@blc1951 May I offer my welcome. I am a mentor here, and have been a patient myself at Mayo for slightly over a year now due to metastatic melanoma that was diagnosed in November of 2024 when I had been started on immunotherapy.

There are folks on here who have treated for various types of melanoma, from stage 1 (in situ where it's more superficial involving the outer surface of the skin) to stage 4 like mine where it has affected more distant organs, such as the lung in my case. In addition, there may be people who have just undergone biopsies and awaiting results and those who are supporting loved ones undergoing such care.

Can you tell me a bit more about your background with melanoma?

@blc1951
Tell us what you would like us to know and how we can help. We all have different experiences with skin cancer, diagnoses, types, treatments, success.

I am 78 and grew up in the sun. Now paying for it 40 years later. I am still having to deal with skin cancer coming back and back. Seems now my skin cancers are SCC not BCC like in past. Have had a lot of MOHS surgery but my last one on my hand was first one I had stitches done. And wow had no idea what others experiences when MOHS surgery requires stitches.

Now just had another biopsy on same hand, same area that biopsy showed SCC. So now another MOHS surgery on January 7th. Poor hand has not healed from first MOHS but can't let the new one go and get bigger and deeper.

Before I forget go on the abbreviations post so you can review all the abbreviations used as it can be overwhelming to understand what is being said sometimes.