Hello,
My Dad was just diagnosed w/ his 2nd melanoma. This time it's malignant metastatic superificial spreading melanoma. It's on the top of his head, spreading rapidly w/ multiple sites. The primary tumor depth is 2.01, there is satellite metastatis to skin and subcutaneous tissue. The original biopsy reveals lymphatic involvement. He is headed in for a CT, PET and chest x-ray this coming week. The tests will tell more, but I don't understand as much as I want to understand. We just got through my husband's stage IIa diagnosis and treatment and he is doing well. However, we never had a path report that was like my dad's. So I need some help. This is what I would like to know-
1) Based on this info could he still be stage 3 or is he already stage 4?
2) Anyone here have the moh's surgery on the head that had a similar diagnosis? How bad is recovery? This would be his 2nd Moh's surgery, first was for a basal tumor the size of a baseball. Very disfiguring surgery, and I don't know how much tissue he has left for good margins, plus the pain of the skin graphs is so hard.
3)Anyone have experience w/ UCSF's melanoma center? My parents will be seeking treatment there.
Thank you for any help you may be able to provide.
Kindly,
Laura N.