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my dad was told last week he has melanoma. its on his back. he was told it was 4mm, not sure if that is bad or not. has he a chance of survival? we are not sure of the stage. he is going for surgery in 4 weeks. we feel this is too far away, we are trying to get that changed. thats all we know till the op. can we hope? would love advice.

my father has been diagnosed with maligment melanoma. it is 4mm, we dont know what stage as he has not had surgery yet. which is in 4 weeks, we are trying to get it sooner. we are so worried, we dont have much info. have people survived 4mm deep. why would he not need treatment. do they think he has no chance? hope someone can help.

not having a great day. we are are still waiting to see if my dads surgery can be brought forward. no luck yet. i thought i was coping well, but burst out crying at work today, i was not even thinking of my dad at the time! trying to get on with life as normal as possible, kids activitys, work . trying to keep my mother together, keep her thinking positive. i dont know what happened to me today. i just feel so uselees. this is something i can not make better. cant upset my mam by telling her this. must keep on the brave face, he will be fine etc, but inside i am scared . i am heartbroken this has happened to my lovely dad. i will keep hoping this will have a good out come

Hi there, I too visited this site in March 2011 and there was no posts on the Melanoma board. My husband had just been diagnosed with Stage 3 Melanoma and I felt like our world had been turned on its head. He's not a sun worshipper, when we went on our first few holidays together he would drive me mad as he spent so much time putting on sun-cream, i used to slag him, so this diagnosis left me gobsmacked!! There was no-one to share it with and nowhere to get advice specifically on this type of cancer. A couple of people laughed at my "over-exaggeration" at this and I had comments like " oh sure skin cancer isnt that serious - its not like real cancer" - So I googled my life away (and his with all the horror stories on the net). So after a mole from his face came back as cancerous, he had the wider excision done top left side of his face with skin grafts taken from his chest. They also did the sentinal node biopsy and then 2 out of 5 lymph nodes were positive. Back in for a full clearance of the nodes on the left side - all came back clear - 36 in total. Then in July last year he started Interferon - through IV 5 days a week for the first month and then 3 times weekly. He finished the other day!! His CT scan came back clear although there was a remark about his glands on the right looking a little swollen. The doctor said this could be for any reason but of course Im thinking the worst. We have 2 youngsters not even in school yet and I live in fear constantly. He will be back in with them every month for awhile so theyre keeping a close eye. I wish there was a support group for Melanoma, there is so much support for certain types of cancer. It has been a lonely place for him this last year and I wish he had people in the same situation to talk to. When he was starting the Interferon Beaumont Hospital didnt even have another patient on the same drug that could advise him. I find that we all get warned about skin cancer and there is screening available but should you find yourself actually diagnosed with it then you hit a wall. I know there are plenty of sufferers out there so although I wouldnt wish this on anyone it is good to see posts on this board. It would be great for people to come and find a place to tell their story, get advise and share theirs also. Also I cannot praise the Irish Cancer Society enough for their support last year, i think theyre phenomenal. Em

Hi, im 28 and i have recently been diagnosed with melanoma after having a cyst removed. Due to the diagnosis I have had further surgery done a few weeks ago to take a deeper and wider excision of the original area. Waiting on results. I was to have a sentinel lymph node biopsy also on the day of surgery but for some reason it was not done. While all of this was going on i also lost my dear uncle very suddenly to merkel cell carcinoma. It has taken a few weeks for the word cancer to actually sink in but now that it has i am extremely worried as there is a strong history of cancer in my family. Also got a shock when i saw the hole in my face after the surgery, i was not at all prepared for it or even expect it. Should a sentinel lymph node biopsy have been done or do i need to have results of surgery back before any decisions are made. Also, i did mention to my surgeon when i went to have stitches out if i should have a scan but they were quite reluctant to send me for one. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Panicked at this stage while waiting for results! Thanks, misty

