Newly Diagnosed pT2a

[Maxine]

Hello to you all! And Happy Valentines Day. My husband was dianosed yesterday with PT2a. His melanoma was on his upper back between his shoulders. I received a copy of the Pathalogy and We are scheduled to meet with Dr @ Mass General in 11 days. Should we ask for Pet scan, and demand lymph node testing?

his results were:

1. Residual Malignant Melanoma, Completely Excised

Type: Lentigo maligna melanoma type

Growth Phase: Radial growth phase present

Vertical growth phase present

Mitotic Rate: 0 per sq mm ( We were told this is a good thing)

Tumor-Infiltrating

Lymphocytes: Absent

Greatest Thickmess: 1.07 mm

Level of Invasion: II-III

Site: Axial

Sex: Back

Regression: Present

Precursor Lesion: Dysplastic Nevus of the Elderly

Ulceration: Absent (We were told this was a good thing)

Microsatellites: Absent

Macrosatillites: Absent

Vascular Invasion: Absent

Neural Invasion: Absent

AJCC Pathologic Tumor Stage: pT2a

Immunohistochemical Evaluation: The dermal component is p16 postive and HMB-45 positive. There is a low dermal K167 melanocytic nuclear labeling index but with one hot spot.

[Yvonne.D]

I am sorry to hear your husband was diagnosed with Melanoma.

I was just recently diagnosed as well, so I cannot help you with your questions. I am sure Catherine, however, will post soon with a reply to your questions. She is wonderful, as are many more on this site.

My prayers go out to you both.

Yvonne

[Maxine]

Thank you Yvonne for your response and prayers. I know Mass General is a great hospital. Just don’t know what to push for.

[Catherine Poole]

Hello Maxine,

Your husband has a great prognosis and is going to an excellent place for treatment. His lesion was in the radial growth phase which means (my co-author wrote the research on this!) it has little or no possibility of metastasis. There would be no reason to have pet scans or lymph node biopsy. Congratulations on a catching this so early and with little chance of dealing with it again.

[cohanja]

Catherine, I want to point out the pathology report stated:

Growth Phase: Radial growth phase present

Vertical growth phase present

[Maxine]

Thank you both for the responses. I am elated to read Catherines note: I am a little confused as to the contradiction. If I am understanding his pathology correctly having Radial growth phase is a good thing, Vertical growth phase present not a good thing.

[Catherine Poole]

Oops I missed that, but the rest of the report is good news. Having both radial and vertical is ok and not dire by any means. No mitotic rate is excellent, and lentigo maligna is a very slow growing melanoma with little chance of spreading as well. It is usually on the facial area and is due to heavy sun exposure. So all in all, an excellent report and prognosis. You can read more about this type of melanoma at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15943492

[Maxine]

Thank you,

This information is great

[Author]

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