Waiting on mole Biopsy

[Twin]

Hi all,

I've read this site a few times, I've battled on and off with health anxiety this last year, I had some therapy and I have been feeling much better.

I went in for a skin check today (haven't had one for a few years) and the physician assistant who did the skin check noticed a mole he wanted to remove. It's only small (2mm), and he wasn't particularly worried about it, but just wanted to check it as a precautionary measure. He thought it most likely that it's dyplastic (benign but pre-cancerous, also fairly common).

So I went back later in the day to have it removed and biopsied, I got a regular dermatologist this time who said that he thought it was 50/50 it was melanoma.... This has freaked me out... From all my reading I can't see how a 2mm mole (even if it is black in the middle like mine) has a 50% chance of being cancer. He did say that if it was we most likely caught it early and it would just be cut out, but still.... 50/50!

I now have to wait 7-10 days for the results, while traveling overseas on a business trip and spending hours and hours in airplanes with nothing to do but think :(

Does anyone have any experience with these biopsies? This is my first one. I think this mole has been there for some time, and hasn't grown.

I know that most likely it is not melanoma, I am absolutely trying my hardest not to freak out on a "might be".

[Sarita94]

Hey,
It's really horrible when things crop up out of the blue and completely throw you! Try and remember that in the wider scheme of things only one in a million moles is a rotten egg, it can be really difficult to determine a dysplastic mole from a melanoma by sight so biopsy is the nest way to be sure.

I'm waiting for a dermatology appointment in 2 weeks for two of my own moles- one seems similar to yours if not a bit bigger. I would say 4-5 mm, darker in the middle and slightly raised. It's in the curve of my spine so hard to see, but it definitely wasn't there a couple of years ago.

Like your derm said even if, IF, it turned out to be melanoma, through vigilance it will have been caught early and likelihood is that is the end of it.

Take care :)

[generalblue.162]

Hi Twin. I have had the same thing happen to me. In my case my mole was pre-cancer, but the Dr. was sure it was melanoma before the biospsy. Even if by the off chance it is, if caught early it is very easy for Dermatologist to get rid of it now. My uncle is a electrician and spends all his time in the hot sun in Texas and he got melanoma and it wasn't caught as early as the Doctors wanted, it took no time to be cured and take it out. It took one appointment to get it out, and check up every 3 months for the next 2 years. Melanoma is very rare and not as common as Dr. Google wants you to think it is.

[Twin]

Thanks Sarita94 and GeneralBlue, I've been coping pretty well actually. Focusing on the MOST LIKELY outcome that it is harmless.

I also consulted a doctor on justanswer and he considered it to be a low risk, in face he said he wouldn't have biopsied it at all, he would have just left it for 3 months to see if it changed first.

From speaking to my wife, I think this mole has been there for at least a year or two (probably longer) and has not changed.

So overall I'm pretty confident of a good outcome! Always like coming back to these forums though when I feel like my mind is running away with itself!

[Twin]

Just thought I would update here, I received my results today and the mole is benign!

[J-P]

Just thought I would update here, I received my results today and the mole is benign!

So happy for you! Please give that dermatologist a piece of your mind on the 50/50 odds. I'm willing to bet that the odds were way in favour of benign over pre-cancerous. There's no reason to scare patients like that.

[Twin]

Oh, I should clarify it is a mild dysplastic nevus, so perhaps benign isn't the right term? Regardless it's not cancer and it's been fully removed.

[J-P]

Oh, I should clarify it is a mild dysplastic nevus, so perhaps benign isn't the right term? Regardless it's not cancer and it's been fully removed.

No it's the right term.

[Sarita94]

Really happy for you! The derm I went to privately thinks mine could be a 'moderately dysplastic nevus' and wants to review in 3 months- I see the NHS derm on Tuesday so I will see if I can have it removed just to be safe!

[nicole97]

I am in that situation now. I went in to have a small mole removed from my shoulder that looked a little odd (but not really concerning) and while there, the derm noticed one right on my spine in the middle of my back that she said had a little black in it. It was only about 2 mm big. I went through old pictures and I can see that mole existed 2 years ago (RARE to find pictures of my back), but I can't see if there were any color variations then (due to picture quality). I CAN say though, that the size hasn't changed at all. I'm trying to keep that in mind, because it's freaking me out BIG TIME waiting on the biopsy results. It's much worse in the morning when I wake up, just get this horrible pit in my stomach. Hate this. :-(