On 6/1/2007
Stephanie61070 wrote:
has any one here ever experinced melanoma under their finger nail?
i had melanoma in october 2006. i just noticed a black streak under my thumb nail. it kinda looks like a splinter but i know its not. i have an appointment with my dermatologist june 6th.
thank you for your input.
I had a melanoma removed in 1976, and prior to that I had a light brown streak under my thumbnail on that same arm. After my surgery, the streak dissappeared. I had had that streak for a long time. My surgery included a skin graft, but I was able to keep my lymph nodes and, thank goodness, my arm! I have asked several doctors if there was any relation to the cancer and they all said "Not possible". Harrruummmpppphhh!!! I believe sometimes we need to trust our instincts. Just lately, I found a reference to this anamoly on another site (Mayo Clinic, I believe). The streak did look like a light brown splinter, and it was in the center of my thumbnail---running from cuticle to the end of the nail. (I just celebrated my 31st anniversary of this ordeal on October 1,2007, and was scheduled to see my dermatologist on October 24,2007. Had a mole removed from the other arm, and found out the following week that IT was malignant! I had a re-excision, and have been told that they got all of the cancer. I am so thankful to the staff, and especially Dr. Charles Sachatello, at the UK Med. Center in Lexington, KY, for educating me and taking such good care of me in 1976! If I hadn't known what to look for, things could have been alot worse this time! I am so grateful for their knowledge and dedication! I was only 16 years old at that time, and he said I was his youngest patient.) I know I'm a few months past your posting, but information is power and we have to share all we experience with one another! Hope your news from your DR. was all good news!!! God Bless You!