Melanoma

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Kilowatt - 19 May 2005 18:20 GMT

I was just told that one of my cousins has Melanoma. He has had a mole
for about 4 years. It was removed in the last week or so and the
biopsy came back malignant. My question is....when a mole is cancer
does it start out that way or some how develops cancer. Because he has
had the mole for 4 years does that mean that cancer has been growing
for that long?

He lives near Atlanta and will be going to Emory so I am sure he will
have these questions answered soon enough but I ask to maybe get some
conversation started on his options.

Also would there be a more appropriate place to discuss Melanoma?

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Howard McCollister - 19 May 2005 19:15 GMT

>I was just told that one of my cousins has Melanoma. He has had a mole
> for about 4 years. It was removed in the last week or so and the
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>
> Also would there be a more appropriate place to discuss Melanoma?

The prognosis for melanoma depends on the type that it is, it's depth of
invasion through the skin, and whether or not there has been spread to
regional lymph nodes.

HMc

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J - 19 May 2005 19:47 GMT

> I was just told that one of my cousins has Melanoma. He has had a mole
> for about 4 years. It was removed in the last week or so and the
> biopsy came back malignant. My question is....when a mole is cancer
> does it start out that way or some how develops cancer. Because he has
> had the mole for 4 years does that mean that cancer has been growing
> for that long?

Some of us have moles; some don't.
Moles should be watched (looked at from time to time) by the owner and
discuss any changes to existing moles with their doctor. There's other
kinds of skin manifestations also; same applies (without getting too
obsessive about them).
My cousin died of melanoma last year.
If/when you find out the exact details, post on sci.med.diseases.cancer
J

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