Malignant Melanoma Five Year Survival Rate Not Good

by Carol
(Freedom, WI, USA)

It was about 28 years ago when I was diagnosed with Malignant Melanoma. I am a redhead with light skin which burns easily, and I also loved the outdoors and got a few sunburns every summer.

When I was 25 I went on a raft trip on a river which lasted most of a sunny day. The next morning when I got up to go to work I found I couldn't stand upright because of the terrible pain of sunburn on my legs.

That was the worst sunburn I ever had and 11 years later I developed what looked like a large freckle on the side of my lower left leg. It seemed to get thicker and became sensitive so I saw a dermatologist. He didn't think it was anything dangerous since it wasn't dark in color, but decided to remove it anyway.

It turned out to be fourth stage Malignant Melanoma and it was removed along with a few inches of tissue underneath and beside it.

I thought that was the end of danger but about nine months later I discovered a lump on my upper thigh. I called the doctor and after examination I was scheduled for surgery two days later.

The surgeon removed over 20 lymph nodes from my inner thigh and groin area and about half of them were cancerous. I didn't have chemo therapy since Melanoma does not respond well to it anyway, and the doctors were hopeful that the surgery was soon enough to be effective.

I was given a very low chance of surviving five years, and that was 28 years ago. I did begin to pay more attention to nutrition and I was the recipient of many prayers, and was probably helped by both.