Just curious. The reason I am so vigilant with my moles and removing them is because my sister was diagnosed with Stage I Melanoma. She's fine and it's been more than 5yrs since it was found. Doing a lot of reading makes it sound like 1 in 10 melanomas found are in people who have a relative with the disease. So, if you don't me asking, do those of you with it have a relative with it?

Thanks.

No, I am the first in my family, though my Mom has had some basel cell tumors removed.

Have any suspicious mole removed. If you have a HX of Melanoma in your family, you are at risk for it.

No one in my immediate family. But I did have a severe couple of burns as a wee child. But never hung out in the sun.

Dx MM sept 2004
WLE
Stage 2B
Clarks 3
declined adjuvant therapy (for now)
CT scans, and appt with oncologists every 3 months for 2 years and then every six months for 3 years then every year for ever.

Be vigilant, and treat suspicious moles aggressivley.

No one in my family has ever had any type of cancer, other than my dad who had Agent Orange related Lymphoma. From everything I've read though if you do have a family member who has had Melanoma, you are at an increased risk so please keep an eye on any mole you have. I know I have become a bit as my children say "over protective" of them, but I never want them to go thru what I've gone thru these past couple of months. And the sooner it's caught the better off you are.

No one has had any type of skin cancer in either my father's nor my mother's side of the family (at least 5 generations).

Have pigmentation on my skin (I am hispanic - brown eyes, brown hair, brown skin)

Never had a bad sunburn nor have blistered due to the sun (even as a child)

Always wear/wore suncreen

(sorry to invade your thread, iris!) But Trish, do you mind if I ask where your mm mole was?

I am the first to be dx with MM in my family. However, my grandmother, mom, aunt and sister all have or have had either breast or ovarian cancer.

I dont have cancer but my mom has had breast cancer (masectomy) and my dad just had skin cancer removed from his ear lobe, still not healing properly. im using sunscreen now!

Hi FearFuL,
The mm was located on the front of lower leg (the right leg). It was in the area almost by the foot.
I noticed a small freckle showed up there one time. Had it looked up for 3 years (it was a cute one too... it looked like a heart... nothing like you see in the brochures). I kept an eye on it since it was in an area where I could see it every day as I put my shoes on.
I changed dermatologists and the new one decided to do a biopsy. It came out positive for mm - early stage though.

Cancer...
My dad died of leukemia (no one in my family has had it either).
My sister is going through chemo for ovarian cancer (no history of it in my family either).
I grew up in the suburbs in a big city in South America and came to Orlando when I was 19 (13 years ago).
The food back home has a lot less chemicals/hormones than they do here... and there is nothing around to even think that has to do with an environmental issue.
So I don't think genetics has something to do with it...
No environmental issues (as far as know) either...
We have/had different habits too...
My dad... eat right... exercised daily... didn't smoke... drank occasionally.
My sister eats right... doesn't exercise... doesn't drink... doesn't smoke.
I eat foods that are not that healthy all the time... up to a couple of months ago, I used to smoke... do party a little... I do exercise though.
So... I don't see a pattern there...
I guess we just got the lucky number.

Hi FearFuL,
The mm was located on the front of lower leg (the right leg). It was in the area almost by the foot.
I noticed a small freckle showed up there one time. Had it looked up for 3 years (it was a cute one too... it looked like a heart... nothing like you see in the brochures). I kept an eye on it since it was in an area where I could see it every day as I put my shoes on.
I changed dermatologists and the new one decided to do a biopsy. It came out positive for mm - early stage though.

Cancer...
My dad died of leukemia (no one in my family has had it either).
My sister is going through chemo for ovarian cancer (no history of it in my family either).
I grew up in the suburbs in a big city in South America and came to Orlando when I was 19 (13 years ago).
The food back home has a lot less chemicals/hormones than they do here... and there is nothing around to even think that has to do with an environmental issue.
So I don't think genetics has something to do with it...
No environmental issues (as far as know) either...
We have/had different habits too...
My dad... eat right... exercised daily... didn't smoke... drank occasionally.
My sister eats right... doesn't exercise... doesn't drink... doesn't smoke.
I eat foods that are not that healthy all the time... up to a couple of months ago, I used to smoke... do party a little... I do exercise though.
So... I don't see a pattern there...
I guess we just got the lucky number.


do u have a lot of moles or dysplastic nevi? your skin does not have to blister much to get MM. If it is damaged by the sun, it increases your chances of course. ppl with brown skin are said to have lower risks of getting MM but it is possible, but it is usually with the presence of family MM somewhere up the chain. But I do understand it can happen regardless if one is exposed to a lot of sunlight.

I do have a lot of moles, but I had them since I was a child. No freckles, just small moles.
I actually never blistered when I have been on the sun and hardly ever got sunburned (my mom was pretty good at applying sun block to us when I was growing up).
I read an article in a UK magazine the other day where they said that MM might not be related to sun damage. They even said that MM has been found in ovaries... ?
I don't know why I got it... but all I can do is be careful and continue with my 3-month checkups.

Irisrose, thank you for starting this thread. It is very interesting reading the different answers posted

I do have a lot of moles, but I had them since I was a child. No freckles, just small moles.
I actually never blistered when I have been on the sun and hardly ever got sunburned (my mom was pretty good at applying sun block to us when I was growing up).
I read an article in a UK magazine the other day where they said that MM might not be related to sun damage. They even said that MM has been found in ovaries... ?
I don't know why I got it... but all I can do is be careful and continue with my 3-month checkups.

Irisrose, thank you for starting this thread. It is very interesting reading the different answers posted

Did you have a lot in a particular area or just all over? Did they look like normal ones or were they atypical looking? It can be caused by sun damage, but I think it has to do more with family history or even hormones. Hormones can increase or decrease the amount of melanin in the body. Either way, im glad your doing well, and that your on top of things. :)