Anyone had a local wide incision for a stage 1 melanoma?

Question

I have to get it done next week and was wondering how big of a scar I can expect to have on my shoulder as a result??

Answer 1

Hi Muzman

I realize this is not the answer you're looking for, but this could be valuable information in the future for you.

Natural Cures

Aromatherapy: Should sunburn occur, spray the affected area with lavender and chamomile. To prevent blistering, also massage two to three drops of lavender oil directly into the affected area.

Flower Essences: Rescue Remedy Cream® applied topically helps soothe pain and quicken healing time.

Herbs: Apply cool aloe vera gel liberally to the sunburnt area. If you are badly sunburnt, apply a salve made with St. John`s wort and calendula flowers.

Homeopathy: Natrum mur. is a useful homeopathic remedy for preventing sunburn, while Urtica Urens and Rhus tox can help speed recovery after sunburn occurs. Calendula lotion applied topically is also helpful.

Hydrotherapy: Hydrotherapy is the application of water, ice, steam and hot and cold temperatures to maintain and restore health. Treatments include full body immersion, steam baths, saunas, sitz baths, colonic irrigation and the application of hot and/or cold compresses. Hydrotherapy is effective for treating a wide range of conditions and can easily be used in the home as part of a self-care program. Many Naturopathic Physicians, Physical Therapists and Day Spas use Hydrotherapy as part of treatment. We suggest several at-home hydrotherapy treatments. Please seek the advice of your alternative health care practitioner before undergoing these procedures to make sure they are appropriate for you.
*Purified water is essential for any hydrotherapy treatment. Remedies for Treating Chlorinated Bath Water offers clear instructions and recommendations.

Juice Therapy: Carrot juice can help speed recovery.

Lifestyle: The best treatment of sunburn is prevention. Your initial exposure to sun in the summer should be limited to 30 minutes during midday sun. The best time to be out in the sun is before 11 a.m. and after 3 p.m. being outside on cloudy summer days and foggy winter days, especially at higher altitudes, carries a greater risk of sunburn due to the same amount of ultraviolet exposure. Sunlight reflecting off of water, metal, snow, sand, and silvery objects can increase the risk of sunburn. Repeated overexposure to the sun and sunburns increases aging of the skin and increases risk of skin cancers.

Nutritional Supplementation: Mix the following together: vitamin A, vitamin E, essential fatty acids, zinc oxide, and aloe gel, and apply topically to the affected area. The following nurtrients taken orally can also be helpful: vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, and potassium.

Sunscreens: Although sunscreens have for years been touted as a preventive measure to protect against melanoma (skin cancer), new research indicates that sunscreens themselves can be instrumental in causing melanoma because of how they prevent the skin from producing vitamin D, an essential hormone-like nutrient that helps to inhibit the growth of melanoma and other cancers. The new research debunks the claim that sunscreens prevent cancer in humans. All they do is prevent sunburn. Moreover, research also shows that the rise in melanoma rates have been directly proportional to the sales rates of sunscreens. A more protective method is to avoid direct sunlight around an hour before and three hours after noon and/or to wear protective head gear (hats, visors, scarves, etc.) when outdoors.

Topical Treatment: Apply a mixture of two parts apple cider vinegar and one part extra virgin olive oil to the affected area. This will help soothe the pain and hasten the healing process. PABA cream applied topically can also be helpful, as can the gel from a feshly cut aloe vera leaf.

Alternative Professional Care
If your symptoms persist despite the above measures, seek the help of a qualified health professional. The following professional care therapies have all been shown to be useful for treating sunburn: Naturopathic Medicine, Oxygen Therapy (external Ozone Therapy), and Traditional Chinese Medicine.


Best of health to you.

Cheers

Answer 2

I have! I had a small melanoma removed from my lower back in May. They did a wide local incision, just what you're going to have done. My scar is football-shaped. In fact, with the stich line down the middle, it actually kind of looks like a football! It's about 1.5 inch wide and 3/4 inch tall, and it actually looks much less ugly than I expected. In fact, when I show it to people, I frequently hear "Wow, that doesn't look nearly as bad as I thought it would!" They'll examine the margins of the tissue that's removed to make sure they got it all. There is a chance that they'll need to do a second excision, but that's unlikely. Mine was fine after the first cut. Once your stitches are out, I recommend smearing Vitamin E oil on the scar several times a day. Mine itched like CRAZY for more than a month after the stitches came out, and that helped a bunch. It also supposedly minimizes the height of the scar (makes it thinner). I now go to the dermatologist every three months for a full body skin check, and so far so good.

Good luck and God bless! Thank goodness (for both of us!) that the docs caught the melanoma early. We are both very lucky.

Answer 3

The scar isn't determined necessarily by what stage it is but how much skin,tissue and/or muscle the doc. has to remove in order to successfully excise the cancer.