Vim & Vigor - Summer 2020 - UVA - 53

PHOTO BY GETTY IMAGES

PHOTOS BY MARCIA OGLESBY (TOP) AND UVA HEALTH

When a mole turned into
cancer, Marcia Oglesby
didn't panic. Instead, she
explored her options.
It all started with a funny little mole on
the side of her right pinkie finger. Decades
ago, Marcia Oglesby had that mole biopsied
by her dermatologist. The results came back benign
(noncancerous), so she was told not to worry about it.
"Then, in fall 2018, I noticed what I thought were
changes in this little dot, but I still wasn't sure. Was it
my imagination?" Oglesby says. "As someone with fair
and sensitive skin, I had a dermatology appointment
already scheduled for February and decided to discuss
my concerns with my doctor. When that appointment
finally came around, the doctor also showed concern
and biopsied the mole. The verdict came just a week
later: at least stage 1 melanoma."
Oglesby knew she was facing a serious form of cancer,
so she did her homework to make sure she had the best
outcome. She met with five doctors along the East Coast.
"A lot of people hear the word cancer and they can't get
it off fast enough. But I'm the kind of person who likes
to know what all of my options are," she says. "I believe
serious illness needs to be attacked with intelligence,
not bugaboos."
Oglesby spent last March gathering information and
consulting with doctors. "They were all fine doctors
and listened carefully. But Dr. [Craig] Slingluff at UVA
Cancer Center was much clearer and more direct, and
caring. His manner was so intensely diligent," says
Oglesby, who lives in North Chesterfield, Virginia,
just outside of Richmond.
Oglesby was also impressed that Dr. Slingluff planned
to perform the surgery with Brent DeGeorge, MD, a
UVA plastic surgeon who specializes in hand procedures at UVA Hand Center. This would help ensure that
the cancer would be removed while preserving the use
of her pinkie, which is important for gripping. This was
a huge relief for Oglesby, who relies heavily on her right
hand and who had been told by three of the five doctors
that her finger would need to be removed.
Dr. DeGeorge collaborates with Dr. Slingluff on
melanoma cases when they involve the hand area.
They approach surgery from different standpoints:
"Dr. Slingluff 's goal was to get rid of the cancer," Dr.
DeGeorge says. "My goal is maintaining the best finger
function that we can. She [Oglesby] left the operating
room with a cancer-free finger and a finger that worked."
After having two surgeries last April and May,
Oglesby says, "I can do most anything I truly want to
do, and I'm gaining strength in my right hand. It was
the best of all possible outcomes."

Craig Slingluff,
MD, UVA Cancer
Center surgical
oncologist

Marcia Oglesby is thrilled with her functioning pinkie
finger after surgery at UVA Health. A cancer surgeon and
plastic surgeon there teamed up to help preserve her
finger while removing the cancer. Learn more about her
journey at uvahealth.com/marcia.

Turn to Your
Dermatologist

Brent DeGeorge,
MD, UVA Hand
Center plastic
surgeon

When Marcia Oglesby noticed the mole on her finger
was changing shape, she was sure to mention it to
her dermatologist. It's important to have a relationship with a dermatologist, who can catch signs of
skin cancer early. UVA Health has dermatology clinics
throughout central Virginia and can handle even
the most complex skin cancer cases. Learn more at
uvahealth.com/dermatology.

VIM & VIGOR SUMMER 2020

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3/24/20 4:19 PM

http://www.uvahealth.com/marcia http://www.uvahealth.com/dermatology

Vim & Vigor - Summer 2020 - UVA

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