You don't say what stage your original melanoma was. Did you have a wide excision, or did your initial biopsy state the margins were clear? I have had two early melanomas - Stage 0, which is considered in situ, and Stage 1A. With both of them I had biopsies and later wide excisions, and with the Stage 1A I also had a sentinel node biopsy, though I know that was only because my oncologist was nervous and not because the depth of my lesion warranted it.

As for follow up I now see my dermatologist every 3 months, but after 1 I saw her every 6 months. She does a visual inspection as well, but we take pictures once a year and they have a computer program at her office that compares the images and looks for changes in any of my moles. The key is to spot any moles that have changed or which look different from the others. I am also supposed to see my surgical oncologist yearly (I did for the first couple of years but an a year or so behind now). He does a chest x-ray and looks over any lesions I am concerned about, and that is it. I think CT scans are for those who had more advanced disease. My first melanoma was on my arm below my left shoulder and the second one was on the middle of my back.

There are some internet communities out there for people with melanoma that are helpful, although many are for those with more advanced melanoma, and they can be pretty scary for someone who had early melanoma which is treatable only by excision.

http://www.MPIP.org is a very good site I have found to be helpful.

I hope that helps you somewhat. Feel free to ask more questions.

I guess it was stage 1. He removed a small mole on my right flank and had it analyzed. I then went back & he removed about a 2" long chunk. Injections on your flank are not fun! Was then told "margins clear", not much else. He said to come back yearly, but I go back every 6 months.

I think I may try to find a more thorough dermatologist. I have wondered, but not talked to him, about taking pictures in his office each time for comparison; I like that idea of using a computer program to do the comparison. I also like the idea of dermatoscopy; something more than just a "look-over." To many stories of folks who had caught melanoma's early, only to find out a few yr later that it's spread/gone deep. I just don't want my life to rely on 1 man.

Just today, I visited my general pract. about other issues (on another discussion board); PVC's, light headedness (really affecting my driving), tired (on top of stress with toddlers, remodel, & wk), ringing in my ears, shortness of breath, etc... and we discussed a CT of the brain and chest. He warned me against that much radiation at once. I may decide to do a brain CT, but I'll wait till I see a neurologist. Fun stuff... You know the worst thing about getting old... Getting old!
Thanks for your time.
Travis

@texas7777, just on the point about having head and chest CT, my urologist wanted me to have a CT around my kidney, and when I asked about the radiation, he promptly changed to an MRI. That did the trick, although My MRI shop would not do a general abdominal MRI including my bladder and prostate, so I had to have a second MRI -- this one at another facility. They wouldn't do an abdominal either, just pelvis (including my prostate). No biggie; two MRIs are only inconvenient for me in that I had to drive 35 miles round trip to get them. Would you consider an MRI?