Skin Cancer? (Melanoma)

[Anxiety Jim]

Hi,

I've been suffering with health anxiety for quite a few years now, and I've had a lump growing on my forearm for about 5 months. It started as what appeared to be several freckles joining together, now for the past 2 months the patch has started to become a lump on my skin, it's still freckle coloured and is very rough looking.

I saw a trainee GP at my local surgery and she said it looked fine. Now for the past 2 weeks it has become really itchy and I'm scared it's melanoma, and I've also been getting pain in my liver area (I've been diagnosed with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, but have never had pain from it).

I'm really scared the GP missed it was cancer, she's newly qualified after all. And I'm scared that it's now spread and is in my liver too! I must only have months to live. I don't know whether it's even worth going back to my GP just to go through a few months of painful treatment to then die anyway :weep:

So upset that I left it so long without seeing my normal GP, now it's too late.

[Justinf]

Chances are a trainee would be overcautious if it was anything to worry about. It might be worth going back just to get a 2nd opinion, but I'd say you are fine.

[Eek]

If it's worrying you I'd go back and get a second opinion but as Justin said a trainee would probably be overcautious, but it's only going to keep preying on your mind if you don't get it double checked.

[hanshan]

Have it checked again by a more experienced doctor.

Chances are that it's just an ordinary, harmless mole (different types can develop after childhood). If it is melanoma, it's not too late at all.

[Anxiety Jim]

Hi everyone thanks for your replies, I think that she dismissed it because it's in the middle of lots of freckles. And that I had a little patch of fungus infection of my other arm, but that was completely different, it was flat an almost orange looking. This is much darked and raised from my skin, and growing too.

I've decided to take your advice and go back to the GP but I couldn't get in today so I've got to wait until 9:30 on monday. But I don't know which Dr I'll be seeing, I'm scared it will be the same one! :-(

No idea how I'm going to last the weekend, all I'm thinking is how the cancer cells are dividing and breaking off and travelling around my body :-(

[swajj]

Are you sure it isn't a cherry angioma? They are non-cancerous skin growths. I went to my doctor a couple of months ago thinking that I had a mole on my neck that was turning black but when he examined it he said that it wasn't even a mole but rather an angioma. It could also be a skin tag. I have a lot of those as well. Melanomas look different to other harmless skin growths so I think you can believe what the doctor told you. Trainee or not.

[Anxiety Jim]

I've just had a look at cherry angioma and it's definately not that, it's orange/brown coloured, and looks like lot of freckles have merged into one big one, and have raised from the surface.

It's also REALLY itchy, I'm scared that by scratching it I'm damaging the cancer and that means it will grow back worse. Also my elbow on that arm is aching, it feels like it's the bone that's hurting.

Has anyone ever seen their doctor about a mole? Or has anyone ever had one removed?

Thanks everyone.

[miss diagnosis]

hello

I had something similar to what you are describing.It was a brown freckle with a darker spot in the middle.It changed after a bout of chicken pox. Doc said it was fine but just to remove it to be on the safe side. went to a specialist and got appointment to have it removed. as soon as it was off he said it was begnine (they can tell from looking)and I didnt even need a stitch. Believe me Drs are always over concious if they think there is ANY chance of it developing into a melanoma they will send you to have it removed. ..and as everyone else said with a newly qualified dr they would be even more over cautious. Hope this helps x

[Anxiety Jim]

hello

I had something similar to what you are describing.It was a brown freckle with a darker spot in the middle.It changed after a bout of chicken pox. Doc said it was fine but just to remove it to be on the safe side. went to a specialist and got appointment to have it removed. as soon as it was off he said it was begnine (they can tell from looking)and I didnt even need a stitch. Believe me Drs are always over concious if they think there is ANY chance of it developing into a melanoma they will send you to have it removed. ..and as everyone else said with a newly qualified dr they would be even more over cautious. Hope this helps x

Hi Miss Diagnosis,

Thanks very much for the reply, that actually really helps. Was the removal of the mole/freckle scary/painful at all? Did you have to ask your Dr to refer you or did s/he do it anyway?

I've got an appointment booked for Monday morning now, so if I get to see a different doctor and s/he thinks it's OK I'll try and relax about it. It's the pain in my forearm that's making me more panicy than I otherwise would be because it makes me think it's spread to my bones :-(

Thanks again

[SamanthaAU]

Hi Jim

I have had a lot of worries and anxiety over melanoma/moles.


I had a spot on my mark that got me into a tail spin but ended up being some kind of harmless wart.


I have also had two moles removed and it was a simple painless procedure.


I am sure too it will be nothing, but I would get a second opinion if you are worried.

[miss diagnosis]

Hi jim

No it didnt hurt at all. in fact i didnt even know he had done it and it was over! the doc refered me to a specialist. there was an 18 month waiting list so i had to just keep an eye on it for a while till i got seen eventually.