Skin cancer

[Liddy1993]

I previously posted about this but I got sunburned in May 2018 and a tiny freckle/mole which was completely normal didn’t look suspicious or anything before this got dry skin/peeling 2 or 3 days after the burn. I stupidly picked it off and it turned red but within 2 months I want to say it disappeared completely and all that is left is a very faint scar from where I picked it . I put the worry out of my head until I came across a picture of it I had taken when it happened in my phone the other day and googled if melanoma could disappear from the skin but spread inside your body and it said it can in 2-6% of people. Logic is telling me it went red because of the sun and because I picked it but my ocd is telling me I picked off melanoma and now it’s going to kill me slowly :weep: I’m on holidays from work as of today and it’s all I’m thinking about. I went to the doctor in June 2018 for anxiety I told him about the lesion he quickly looked but didn’t check properly as I also showed him a “lump” in my neck and other worries and was briefly subscribed lexipro which helped but I am embarrassed to go back because I went to the doctor with so many health related fears the last few months. Have stopped googling and am trying to think logically but stuck in a cycle and know I’m annoying my family and friends constantly asking for reassurance. Don’t know what to do.

[NervUs]

Cancer takes years, like decades, from exposure to symptoms, so you would not have a melanoma appear from a sunburn a year ago. Skin peels when it burns so just try to avoid any future burns but also don't blow up the impact of one little sunburn on your mind. It happened, it's over, move on.

[Liddy1993]

That’s what my family told me I’m my own worst enemy I should know by now not to google things I’d never even heard of it being able to disappear and spread until I looked it up you’d find anything if you search for it. Trying to stay positive and distract myself from it because I know I’m fine I just have a fear from stories I’ve read about cancer going unnoticed and then it being too late. No more google

[Double_Rainbow]

What you describe about vanishing melanoma is very rare. You said 6% but I'd say no more than 2-3% of all cases if that. I assume you were born in 1993, that would make you 25-26 years old, with melanoma being already so rare at your age, what are the odds that you get the rarest type? Don't you just love HA, always concentrating on the most remote possibility and driving us nuts??? You are fine, no worries.

[Liddy1993]

Really? That’s so reassuring thanks will think about that from now on! Yes it’s so frustrating I was only thinking the other day how calm I’d been for a week or 2 without any HA related worries and then my mind was like remember this thing from last year? Cancer. :shades: my mother even jokes saying I’m a medical mystery I’ve got all these “diseases” and “illnesses” throughout the years and I’m still here :roflmao: on a serious note it’s so hard to think clearly when you’re down the rabbit hole. Wish we all could think like non HA sufferers feel like I’ve spent most of my 25 years worrying about something constantly. Will definitely try my best not to google infuture too much knowledge is dangerous.

[Liddy1993]

Sorry to post again. Can’t stop worrying about this. Doctors isn’t open until Monday and I don’t even have anything to show him. All I have left is a little scar barely visible from where I picked it. If it was melanoma would it have disappeared in 2 months? I wish I never picked it it was fine until I picked the peeling skin after I got sunburned.

[WiseMonkey]

Cancer takes years, like decades, from exposure to symptoms, so you would not have a melanoma appear from a sunburn a year ago. Skin peels when it burns so just try to avoid any future burns but also don't blow up the impact of one little sunburn on your mind. It happened, it's over, move on.

This is true.
Skin cancer often arises in those who got sunburned as children, often repeatedly but decades afterwards.
Then there is pre-cancer (solar keratosis) which is very common and often resolves by itself
Basal cell, common and curable
Squamous cell carcinoma, less common but curable
Melanoma far less common and curable in caught early.

Then there are normal moles that can change but are benign, and other lesions that are age related eg Seborrheic Keratoses, also benign.

So at your age a melanoma is the last thing you would have. My brother had melanoma in his mid 40's but he was a keen surfer in his younger years plus we live in New Zealand where the UV rays are very intense. His was caught early and was cured. I've had basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma and I'm 62 !

[Liddy1993]

Thank you wisemonkey. I don’t want to sound like I’m being ungrateful to you all for helping and giving me support I really am grateful and I know the facts should put out my HA worries but I’m struggling to let this go atm, don’t know how I didn’t worry about this for months and now I’m panicking about it. So stupid.