When is the right time to treat a small melanoma?

The biggest take-home message if you have a small suspicious lesion or a small uveal melanoma, is that TIME is on your side. You never have to rush into treatment; you do not increase your metastatic risk by waiting a few weeks to get additional opinions, to learn more and to get your questions answered.  

Be sure that your ocular oncologist is using their clinical experience to decide that it is time to treat you. Be wary if your ocular oncologist talks about a "check-list" or the "criteria" for diagnosing ocular melanoma – yes, we have clinical signs that guide us, but using exclusively a checklist may result in both over-treatment of lesions that may not be melanoma, or under treatment of lesions that may indeed be melanoma.

Remember to take the time to process your diagnosis, to learn about it, to go back and ask questions, to get additional opinions. This is not necessarily the case if you have a larger sized melanoma. Listen to learn more!

For Tara McCannel's resources (including webinar links and link to my book!), visit my website: https://seyhart.com/ocularmelanoma

Welcome to Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma, a guide to understanding everything there is to know about your experience with this rare cancer. Learn through the lens of my knowledge and clinical experience as a physician expert and passionate patient advocate. The more you know about ocular melanoma, the better you will do, and the better you will live. Let's go!

The content shared on the Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information provided must not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. As a listener, you are responsible for your own health-related decisions and must consider consulting with a healthcare professional for personalized medical advice. 

Tara McCannel MD PhD is a an ocular oncologist, vitreoretinal surgeon and co-founder of Seyhart Wellness. She is also the host of the Mind Body MD podcast where she shares her passion for holistic health and wellness.