Personal Narrative: Melanoma

It was a day like any other. I was finishing up some paperwork on my most recent skin graph when a call came in from the front desk, my next patient was here. I had yet to physically see the patient myself, but I had already made a prediction based on what was already known: Melanoma. The most dangerous form of skin cancer. Over 200,000 documented cases around the world each year, killing roughly 2% of those effected. [1] Despite the seemingly high survival rate, Melanoma is very deadly when not treated early on. Modern awareness and technology have helped to bring those numbers to very manageable, but the modern trend of a golden tan skin is holding the numbers at bay. Of course, I was just making estimates at this point as to the severity of my patient’s condition. Despite the seemingly innocents of the situation, I had a gut feeling that a long battle was brewing. The first step when dealing with a situation like this is always recognize the symptoms. As my patient entered the room, I immediately began making observations. A middle aged female with red hair, a prime target for melanoma. The gene that causes red hair, MC1R, is especially susceptible to melanoma. [2] She also was a lighter complexion, another check mark for skin cancer. My patient alerted me to the fact that she had done extensive tanning when she was …show more content…
We had to take a sample of the tissue to send in for a biopsy, as well as a full body photography to ensure we are only dealing with a single site. [5] The next appointment was scheduled for three days later due to the urgency of the situation. I took a small sample from the tissue of the mole, which had grown slightly larger and more ominous in comparison to the previous visit. I sent it in to the lab with high hopes. I also scheduled my patient for an appointment with a specialist to photograph the majority of her skin. I too sent that in for further