Melanoma Concern

[joe23_martin]

Should I get this checked out?

This is my boyfriends account, im a 25yr old woman. Mole is on upper right leg. Used to use sunbeds heavily.

Very worried.

Regards,
46294630

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[NancyW]

I would.

[Midnight-mouse]

It’s wise to get skin checks anyway so that the professionals can keep note of if anything’s changed.

Is everything normal to you or have there been changes that you’ve noticed? What’s scared you?

Positive vibes,

Mouse


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[Shadowhawk]

Admittedly I would for sure, especially if you feel it has changed or is new. Keep in mind, lots of even ugly ones are innocent, but this is one of those checks that is easy and saves ALOT of problems in the future..

[joe23_martin]

Hi - I am worriez because it is new & well it seems to look nasty.

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[Shadowhawk]

Well, point stands to get it checked. If it's nothing, you get the piece of mind . If it is serious, catching it early means generally no problems in the future.

[nomorepanic]

Yes get it looked at.

[SnowyGreen]

I would get it checked

[NervUs]

Get it checked.

[Fishmanpa]

Joe's response to the replies....

https://media.giphy.com/media/X3CMa3l2UFLLG/giphy.gif

Positive thoughts

[joe23_martin]

I told my girlfriend she needs to get it checked. So GP first thing tomorrow hopefully. Thanka all & fingers crossed it only looks nasty and actually isnt. From what I can see though, this is a likely melanoma.

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---------- Post added at 10:26 ---------- Previous post was at 10:21 ----------


Well, point stands to get it checked. If it's nothing, you get the piece of mind . If it is serious, catching it early means generally no problems in the future.If you catch a melanoma early, is it generally a good prognosis?

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[GingerFish]

Your GF is definitely doing the right thing getting it checked out. As for an emergency appt if need be to get seen quicker as if it is melanoma, you don't want to hang about.


To put your GF's mind at rest though, I have a huge mole on my bum that I was convinced was melanoma. It is about 1.5cm, had gotten darker from what I remembered and it is an odd shape. I went to the dermatologist for my psoriasis and showed them that mole while I was there and he said it was an atypical mole - a benign mole that looks a bit sinister but isn't sinister but could become cancerous but it is very rare. He said I have a bigger chance of getting skin cancer elsewhere than that mole turning cancerous.

I totally get your GF's anxiety over it all. I am roughly the same age as her too and a new mole randomly appeared on my stomach last week. Seemed to have appeared overnight by the looks of it and melanoma is my first worry too since it looks different to my other moles. I will mention it at the derm clinic next week when I get my psoriasis treatment.


Good luck to your GF and please let us know how she gets on :)


As for the early diagnosis, yes it has a very good outcome. My father in law has had melanoma 2 times now and both times all he required was getting it cut off and checks up because it was caught so early.

[CatLady1]

Definitely wise to get it checked - if the GP is reluctant to refer your girlfriend, she should mention the sunbed use to him/her. If for any reason she still has trouble getting a referral (although I doubt it), there are reputable private dermoscopy clinics which will assess it, although do your research on those.

FWIW, I have a benign mole on my foot which looks very similar to your girlfriend's mole, so it might well turn out to be just an atypical mole. If it IS melanoma, be reassured that these are totally curable when caught early, as they can be surgically removed.

[WhereIsMyMind]

To put your GF's mind at rest though, I have a huge mole on my bum that I was convinced was melanoma. It is about 1.5cm, had gotten darker from what I remembered and it is an odd shape. I went to the dermatologist for my psoriasis and showed them that mole while I was there and he said it was an atypical mole - a benign mole that looks a bit sinister but isn't sinister but could become cancerous but it is very rare.



Yes, I also have a similar sized one on my bum that looks sinister. It's round but has a weird border. I showed the GP and he said that yes it looks a bit weird but didn't look cancerous. I did gain a few kgs so part of me wonders if it just stretched and made the borders go a bit ragged :blush:

I keep a close eye on it though and it hasn't changed in several months.


It's good to get it checked out but no need to panic. Even suspicious looking ones often turn out to just be atypical.

[NancyW]

. From what I can see though, this is a likely melanoma.


