I had a small melanoma removed 12 years ago and now have developed vitiligo and have ruled out all the usual causes. Has anyone else developed this as part of their melanoma disease?
I have vitiligo. Sometime in my late teens I noticed a few round spots on my torso. If I got any sun at all, these spots would get pink and stay that way. Even if the rest of me was tan. I use the word tan loosely - I’m very fair.
I went to the dermatologist for the first time in my mid twenties. She said it was vitiligo. I had several halo nevi. She was immediately concerned that I previously had a melanoma that my body had been able to fight off.
I did testing with my family doc for the other causes for vitiligo and they all came back negative.
I went for awhile doing biopsies that came back at varying levels of dysplasia. Then there was an eight month period where we found 3 melanomas. Two were classified as early evolving melanoma in-situ. One as melanoma in-situ. I have had about 50 or 60 biopsies that have been dysplastic.
Thank you so much for your email. I also have 2 very small (4mm) lesions
in the upper lobe of my right lung on the CT. I’m having a pet scan on
Friday and then am going to reschedule the followup CT for 3 months (right
now it is scheduled for 6 months). I always knew this could come back but
really didn’t think it ever would as it was so small. The biopsies have
all come back negative with varying degrees darkening pigment.
[Original Message]
From: alhal melanoma-cpt3734@lists.careplace.com
To: prush1@mindspring.com
Date: 7/9/2007 8:48:31 AM
Subject: Re: [melanoma] Melanoma & Vitiligo
My son-in-law had surgery last week and they found cancer in his sentinel
node. They went ahead and took all of the nodes on the side closest to his
melanoma. From all of your experience do you usually have to have chemo if
it has spread to the lymph nodes but the pet scan shows no other areas?
Actually, the pet scan did not pick it up in the lymph nodes but the
pathologist said the sentinel node was full of cancer cells, shouldn’t the
pet scan have picked this up? Thanks for any answers.
Nancy
-----Original Message-----
From: PJP [mailto:melanoma-cpt3734@lists.careplace.com]
Sent: Monday, July 09, 2007 11:54 AM
To: mmyers4@satx.rr.com
Subject: Re: [melanoma] Melanoma & Vitiligo
Hi Nana, I have been told that a high contrast CT is the best scan for
melanoma. This PET scan is actually being done to check the lesions for
activity other than melanoma for an exposure I had 25 years ago that is
treatable. If it is negative, then I won’t have to have as many
antibiotics as I would if it is positive. I will still have the CT in 3
months for the Melanoma. If the lesions don’t show activity on the PET
scan and haven’t changed on the CT I will feel much better and then repeat
the CT again in 6 months and annually after than for awhile. My vitiligo
is still progressing slowing but I seem to find new spots every week or
two. Luckily I have very fair skin so they are not very noticeable unless
you look closely. The ones around my eyes are very noticeable but I wear
glasses and that helps hide them.
As for chemo, I can not answer than question. Depending on where he is
being treated they may just want to follow him or he may be eligible for a
clinical trial. Please keep me posted.
[Original Message]
From: nana49679 melanoma-cpt3734@lists.careplace.com
To: prush1@mindspring.com
Date: 7/9/2007 1:14:07 PM
Subject: Re: [melanoma] Melanoma & Vitiligo