Clemson Fan
TUG Member
So she has been to see a regular oncologist (ie at home in Albany). That doctor knew about the unusual melanoma dx. Would he/she typically do the fundic exam? Or does she need to see an ophthalmologist as well? Or will the Sloan Kettering melanoma doc suffice?
I know it's pretty near impossible to have a melanoma start in a non-pigmented tissue and so far no pigmented tissue has been identified as affected. She had had CTs of head, chest and abdomen and MRI of brain. She has 3 brain mets, one lung met large enough to be visible on rads, hundreds of small lung mets visible only on CT, and liver & adrenal mets. The biopsy was taken from the liver mass.
I am guessing the melanoma doc will go over the entirety of her skin very thoroughly. I am just not sure if I should be advising her to request an ophtho referral prior to the Sloan Kettering trip.
H
A malignant melanoma can originate from the choroid of the eye. I would probably leave the ophthalmology referral up to the oncologist. A fundus exam done with a regular fundoscope is OK for screening, but it really isn't sufficient to see the entirety of the retina and choroid.