No that's not true unless you're a pathologist and have examined the biopsy.

I had a black growth on the top of my hand, this was back in my googling days, I found a picture that looked exactly like it, I was 100% sure I had melanoma.

I didn't.

So at this point the only thing it IS, is a mark on her leg that needs to get checked out.

[Shadowhawk]

I told my girlfriend she needs to get it checked. So GP first thing tomorrow hopefully. Thanka all & fingers crossed it only looks nasty and actually isnt. From what I can see though, this is a likely melanoma.

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---------- Post added at 10:26 ---------- Previous post was at 10:21 ----------

If you catch a melanoma early, is it generally a good prognosis?

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Melanoma is extremely curable when caught early (which is why so many clinics push regular check-up). If it is, they will do a local surgery to remove I, then just regular monitoring appointments.

But don't jump the gun either. Lots of gnarly moles are completely harmless. I had an atypical more removed as a precaution, but it wasn't cancer.

Sending good thoughts and vibes either way. :yesyes:

[joe23_martin]

Hi all,

Thank you for all the replies.

My girlfriend went last night & saw a practice nurse. The opinion was that as a a new mole it was normal to have red around it, this is something I disagree with.

The nurse was not worried but is referring my gf to her GP to get the nurses opinion congirmed.

S
Will update again & thank you all again for your comments and support :)

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[Snowgirl82]

I had a small dark mole suddenly get a black speck on it and scab over. I was super anxious that it was melanoma. My primary care referred me out to a dermatologist who took it off and sent it out to be tested. He said he didn’t think it was but wanted peace of mind. I got the call a few weeks later that it was benign and a souvenir scar as a reminder. I plan to go for yearly skin checkups just to keep myself from stressing about any future moles or freckles. Your girlfriend’s is probably harmless as well. Best wishes.

[WiseMonkey]

Most likely nothing but because you've used sunbeds regularly, get it checked.

[joe23_martin]

Hi all,

Sorry about the inactivity.

GF just saw GP and she has been referred on a fast track appoinfment with the dermatologist. So will be seen in two weeks.

Mole seems to be spreading with red border, however doctor said its flat which is good.

So suspected skin cancer, but let's wait and see.

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[RadioGaGa]

Your GF and I are the same age, and I had mole anxiety starting last September.

When I was young (and dumb) I lived on the sunbeds. Three 15 minute sessions per WEEK is approximately how often I went. I go straight to brown and have olive skin, dark hair so I assumed I was at "no risk" for melanoma, again because I was young and dumb. I stopped use at 19 years of age.

But then again, last summer the madness struck again. Will one 10 minute session really hurt? I was back on the beds again, for a total of three times. Then I caught myself on. I then noticed what, to my untrained non-dermatologist eye, looked like a rather odd mole on my lower back.

What further increased my anxiety was my mother actually said she didn't like the look of it on her own accord without me pointing to that specific mole! I then decided to download "Skin Vision" which said the mole was benign... until a week later when I got an email from them, saying their dermatologists had reviewed my image and wanted me to get it checked out. Panic ensued.

I then found a picture my (now ex) boyfriend had taken of this particular mole some years earlier, and the mole had indeed changed. What else could it be, other than melanoma? Nothing IMHO.

So I was able to, in the end, get the mole biopsied in work. Results came back totally benign.


Do I regret getting this mole removed, and leaving myself with a scar? Nope. The peace of mind it has offered is too valuable.

So my point is, after that long-winded post, is that even something which can look a bit odd, more likely than not, isn't anything serious.

Keep us updated with your girlfriend and hopefully she gets the "all clear"

Good luck

DISCLAIMER: SkinVision should be avoided imho, particularly amongst those with health anxiety. On reflection, NO dermatologist is going to give a mole the "ok" over an app, unless its a pin-prick tiny, banal mole.

[joe23_martin]

Update: Girlfriend went to see dermatologist. Moles were mapped out using medical photography. Derm said the mole post looked dodgy. So it has been takej out and now results will come back some point within 3 weeks. Derm gave no indication on whether she thinks it's a melanoma or not.

Will post again when results are back.

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[Lilly13]

I get every mole that concerns me checked out.

Best wishes - it might have just rubbed on your clothes