What an incredible journey — 30 years with stage 4 melanoma and still going strong. That's genuinely remarkable, and it sounds like you've navigated some very tough treatments with real resilience.
To answer your question about desmoplastic melanoma: yes, while desmoplastic melanoma is most commonly the same color as Show Full Answer
What an incredible journey — 30 years with stage 4 melanoma and still going strong. That's genuinely remarkable, and it sounds like you've navigated some very tough treatments with real resilience.
To answer your question about desmoplastic melanoma: yes, while desmoplastic melanoma is most commonly the same color as surrounding skin (amelanotic), it can occasionally show some pigmentation. So a shiny, scar-like lesion with a little color is not out of the question for this type.
Key things to know about desmoplastic melanoma's appearance:
- It most often looks like a scar or firm lump
- It typically blends with surrounding skin tone
- Some cases can show slight pigmentation
- It develops in the deeper layer of skin (dermis)
- It can appear on sun-exposed areas like the face, scalp, neck, arms, and legs
Given your history — especially having had brain metastasis treated with Tafinlar and radiation — any new or changing lesion, even one that looks scar-like, really warrants a prompt check with your oncologist or dermatologist. A half-inch lesion with unusual characteristics should be evaluated and possibly biopsied to be sure.
Please don't wait on getting that looked at. You've come too far to leave anything to chance! 💪
August 3