Melanoma - who to see?

[Rancid]

Though melanomas are often removed successfully it isn't something to play around with, as there are others that don't respond well. Find the best person and bugger the cost. The girl at Ram seems competent to me.

[Sparkles]

Do not believe it is available in Thailand.

Can confirm that .If you have someone returning, or coming to Thailand they can bring it with them.

Being a high risk skin cancer type myselt, due to years of surfing ,sport, back in Australia I think I have tried every method and for many years have returned to the "freezing" or removal technique.

Aldara did not work for me and it has ,for some people,some very unpleasant side effects.Suggest you google for the myriad of comments and make your own mind up.

I have had over the last 35 years have had 2 melanomas removed from my back and well over 1,000 frozen ,scraped ,or surgically removed.

Damage was done when I was younger, blue eyes,fair hair and light Anglo Saxon skin is a dangerous combination but during the 50's-60's even 70's very little was known about the dangers and living in Australia only heightened the risk.

I have been attending RAM on an average of every 12 weeks with Dr Vachiraporn and when she went to the US Dr Chatabongkotch for the last 7 years.My average removal is around 15 per visit with

no sign of them stopping, popping up like mushrooms.I have found both Drs to be very thorough and professional. Nothing is guaranteed a young girl aged 6 was recently diagnosed in Australia with a

melanoma on the sole of her foot,thankfully found in time.

[elektrified]

Though melanomas are often removed successfully it isn't something to play around with, as there are others that don't respond well. Find the best person and bugger the cost. The girl at Ram seems competent to me.

"The girl at Ram".....

[amexpat]

She is pretty.

[Rimmer]

A troll post has been removed

[Saan]

I suspect the drug was Aldara cream and is widely used for superficial BCC treatment. Aldara requires many weeks of treatment however and as you said is not cheap (although for small area same sachel can be used for a few days).

Efudix may have been more effective. It's a bit invasive but have found it does the job. Not sure what the cost of a 20g tube would be in Thailand.

Efudix is not available in Thailand. It cost me $62 for a 20g tube in Australia and is very effective.

Edited May 17, 2016 by Saan

[jobin]

An aside: Bob Marley, world famous Rasta musician, born and raised in Jamaica, died of malignant melanoma, found on his toe, which eventually spread throughout his body. Bob's father was lily white from Sussex, UK and his mother was Afro-Jamaican.

Readers may be interested in this world wide skin cancer quiz.

http://www.skincancer.org/prevention/are-you-at-risk/fitzpatrick-skin-quiz#

I scored zero in every category, hence i am high risk for skin cancer. Dark skin is generally lower risk.

Take the quiz. Educate yourself.

[drbill]

Wide resection and an isotope sentinel node biopsy, CT chest,abdomen and pelvis done with a 64 slice newer ( last 15 yrs ) generation CT.MRI brain ,isotope bone scan and a 18FDG

hybrid CT/PET . In other words I would want a multidiscipline approach to include at least a surgeon, oncologist and diagnostic radiologist. I would want to be staged and treated accordingly.

[jobin]

Hmm, dr bill. Your message unclear, at least to me. Are you saying you have melanoma and require the Rx as you wrote? Or if you ever do get melanoma, Rx should be such?

Is any of what you wrote relevant to the rest of us?

This is a serious subject for many whiteys in T'land; frankly we (the whiteys) don't belong here, at least ecologically. Honest and accurate info is important to all of us, but hearsay and high hopes in mystery treatments not so good.