A few weeks ago, I visited the local state fair with my husband, son, and extended family. It was a toasty day and we spent most of the time carrying my six-month-old son around in our arms with his head and arms exposed to the sun. At least four times I was approached by a concerned grandparent worried about my baby’s sun exposure. Both my grandfathers have had skin cancer-related lesions removed from their face and neck and their doctors have told them it’s all been due to their years of working out in the sun. I can certainly understand their concern with my son’s well-being and after a little prompting, I covered him up more effectively. I’d like him to have healthy skin no matter how long he lives. This risk of skin cancer is real and dangerous, but a new study has found that most doctors don’t even broach the subject of sunscreen and UV exposure during an average visit. The group was led by Dr. Kristie Akamine of Wake Forest School of Medicine and her study focused on data compiled from doctors’ offices between 1989 and 2010. [b:1ifpgik3]Sunscreen hardly ever mentioned[/b:1ifpgik3] In fact, just 0.07 percent of office visits contained mentions of sunscreen in patient conversations. If the visit was about a skin-related condition, the likelihood of sunscreen being mention raised very slightly—to 0.9 percent. The study was published in the journal JAMA Dermatology on Sept. 4. [b:1ifpgik3]Children least likely to hear about sunscreen[/b:1ifpgik3] Sunscreen was least likely to be mentioned in children’s visits. Akamine’s team explained, “[That finding] is concerning because children and adolescents get the most sun exposure of any age group, as they tend to spend much of their time playing outdoors. Up to 80 percent of sun damage is thought to occur before age 21,” they went on, “and sunburns in childhood greatly increase the risk for future melanoma.” [b:1ifpgik3]UVA and UVB known carcinogens [/b:1ifpgik3] Two experts not involved in the study said sunscreen ought to come up more often in office visits, though they admitted, “With the increasing numbers of topics primary-care physicians may have to cover during an average office visit, it’s not surprising that mentioning sunscreen application may fall to the bottom of the list.” However, that doesn’t mean it should be left out entirely. Despite the trend young people have of tanning to make themselves look more attractive, the sun they are exposing themselves to is actually harming them, as scientists have found that both UVA and UVB are carcinogenic compounds that can cause skin cancer and premature aging.

The Irish Cancer Society, in partnership with the Irish Melanoma Forum, is taking part in a public education meeting on melanoma in [b:21d8y13m]Trinity College Dublin[/b:21d8y13m] on [b:21d8y13m]Thursday, November 22nd 2012 at 6:45pm[/b:21d8y13m] and several key speakers have now been confirmed for the evening. For more information, please visit: http://www.cancer.ie/content/key-speake ... land?Forum

iv found that the best sources of information when it comes to melanoma are the guidelines that the doctors use themselves.google royal college of surgeons in ireland melanoma guidelines.go to the british assoc of dermatoligsts website for the uk guidelines, and use the search term( orientation of wide excision re melanoma )to find the national comprehensive cancer network(USA) guidelines (nccn)a lot of world wide guidelines work in concordance with the nccn .rob

We all have moles somewhere on our skin and almost always these will remain innocent (benign) and harmless throughout our lives. Very occasionally a mole can change and turn into a cancer - a malignant melanoma. If this does happen, it is so important to see your family doctor for a check up as it is very important that a cancerous mole is diagnosed and treated as soon as possible. If a mole or freckle shows the following changes, then it is recommended that you see a specialist (dermatologist) . It is getting bigger It is changing shape It has an irregular shape It is changing colour It has a mixture of different colours An ulcer ( a sore or raw area ) has formed on its surface It is red or sore Moles or freckles have started to bleed or are itchy Most doctors can tell whether the mole is benign or malignant straight away but if in doubt, a small piece of tissue at the mole site is removed ( biopsy) to find out if cancer cells are present. What happens next depends on the result of the biopsy. The biopsy will show if you have melanoma and if it has all been removed. It will also show how deep it extends under the skin surface and if you need further tests and treatment. If the melanoma has been completely removed and if it is not too deep then no further management is necessary. However, you will have regular appointments with the doctor to have your skin examined as melanoma can recur. He/she will also show you how to inspect your skin. If you have been treated for melanoma you are more at risk of developing it at the same place, or elsewhere in the body.