Now it's Nail Cancer

[Munchlet]

Hi

I'm in a complete panic, whilst in the bath this evening I could see a discoloured spot on my big toe.

As I had a bit of nail polish on I thought it might have been a bit of that left over so I took it off and there is a tiny pin head brown dot under my big toe nail, right in the centre.

When I push the nail the area around the dot looks discoloured kind of reddish but I'm having a panic because I can't figure out what it is and I'm obviously thinking I've got melanoma.

I've looked on google (yes asking for trouble I know) and any pictures I see refer to it as being lines down the nails which this isn't it definitely is a circle shape and it's not growing out from the edges or the base of the nail it's just smack bang in the middle.

I've been doing quite a lot of exercise at the gym and sometimes when I come home my feet ache from my trainers but I can't see how I've got this.


Anyone had anything similar, or got any ideas? I've already got a tel appt booked with my doctor for just under two weeks and he is a dermatologist so I will mention it then but just a bit worried.

Thanks

[johnburns232]

Wow, I can totally relate to this. I'm a bloke so I never really pay that much attention to my nails, but you'd be surprised at how often you do bump them and totally forget about it. The results sometimes not even immediate after the 'bump' as well, so even more reason our minds don't associate a knock with the mark.

I had this horrible mark on my big toe for a while, I've started paying more attention to it. It was kind of not there one day, and there the next - so not a slow developing thing! Over the last month or 2 the mark has actually moved upwards with my nail, so that confirms it's growing out which has put my mind at ease! I believe it was due to the fact that I kicked a wall a few months back, long story....! (but i'll never make a footballer)

I did get a bit conscious of this though and did a lot of research, and I now know that melanoma of the nail is so incredibly rare, and it is horrific looking - big, obvious and usually quite symmetrical from the top of the nail, and often takes over a good % of the nail. You can sometimes get it from the sides, but very rare. But it never develops away from the side or the top.

Little bruises can develop on nails and they just have to grow out. Nothing to worry about here.

[BigWimp]

Don't worry!

First of all, I had to laugh at your thread title. Not making fun of you laughing, laughing because I've been scared of everything at one time or another, so "now it's nail cancer!" just sounded like something I'd come up with.

But let me reassure you that the likelihood of a tiny spot in your toenail being the symptom of anything serious is very very slim indeed. Especially if you exercise a lot. There are so many things that could cause this, from pressure on the top of your toe from your shoe, to a bump or bang, to a randomly broken blood vessel, to a fleck of wood or dirt getting lodged under your nail and working it's way down... but I've never heard the following:

"My friend just died horribly and there was nothing the doctors could do."
"What happened?"
"They had a tiny brown spot on their toenail."
=)

Everything is going to be all right. I'm glad you're going to your doctor to have it looked at, just because it will put your mind at ease. Please come back when you've been and post here so we know you're okay! =)

S

[Munchlet]

Hi

Thanks for the replies.

I've checked this morning in the day light and it does look like a tiny brown dot, in fact like a tiny speck of wood or dirt and when I apply pressure the area around it goes a bluish colour, so I'm thinking either I've got something lodged under my nail, mind you god knows how it got that far down, or it's a tiny bruise with a speck of blood in the middle.

I really appreciate the replies, my hubby could barely stand for laughing when I asked him, his reply was " really toe cancer, even by your standards that's one of the craziest ones you've come out with".

Do you know what amazes me is how little people know about things, I know we have HA so are a lot more aware of illness and symptoms than most but my husband didn't even know you could get cancer under a nail.

Mind you I suppose sometimes it would be better to be ignorant!

Thanks I will keep an eye on it and mention it to my GP will let you know the outcome.