Anyone had recurring melanoma?

I'm making a plea for people to check their sunscreens for the expiration date. Some sunscreens, especially the chemical ones (oxybenzones, etc.) have a short shelf life. Especially in hot climates. The rule of thumb for chemical sunscreen usage in Florida is to toss anything that's been opened more than 12-16 months earlier. Better yet, ditch the chemical ones in favor of the old barrier one (zinc oxide, titanium dioxide) that stay on the skin's surface and aren't killing underwater reefs as far as we know.

This public service is brought to us by my triply-board-certified-in-skin-cancer dermatologist who's vehement about using adequate sun protection. And supported by a chemist friend in the cosmetics industry.

Good advice on the sunscreen, Because my melanoma was on my lower leg the surgeon did an open wide incision which I’m currently recovering from. The skin in that area is too tight to keep stitches. I about passed out the first time a changed the dressing. But It is continually getting smaller. Has anyone had a similar incision?

I've not had that experience but any incision that is getting smaller sounds like good news to me...

I have a friend who lost her new husband (after being divorced and single for over twenty years) to melanoma. And it might have been avoided had a dermatologist years earlier just taken more tissue according to the oncologists at M.D. Anderson who later tried to save her husband's life. The melanoma was on his back and he had no cosmetic concerns about a slightly bigger scar. But Anderson, upon reviewing the original biopsy, said the tumor clean margins were substandard. And rogue cells were likely left behind. From a tumor showing very aggressive cancer.

I had a lumlectomy last fall at Cleveland Clinic and, just before the surgery, told the surgeon to feel free to take out enough tissue to ensure nice wide clean margins and I'd deal with any scarring later. And I didn't relax until I saw the biopsy results that showed them.

I'm sorry for your loss and the panoply of conflicting thoughts that must accompany it. I have good doctors but it took a lot of time and research to find each of them. Doctors are used to a lofty societal status but they are only people who chose a career in medicine. And the skill levels, as in any occupation, range from mediocre to excellent. So I agree that we need to assume a kind of guardianship of our own health and be very involved in its caretaking.

Thanks for the encouragement, it is filling in. The nurse who checked it said it would look like a skinned knee after it closes . Eventually it will fade some. I’m relieved this one is gone, will focus on preventive care.

Yes. I had a melanoma removed from the center of my back in 2013. Removed all axial lymph nodes on that side. Three years later on the exact same spot. This time also tumors in my left lung. After resection of a chunk of lung, Keytruda came to the rescue. I was "cured ". Five years later when tumors appeared in my lungs again everyone assumed recurrence, waited six months to see what happened . In six months we discovered it was really metastatic pancreatic cancer. Waiting six months was a bad decision.

I haven't had recurring melanoma [excised in 2008 from right forearm]. The surgery site took 32 stitches to close, leaving an awesome scar, nerve damage and a divot in my arm. But I have had several squamous cell skin cancer areas treated, including center of forehead, left eyebrow, etc. Plus basal cell, anodular basal cell [removed by MOHS]

Other members posting here are right! Keep doing the preventative measures, even when you don't want to.
Ginger

For what it's worth, my dermatologist likes to stress that the intensity of sunlight reaching us today is much stronger than what many of us grew up with. He's board-certified in every type of skin cancer and he thinks that UVC will be found to be as hazardous as UVA and UVB. [He personally has his family use Tizo sunscreens as they provide some shielding from UVC as well.] And he's adamant about clients using barrier, not 'chemical', sunscreens as the latter are ineffective, degrade quickly and the skin absorbs the chemical. So I'm back to using an inexpensive Neutrogena SPF 50 for babies, formulated with the old stand-bys of zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide, especially when sailing, surrounded by intensified, reflecting sun rays off water, boat and sails.

My husband had cancerous bladder removed 20+yr ago. Now he is having recurring squamous cell carcinoma
spots on left arm and hand. Back of His hand has had 5 surgeries so far in about 5 mos. with another due next week. What can be done for this?

I have melanoma ... one removed from my forehead and the other is next to my backbone. I am afraid of surgery there as I have a hypermobile SI Joint that extended up my backbone and now includes the cervical joints. Evidently dislocation can happen very easily under anesthesia. (alanspanosmd.com) The ligaments of 4-7 were tightened with prolotherapy, and as 4 was the most hypermobile I am doing well with an occasional chin to the chest. Think of the palace guard.
All that said I searched for another way to deal with the back melanoma. So far no DR. was willing to try radiation etc., so my research led further. I now believe that pharma has currently pointed us in the wrong direction. Cancer is not a thing like a virus. It is a problem in cell processing, something common to us! The metabolism of cancer cells is an alteration of the normal cell's metabolism. So.... if that is all so, it is not surprising that the cancer can return to the same place. Certainly surgery is good, but is there an answer to fixing the cellular process, especially in those of us with a slowed cell turnover, so the creation of more cancer is stopped?