Surgeon Opinion

I'd like to ask those of you who have had this experience for your opinion.  My mother had a melanoma mole excised 13 years ago.  During recent testing for other health issues, it was discovered that she had two enlarged lymph nodes.  A needle biopsy was done, and it came back that the lymph nodes were a metastasis of melanoma.  The decision was made to excise all of mom's lymph nodes in that area.  The hope was that all of the cancer would be removed.  When the surgeon came out after surgery, he said that all of the lymph nodes looked "bad".  I think I already know the answer to this, but how often is the surgeon right about these things?  I have a very bad feeling about this.

Wait for the pathology.  Did they do a PET prior to surgery?  If there is extensive involvement the post op radiation is helpful.  Adjuvant Chemo can be used as well but don't know how much good it is at this point.

 

On 4/25/2007 Nu1ni wrote:

I'd like to ask those of you who have had this experience for your opinion.  My mother had a melanoma mole excised 13 years ago.  During recent testing for other health issues, it was discovered that she had two enlarged lymph nodes.  A needle biopsy was done, and it came back that the lymph nodes were a metastasis of melanoma.  The decision was made to excise all of mom's lymph nodes in that area.  The hope was that all of the cancer would be removed.  When the surgeon came out after surgery, he said that all of the lymph nodes looked "bad".  I think I already know the answer to this, but how often is the surgeon right about these things?  I have a very bad feeling about this.

assuming no distant mets, she has stage 3 disease and is a candidate for interferon.  Interferon can reduce the chance of recurrance by 10-15%.