my sister was diagnosed with stage 2 malignant melanoma this time last year. a mole was removed from her scalp and the doctors thought they had removed all of the cancer. however, she has been complaining recently about severe headaches. yesterday, she started bleeding badly from her lips and her heart was raising. she went to the ER where she was admitted to the hospital for more tests. all tests so far just showed irregular heart rate but no clogging or true heart issues. is there any connection with her cancer history and this sudden bleeding and heart raising. she is a 48 year old white female of average weight.
Hi, Thanks for writing in. Melanoma is a cancer of the skin and usually appears as a mole. It is grouped as an aggressive cancer and should be closely observed for appearances elsewhere in the body even after surgical treatment. If your mother is having severe headaches then she must get an urgent CT scan or MRI scan brain done at the earliest. There have been patients with spread of cancer to the brain and in many cases it is malignant melanoma that has spread to cause headaches. The bleeding from lips might be due to a different cause and her general blood counts need to be checked. It is suggested that she gets a brain scan done and should there be any finding then it must be discussed in detail with the oncologist and treatment started as early possible. Please do not worry.