Routine Exam Catches Lori Tucker-Sullivan's 0.2%-Rare Labial Melanoma, Limiting Recurrence Risk to Under 3%
Updated
Updated · HuffPost · Jul 21
Routine Exam Catches Lori Tucker-Sullivan's 0.2%-Rare Labial Melanoma, Limiting Recurrence Risk to Under 3%
1 articles · Updated · HuffPost · Jul 21
Summary
Early-stage labial melanoma was found during Lori Tucker-Sullivan’s routine physical after her primary care doctor spotted an unusual freckle during a pelvic exam and urged a biopsy.
A biopsy confirmed melanoma in situ, and Tucker-Sullivan spent days being referred across gynecology, gynecologic oncology and skin cancer services before a melanoma surgeon agreed to operate.
More than 1 hour of surgery removed the lesion with 1-centimeter margins; doctors later told her she needs no further treatment and faces less than a 3% chance of recurrence.
The good prognosis reflects how unusually early the cancer was caught: nearly 40% of vulvar melanoma patients present at Stage III or IV, where five-year survival falls to about 48% and 25%.
Vulvar melanoma affects about 0.2 per 100,000 women a year, often older postmenopausal white women, and Tucker-Sullivan said her case underscores the value of regular pelvic and skin exams.