I did given the qualifications. I questioned the doc and she said she’d gotten the margins/mole was tiny/she shaved deeply and scooped it out. Thoughts? Super stresse. I hate the post biopsy wait and this will not help. Hi there Toastwave, No need for stress, super or otherwise. I’ve seen Catherine recently point out on the forum that research has found that a deep shave or scoop of a small lesion is usually quite adequate. This is as opposed to a superficial shave, which could leave some lesion behind.
My .47mm Stage I was biopsied via a scoop or shave that left a little crater. They got it all with a good margin of tissue underneath.
Maybe Catherine will chime in.
Take care,
~Wendy
TreeFrog wrote:Hi there Toastwave,
No need for stress, super or otherwise. I’ve seen Catherine recently point out on the forum that research has found that a deep shave or scoop of a small lesion is usually quite adequate. This is as opposed to a superficial shave, which could leave some lesion behind.
My .47mm Stage I was biopsied via a scoop or shave that left a little crater. They got it all with a good margin of tissue underneath.
Maybe Catherine will chime in.
Take care,
~Wendy
Hi Wendy,
Thanks! The scoop/deep part comment came after she noticed I was not super happy about the shave vs. punch or excision. So…I am just not sure she actually scooped out enough or whether she was saying she scooped in order to placate me. I guess I should just get over it since there is nothing that I can do at this point, cross my fingers, and try not to think about it for the next two weeks. Alas. I guess I will go back to asking what type of biopsy the doc. will perform every single time and then advocating for a scoop or a punch. Nobody ever seems willing to do an excision biopsy so I am forever having to go back because almost nothing I ever have taken out is totally normal. Thanks so much.
A deep shave was shown to a good way to biopsy in recent studies. The punch biopsy is the one to avoid as it doesn’t seem to get good margins. For a lesion deeply suspicious of melanoma though, an excisional biopsy is best. This sounds like good judgement was used. Be sure to get a copy of your path report and let us know what it says. Breathe deeply and live in the moment! Thanks, Catherine. I am working on it. I really struggle with the two week wait. My young children really weigh on my mind and I just wish I could go back in time and sunscreen. Doesn’t everyone? I know I need to live in the moment and, generally, I can. But the two days before these appointments and that first week of the wait are brutal and I vacillate between anxiety and depression. I think I need to figure out some better coping mechanisms. Ugh. A hard, but really excellent (and scientifically proven) method to cope better with anxiety is with mindful meditation, twice a day, maybe 20 minutes. Use a guided meditation, I prefer the ones by Jon Kabat-Zinn who really is the pioneer behind it. You will find them on Amazon, and cheap! There are also Youtube videos that are less effective. You can do the meditation before you go to sleep if you run out of time during the day. Also, aerobic exercise is very good at alleviating stress. Medication for these short periods of time can help too. You aren’t alone, we all feel this! I dislike the shave. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again; it looks like a bullet wound. Most docs prefer the shave, so a request for an excision is usually refused.
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