Does a itchy mole mean melanoma?

[Meriland30]

Long stort shory. I have a mole on my hand. I have had it for 26 years. It has never changed in any way ever. Yesterday my mole itched, I scratched, and it bled a little. That freaked me out. I noticed a small pitting area too elsewhere...looked like an old gouge. I went to the doctor today and he didn't seem concerned at all. It was symmetrical, even color, small (2 mm), and never changed. He said it looks benign and the gouge looks self inflicted and that moles can itch and/or bleed easier when scratched due to increased vascularity....especially in the winter abd that the skin is thinner and more friable. He didn't seem worried but said if I was i could get it removed, but he thought it wasnt necessary.


All I ever hear is that itch and bleed = cancer. My doctor explained in detail why it wasn't. And that it is more important if the mole itself changes form or size.

Is he right?

[Fishmanpa]

Who are you going to trust? A medical doctor who examined you and told you all is well or strangers on an anxiety forum?

Positive thoughts

[Carys]

A 2 mm mole, that is incredibly small, practically a freckle, and you literally went to the doctor the very next day with a 2 mm mole that was a bit itchy lol Yes they can itch from being irritated, yes, I've made one bleed, and yes your doctor is right...but then you should believe him as hes the doctor, hes seen it, and we aren't doctors and haven't seen it. Itching, crusting, bleeding moles aren't one-off occurrences, they are quite obvious and yes it is a sign of melanoma, but it sounds nothing like yours. You know, I've been a bit harsh above perhaps, but think of it - a mole that been there 26 years, overnight, became a need for a doctor visit the very next day. What happened to monitoring and leaving for a while to assess?

[Meriland30]

Im just freaking out about it. It looks identical to nodular melanoma, even has a open pit in it and a red halo around the me itself. I am just freaking myself out. I don't evwn know.

[Fishmanpa]

I am just freaking myself out.

Indeed you are :weep:

Positive thoughts

[Meriland30]

Ive had it for as long as i remember. But the area around it is red...but more to that, its always had a little redness around it in the surrounding skin. I did Google, and that is one of the tell tale signs of melanoma...but I've had that slight redness for years. People say not to Google, but literally that is all there was....even anyone asking about it the responses were to get it biopsied promptly

[Carys]

Its that small that you might as well get it removed (rather than biopsied), if you are that concerned and they will do a biopsy report from the removed mole. Why not seek a second opinion ?

[Worrywart84]

Can you go to a dermatologist?

[NervUs]

I had a three colored mole with a red ring around it. The look on my dermatologist's face was not encouraging....and it ended up being fine. You simply can't know until it's tested. So, calmly do that. Just see a dermatologist and try not to jump the gun. It could be regular irritation and is much more likely to be benign.

[Catherine S]

If the mole was as you've described when the doctor saw it, and you were told it didn't look sinister then I'm assuming your doctor has seen enough moles to know the difference, otherwise you would've been advised to take it further. You might not like the look of it, but your doctor obviously wasn't worried about it. Try to trust your doctor...unless he's a complete imbecile, then start to worry. ..or change doctors :huh:

Cath S