Courtney Whithorn Australian woman with acral lentiginous melanoma Date of Birth: 01.01.2018 Country: Australia

1. The Discolored Nail: A Hidden Danger
2. The Alarming Diagnosis
3. The Devastating News: Amputation
4. Impact on Life
5. Acral Lentiginous Melanoma: A Rare and Aggressive Cancer

The Nightmare That Began with a Nail-Biting Habit: Courtney Whithorn's Battle with Acral Lentiginous Melanoma

Courtney Whithorn, a 20-year-old Australian from Newton Aycliffe, Durham, suffered from persistent nail-biting. Little did she know that this seemingly harmless habit would lead to a terrifying journey.

The Discolored Nail: A Hidden Danger

In 2014, Courtney bit off almost the entire nail on her big toe, which soon turned black. Embarassed, she hid her toe from family and friends for four years. "I can't explain how ashamed I felt," she said. "It was so black that I was always wearing fake nails. When it eventually grew back, it was paper-thin."

The Alarming Diagnosis

Eventually, fear overcame her embarrassment, and Whithorn sought medical attention "for the sake of aesthetics." The doctor referred her to plastic surgeons, who planned to remove the nail bed and perform a skin graft. Whithorn consented to the surgery, after which concerned doctors ordered a biopsy. The results took six weeks to come back, as specialists struggled to determine if a tumor was present or not.

During a second surgery, surgeons cautiously removed all the darkened growths. The biopsy was sent to Sydney for further analysis, where Whithorn received the devastating diagnosis: acral lentiginous melanoma. This type of melanoma is extremely rare, especially in young people and at such an advanced stage. "Of course I was in shock. I couldn't believe this was happening," Whithorn recalls. "My mum just burst into tears."

The Devastating News: Amputation

After a PET scan revealed no new cancer cells, Whithorn's relief was short-lived. A week later, Sydney specialists informed her that her type of cancer required amputation. "I had a panic attack at work when I read the word 'amputation' in the referral," Courtney said. "I ran outside. I couldn't breathe."

"We saw a melanoma specialist and he agreed with the Sydney doctor once he knew it was acral lentiginous melanoma." However, the surgeons performed a third surgery, making a wide incision on her toe. Whithorn was warned that if any more cancer cells were found, she would need to lose her entire toe. "So, I went under, thinking I might not wake up with a big toe. When I woke up and saw that it was still there, I was just so happy," she added. "They scooped out two of my lymph nodes to test whether my cancer had spread."

While it became apparent that further surgeries would be necessary, Courtney was now mentally prepared for amputation. "I wasn't scared to lose it," she explains. "I was just nervous because I'm not a huge fan of needles and stuff."

Impact on Life

A second-year psychology student, Whithorn's amputation has impacted her writing abilities. She was forced to take a break from her studies at Griffith University. "I love writing. I journal a lot," says Courtney. "It's quite cathartic for me, getting my thoughts down on paper."

"The thought of not being able to journal for a while is definitely upsetting."

She is still awaiting the results of her latest tests, after which she hopes to be cleared and put on regular check-ups for the next five years.

Acral Lentiginous Melanoma: A Rare and Aggressive Cancer

Acral lentiginous melanoma remains a poorly understood cancer, and doctors are cautious about giving survival rates or predictions of recurrence. "The actual location of the cancer in my toe is still unknown, so if it does come back it's just a matter of taking more of my toe off until we get it," Whithorn adds. It is a rare subtype of melanoma, typically found on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. Sometimes the cancer develops around the nail bed, most often of the thumbnail or big toe.

Acral lentiginous melanoma usually occurs in people with dark skin, but it can affect anyone. Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that can spread to other parts of the body. It is caused by abnormal growth of skin cells.

Your chances of getting melanoma may be increased by having lots of moles and freckles, fair skin that sunburns easily, red or fair hair, or a family history of melanoma.

The main treatment for melanoma is surgery, although your treatment depends on your circumstances. If melanoma is diagnosed at an early stage and treated promptly, surgery is generally successful.