My Mother Was Just Diagnosed

For the past month my mother was doing Carac treatment on her face.  In the past she has had various basel cells removed and our family has history of Melanoma.  During the last week or so of her Carac treatment her dermatologist decided to do a punch biposy on two spots on her face (right next to the basel she had removed 5 years ago).  The results came back and the dermatologist told her that both lesions were Melanoma and one was 2mm and the other was 4mm.  He based her stage on that information and diagnosed her as Stage 2.

Now, he has scheduled her for surgery to remove both growths but he told her that he couldn't schedule the surgery for 2 weeks due to her Carac treatment.  He said that her skin/face was too sensitive.  I'm worried that her doctor is not taking the right precautionary steps.  He is not encouraging her to get any tests done to make sure the cancer has not spread.  All the doctor wants to do is remove the growths.  Can someone please give me some advice.  Are these the correct steps?  Waiting 2 1/2 weeks seems to be a very long time to wait to get the melanoms removed.  Please help!

I agree that the time period does seem excessive - but I assure you it is standard practice.  When my husband's biopsy came back as Melanoma, it was three weeks before he was scheduled for surgery.   It could have just as well been three years.  It was agonizing.

In our case - additional procedures were not discussed until after the surgery, however he did have two lymph nodes removed at the same time as the removal of the tumor (it was on his arm).    This would help to determine if the cancer had spread.

Removal of the melanoma requires the attempt to get all of the affected area.  In my husband's case his surgery site was aprox. 5 1/2" long and his skin was pulled so tight to close the site that he still has large dimples at each end (surgery was 10/07).  We were blessed that he did not require skin grafts.  I could understand the hardship it would cause if the skin around the site was healing and tender from previous treatments. My husband's site became infected, but we were able to catch it before it became serious because of watching for the redness.   I don't know how I would have felt watching for infection on skin that was already compromised. 

I wish you the best through out this journey, you are in my thoughts and prayers.