Surgical Questions

[Joshf]

Question on surgical margins. Since I’m most likely looking at recurrence in right cheek, the head & neck surgeon conferred with my medical oncologist on margins and have decided they will go with 1cm. I had asked her to consult with surgical oncologist who specialized in melanoma I consulted with in past and he feels that’s unecessary. Couple of things he said:

1) Suture Granuloma is possible or other odd looking tissue that formed nodule. If that’s the case, aggressive surgery planned is not necessary.

2) Even is it is recurrence taking 1cm won’t change prognostic factors as much as more metastasis would or recurrence in lungs etc…

He said he would do surgery if I want but have to wait until 21st and said surgery Tuesday is an emergency…my choice. This puts wrinkle into everything…I trust all my doctors and asked them to discuss the surgical plan and next steps which I hope will happen tomorrow so I can decide whether to go in Tuesday for surgery with ENT or do consult with sugical onc with surgery following week.

Anyone have similar experiences? What did/would you do?

Also anyone out there who reads this have a suture granuloma? Was it painful? Was it nodular?

Or nodular lump by scar that looked odd on CT/MRI and it turned out to be benign?

[dkmc]

Is your surgeon an oncology head and neck specialist? That I think is important. They know what the margins should be. In the beginning of our journey we first went to an ENT who after biopsy immediately sent Don to an oncology head and neck specialist. Anytime the PET says Suspicious or can not rule out melanoma we get a biopsy. Then we know what we are dealing with. Most of the time it is melanoma but sometimes has been scar tissue from surgery or radiation.

Good luck, Karen

[mmmm]

Is is possible to get a fine needle aspiration (fine needle biopsy) to determine whether or not the lump is melanoma?

http://www.entnet.org/content/fine-needle-aspiration” class=”bbcode_url”>http://www.entnet.org/content/fine-needle-aspiration

If you do get a biopsy, what about getting a second opinion from MD Anderson on the pathological report?

[Author]

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